Omaha daily bee., 1892-01-22
NEWS FROM COUNCIL BLUFFS.
Rumors Concerning the Grand Jury Create
Something of a Sensation.
FOUNDATION FOR THE REPORT.
Said to Have Been Unduly Influenced In
the Interest of several Persons whose
Acts Must Be Investigated at
the Present Term.

Judge Thornell sprung quite a sensation in
the district court Yesterday morning sum-
moning the members OF the grand jury be-
fore him for an examination as TO the rumor
that had reached him to the effect that some.
one had been tam pering with them. The
move was made upon information furnished
the court by County Attorney Organ and j.
N. Baldwin. According to their statement
the day the grand jury was %empaneied aud
set TO work they were called into the ofic
OF the county auditor, where they
found Auditor Hendricks and Super
visor Graham awaiting tIom. The two
gentlemen named told them that the county
fund had been reduced from 9 1000 to
$5j, 900. and that the county finances were
consequently not in a very hourishing condi-
ton. They requested the grand jury to be
very careful in examining criminal cases,
and TO look at both sides before returning In
dictmcnt so that the county should not be
put to the exuense of criminal prosecutions
where there was not good ground for the be-
lief that a conviction would be the result.
This, the prosecuting attorney thought, was
directly intended to influence the grand jury
in considering the cases against j. F.. Kim
ball and q. II. Champ, and he aud Baldwin
accordingly had the jury brought before the
court for an examination TO find out just
what had been said to them by the county
officers.
The examination of Foreman Axtell
brought out the fact that he had been APP
preached by Hendricks, who said he wanted
to see the members OF the board in his Office.
Axtell replied that if he had anything TO say
to the members OF the board he ought to
ZONE before it when it was in session. Hen
bricks replied that it was nothing connected
with the regular work of the jury, but he
simply mad something to say to them as citl-
zens of Pottawattamie county. The board
met and went into the Office as requested,
ana there found Graham. The two officials
then proceeded with the remarks as ABOVE
stated, pointing out how the legislature had
reduced their levy from 6 to 4 mills, and that
economy was therefore necessary in all de-
partments of the county work.
After the examination had been completed
Judge Thornell gave the jury some additional
instructions. in which he warned them to be
more careful in the communications they had
with outside parties. 1t would be u sad state
of affairs, he said, If the question of economy
were considere1 in bringing criminals to
justice. The grand jury could no doubt de-
crease ex expenses by failing to have any in
dictments brought in at all, but such a sthing
would hardly DO advisable. The jury must
guard against bringing in indictments IN
cases where there is not n reasonable ground
for believing that n codviction will result;
but at the same time it must not let tho
question OF expense enter into it's deliber-
atoms. He exhorted them not to allow any
remarks that might have been made influence
them in any way, either for or against Kim
ball and Champ. He then sent them back to
their WorK.
The affair created a big breeze in the court
room, rs well as upon the street outside.
Rumors were set in circulation by some one
that the court would have Hendricks and
Graham brought up for an examination on
the charge of contempt in the afternoon at 2
o'clock, but the afternoon wore away and no
move of this kind was made, and County
Attorney Organ states that it is hardly
likely that anything further will come
from it.
Hendricks and Graham were asked for
their version Of the affair. They admitted
that the conversation had passed between
them and the jury pretty much as had been
charged, ana stated that they had merely
acted in accordance with a request made by
the Board of Supervisors at its last meeting.
They denied, however, that they mad any
personal interest in making the request and
SAID they had only been carrying out the in
structions of tho board.
They both talked freely, and stated their
willingness to tell Judge Thornell Just what
they had SAID, regardless OF consequences.
Finley Burke, attorney for kimball Il
Champ, thought this movement had been
made by Baldwin mainly for the purpose OF
lntimidating the jury into returning an in
dictment against Kimball and Champ.
AFTER an uproar of this kind" said he, ut
Is Easy W Sco tuao buo jury VIII 10 a iittio
backward about Diminishing the two men,
oven if the evidence against them was some
what light, on account of a dread of being
accused of corruption. Nothing is easier to
make, and nothing Is harder 10 disprove,
than a charge Of corruption, and the best of
juries would be more or less alarmed at
having a Damocles' sword of this kind hang
ing over their heads"
Some color is given to this theory by the
fact that before the jury had left their seats
at the close of the examination certain
parties were on the streets industriously
spreading the rumor that Hendricks and
Graham had been bribing the grand jury to
discharge Kimball and Champ. 1t is believed,
also, by some that MIR. Graham's aspirations
for the office OF mayor played somo part in
the scheme, it being a well known fact that
there has been but little love lost between
Baldwin and Graham since the question of
the reduction of the taxes Of the Union
Pacific Railway company came before the
Board of Supervisors and was settled un.
salts iactorilv to Mr.. Baldwin. who was at
torney for the company.
Walnut block and wy Ominp coal.