The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-01-04

The people of Morgan county are not at
all satisfied with the manner in which the
grand jury at Martnsville investigated the
recent Dissertation of the graves OF union
soldiers down there. The investigation
developed nothing whatever and 1t is
broadly alleged that it was not intended
to, although a great deai was said OF the
wisdom of the move when Judge Grubb
OF the Morgan county circuit court took
the matter of investigating out OF the
hands of the court of inquiry and ordered
the grand jury to investigate it. Itis gem
orally believed at Martinsviile that if an
effort had been made to find the perpe-
traitors of the outrages they could have
easily been found Such an effort, il Is
arged, was not made. On the contrary.
there seems to have been a determined
effort among certain officials to prevent a
successful investigation, and nothing
whatever, as far as the public knows. was
developed
The manner in which the grand jury
which did the investigating was made up
was most peculiar. 4 regular grand jury
not summoned at the opening OF the term
of court. 1t being supposed it would not
be needed. After the grave dissertations
were perpetrated there was need for
it. however 1t was composed
of three democrats II. Riuker,
John Kitchen and H. j. Rig0ans; two re-
publicans, G. L. Hadey and Joseph
Bunk and Arnold ". Hadey. member
of the peoples party. When the investi-
CATION was demanded Messrs. Bunk and
Had ey the two repub leans, were sum-
moned In plenty of time TO enable them to
be on hand. and they were there. Mr..
Rlggans, democratic member who lives
in MarlinsyIlle, was summoned and
served, but MIR Rinker, a so democrat
and a resident of Martinsviile, and who
was in town until after the jury was made
up. was neither served nor summoned
John Kitchen. the other democrat who
was drawn as a regular Juror was not sum-
moned until - O'Clock on the day the
grand Jury convened, and a long while
after II was too late for him 10 get to the
court house ne he lived fourteen miles
from town. The two repu blican members
OF the Jury, although they lived in tho
most remote townships in the county,
were summoned in amp.e time and were
on hand when the time came for the jury
TO begin work. Arnold ". Hadiey,
the peoples party adherent does
not now remember whether he
was summoned or not. If he
was. however. he did not serve. In
place of the absent Jurors w. w. kenne-
dy, Wesley c. Barnett and Joseph Nell
henney were summoned to serve. All
were republicans. Kennedy is ex-chair-
man of the republican county committee
and an ex-cOunty official Barnett was
candidate for office before the last repub-
lican county convention, and Mcllhenney
is a republican ex-city official, and all are
Bit erly partisan.
The grand jury that did the investigat-
ing was composed of five republicans
and one democrat, and by some
means the republican county at
torney was worked into the grand jury
room to examine the witnesses. Ken
nedy was chosen foreman. He is a re-
publican. Bert Smith. a republican, was
made bailif. The judge of the court Is a
republican "a also the sheriff. who issued
the summonses. The proceedings from
beginning 10 end were tainted with rot
tenness. There was no Just reason why
the democratic members of the or ginal
Jury should not have been summoned
the came as were the republican mem
bers unless il was intended 10 whitew ash
and make farce OF the investigation. If
it was found they could not arrive
| in time TO serve, there was no reason for
selecting three republicans to serve in
| their places.
1t looks very much as though it was in
tended that the democrats should not
serve. and that there was method in the
manner in which jury was finally made
up to do the investigating. II has been
! charged. and the charge has been fire.
/ quently repeated. that the grave desecra-
tons were perDetrated by republicans.
! The charge was made even before the
/ court of inquiry began it's work. This if
no other, should have been a good reason