The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1893-11-23
| N DICT ED +!
County Attorney Madi-
igan Indicted on
4 Counts.
Perjury. Bribery and 2
Cases of Forgery
Set Forth.
TRIAL SET FOR JANUARY q, '94
Mr.. Madigan Confident of Proving
TRIAL SET FOR JANUARY g, '94
Mr.. Madigan Confident of Proving
His lnnOCenCe--DittO At
torney Peck.

AS announced in the GAZETTE extra
last Saturday afternoon the grand jury
of Redwood county made report to
the Court at about three o'clock that
afternoon, bringing in four indictments
against County Attorney Michael M.
Madigan-one for perjury, one for
bribery and two for forgery. These
indictments were unknown to all ex-
cept the jury, the Court, and Clerk of
Court Byram until after the extra ap-
peared on the streets, for Immediately
after they were handed to Judge
Webber, and read by him, they were
handed to Mr.. Byram with orders to
file and record the same, and it was
then quietly agreed between S. L.
Pierce, attorney for the State, Judge
Webber and Mr.. Madigan that just
before the Court adjourned for the ev-
ening the indictments should be read.
1t was shortly after five o'clock when
this memorable scene occurred. The
Court room was only partially filled,
the large crowd present an hour before
evidently concluding that they would
hear nothing sensational that day, and
left for their homes.
Mr.. Madigan stood before the bar.
He never trembled once while the four
counts were being read to him. He
read each count with the attorney of
the State, and as the pointed charge
w-@r, made not even a flush came to
his face, but with almost unparalleled
nerve from a man occupying such a
high trust, he wore look of confidence
that the counts would be disproved.
Asked each time whether he was in
dicted by his true name his answer
was in the affirmative without tremor
When asked each time whether he
plead "Guilty" or 'Not Guilty to the
charge he asked until Monday morn
ing to enter his plea, and the request
was granted. At about $50 the read
ing was concluded. Bail was fixed at
a nominal sum of $500 in each case,
and it was agreed that Mr.. Madigan
should furnish it Monday morning,
with full liberty to that time.
1t will be noticed from the four indict-
anents, a synopsis of which is given
below, that none of them are based on
the three charges made by the Board
of County Commissioners to Gov. Mel
son. It naturally produced excitement
in the Court room when this fact be-
came known. Reportorial inquiry in
to the cause of this, after Mr.. Good
man, Mr.. Marsh, and others, of the
tax title case, had been examined by
the grand jury, elected the informa-
tion that Mr.. Pierce claimed that he
had dropped hunting for squirrels be-
cause there was bear in sight.
The first indictment accused Mr..
Madigan of forgery--of having offered
in evidence in a proceeding authorized
by law document, knowing the same
to have been forged, the forgery TO
have been committed on May Sd, 1892,
in the case of John Damman VS.. Henry
L. Ringle, in which case Mr.. Madigan
was the attorney for the defendant.
The indictment states that on May Sd,
Mr.. Madigan made a motion for the
continuance of the action until the
next general term, and in making the
motion he feloniously offered in evi-