The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-09

SnOrLndnd IL was MS custom 10 type
write the proceedings on detached sheets of
the minute record which were copied in
an impression book of tissue paper and
afterward pasted III the permanent record
The method is the same as that of the
Board of Works end Board of Safety, where
the clerks keep the records in the same
way At the next meeting OF the board it
was the custom for Chairman Claypool, or
whoever had presided in his absence. to
sign the minutes Of the previous meeting.
Mr.. Spencer followed the usual custom of
transcribing his notes of the meeting of
April 16 within a day or two, as within four
days after the park meeting his certificate,
containing a verbatim copy of what the
park records showed with regard to the
mayors land, was filed in the Circuit Court.
1t is therefore conclusive that the records
were ready for Mr.. Lieber's signature as
acting chairman when he met with the
entire board on April 27, as shown by the
minutes, but he did not do so. Why? To
have produced the records at that time for
reading and attestation by Mr.. Lieber
would have been dangerous to the plot as
Colonel Perry or Mr.. English might have
been curious enough to look at them, when
the whole truth would have been known.
LIEBER'S SIGNATURE WANTING.
The record has never been signed. Mr..
Leber's signature is still wanting. Never
theless Mr.. Spencer certified to the Circuit
Court that on April 16, 1897. the various
tracts named above, including Mayor Tag
gart's, had by order of the board been in
cluded in the park system and his cer-
tifcate inclosed a petition for the appoint
ment of assessors to fiX the fair cash value,
as the board had been unable to agree with
~, To oft tha
owners-as to the fair cash price to be paid
for it. Mr.. Lieber is in Europe-or was at
last accounts. His name has never been
attached to the minutes. There is a blank
line with the words Acting Chairman"
written below it ready for Mr.. Lieber's sig
nature when he shall return.
SPENCER NEVER AT HIS OFFICE.
1t has been only by the most persistent
and determined effort on the part of the
Journal that what the records disclose has
been ascertained. Charles FL. Spencer clerk
of the suspended Park Board although he
draws a salary Of S100 month for his du
ties as park clerk, could never be found at
the boards office. 1t was said yesterday
that he had not been there two hours in
the last month. Finding it almost impos-
sible to have the safe opened and the min
ute books of the Park Board exhibited, at
tention was given TO the records of the Cir
cult Court. The record of April 90 1897 pub
lished in the Journal last Saturday, showed
beyond cayil that all statements that have
been made by those interested to the ef-
feet that the Taggart land did not appear
after Feb to he absolutely untrue, as on
April 20 Spencer certified that the lands were
included in the park system April 16, over
two months after it was alleged they
dropped out. Saturday afternoon the News
said that the record only covered action
that was taken TO cover defects in Colonel
Holloway's records, as he had failed to de-
scribe specifically the lands that were to be
assessed when he applied to the court for
the appointment of the assessors that were
OF do that work" 1t was further declared
that the records in the Circuit Court COW
cred every tract of land that had ever been
considered for park purposes.
Last Sunday morning a reporter was for
tunate enough to find Deputy Clerk John
Clinton in the Circuit Court room, and an
examination was made II every. record that
has ever been filed in the park proceedings.
This examination disclosed that the state
ment in the News that every tract of land
had been taken into the court records was
false. The Journal showed that there is
nothing in the court records touching the
Kirkland property, which was bought before
the board suspended, the Mansur property,
which had dropped out Feb. s, nor was the
old baseball park property included. These
three tracts dropped out with the mayors
land, it was alleged The bog land-ffty
acres of it, which was to net the owner the
handsome sum o. $255 an acre by being
foisted off on the city-is the only one of
the four tracts that ever got into the court
record. On Monday, after the Journal pub
lished these facts, a News reporter went to
the Circuit Court room with Mr.. Spencer
Then Spencer faxed up the lame excuse that
it was only by an oversight that the baseball
park was left out. In the case of the Kir-
land property, the News said, there was no
necessity for condemnation proceedings, as
there has been an agreement with the own
ers as to what should be paid for it. Other
tracts were not included because they were
not being longer considered Neither was
the mayors land being longer considered"
but it crawled into the records. After all
these facts appeared the mayors last prop
was gone, as he had repeatedly said that the
park records showed that his land had been
dispensed with. He was interviewed in
one of the Democratic organs to the effect
that no matter what the records might
show, it was not his intention to have it
included, etc.
FALSIFICATION OF RECORDS.
There was one peculiar thing noticed in
the court records. Mr.. Spencer certified that
two meetings one special meeting, at
which all the commissioners were present,
and when sections five and six of the Fall
creek system were defined, were held April
16 A search of the files of all the dailies
failed to show that any such meeting was
ever held. The other meeting, at which the
mayors S land appeared to have crept in
again, was the regular Friday afternoon
meeting on that day. This was the fact
that aroused suspicion that there was a
Justification of the records somewhere. Then
further efforts were made to get at the rec
ords Thursday afternoon Journal report
er again called at the park office. As on
former occasions, he was informed that
Mr. Spencer was out and that all the rec
ords were locked up in the safe and that
Mr.. Spencer had the keys.
The reporter went to the Grand Hotel,
where he found the mayor in his private
office. He was told that the reporter was
unable to find Mr.. Spencer at his office.
What do you want him there for?" he
asked courteously.
"The Journal wants to have the minute
books of the board examined"