The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-12
LIED ABOUT DEWAR
SAMPLE OF ''YELLOW JOURNALISM,
GIVEN BY THE EVENING NEWS.
The Eighth Ward Councilman Quoted
as Saying Things That He
Did Not Utter.
THAT TAGGART SWAMP LAND
HOW THE LAST CLAUSE OF THE
AGREEMENT WAS WRITTEN.
Signatures of Lieber and Holt Not
Questicned-The Blank Space Left
for English's Name.


orators that have been conducting the
| brewery syndicate campaign have denied
| that there was in existence an agreement
signed by Park Commissioners Holt and
Lieber in which they promised to purchase
for park purposes tracts of land that four
Democratic councilmen wanted included
and in which the commissioners reserved
the right to expend $4,000 for land at the
BELT road and White river" A facsimile
of it was published in this paper yesterday.
Its publication threw all those who had de-
MED it into a fit of hysteria and efforts
were made to discredit it. The afternoon
Taggart organ conceived the idea of get
ting Duncan Dewar, in whose custody the
document has been ever since it was signed
the latter part of February, to deny state
ments that had been attributed to him. But
Mr.. Dewar had nothing to take back and re-
affirmed the story that he has told all along
when News reporters called on him yester-
day. Early in the morning one came to his
house and asked him to answer certain
questions which were written down. Mr.
Dewar submitted to the cross-questioning
and says that the report made of what he
said is accurate in the main. Later in the
day another reporter called to ask him if it
was true that he had told Charles A.
Bookwalter that Mr.. Taggart had dictated
the agreement signed by Lieber and Holt
Il replied" said Mr.. Dewar to the Jour
nal last night, that Mr. Bookwalter had
himself already been quoted in the News
Saturday as saying that 1 had not made
such a statement. Instead of quoting me
the News misrepresented what l said by
saying I said: Mr.. Taggart did not die
tate line to me. and if Mr. Bookwalter
says that have said he did, he lies l said
mot inc Of 1T, Il \
press such sentiments 1 would not have
used the language attributed to me- 1t is
in bad taste. ungentlemanly, and not proper
language for man to use, especially when
he knows 1t is to appear in print
Those who know Mr. Dewar know that
| he always speaks with moderation.
Did you say anything that might have
been so construed?"
II did not"
| In the News Saturday appeared the fol-
| lowing: MIR. Bookwalter was asked this
afternoon If he said that Duncan Dewar
said Thomas Taggart dictated the order re-
garding the including of hfs-tFagsart' So
land in the property to be purchased by
| the Park Board.
Il said" replied Mr.. Bookwalter, that
Duncan Dewar said Thomas Taggart's
friends, Holt and Lieber. in the presence
zance, dictated the terms"
1t is hardly worth while denying such
misrepresentation and Interpretations as
appear in the afternoon Taggart organ day
after day, but the alleged Dewar inter-
view of yesterday is a sample of how a
mans words can be distorted
The article in which Mr.. Dewar was mis-
quoted last night appeared in the News
under the caption: Denied by Duncan De-
war" He denied nothing. II have nothing
to deny, nothing to take back" said he
last night.
The News had an alleged interview yes
terday with Millionaire Jack" Murphy
who was quoted saying that Mr. Dewar
told him that he would not forswear his
allegiance to the enemy because he had
been promised his choice of any place on
the official boards if Mr. Harding were
elected.
Il don't believe that Jack Murphy made
any such statement" said Mr. Dewar last
night, because never told him anything
of the kind. He came to see me Sunday and
asked me to come back into the family
suggested that l see Taggart and talk it
over with him-'fix' it up some way /
walked with him down to the corner as we
talked ana l got angry al his suggesting
such thing. | told / would not ask Tag
CART for favor or go near him for all his
money nor any office he might give me- I
said nothing at all about having a promise
OF place 1t is absurd.
The News reporter who was here i'm the
morning asked if it true as alleged
that Mr. Holt had called me to his ice
plant TO implore me not to reveal anything
nor do anything during the campaign. / re-
piled: No, sir; he did not said Mr. Dewar.
reading from the News. If the reporter had
asked me if Mr.. Holt called me to his ice
plant or any other place my reply would
have been different.
Then Mr.. Dewar went on to explain that
Mr.. Holt had sent note to his house
asking him when he could meet him at the
National Democratic committee rooms but
when the messenger came Mr.. Dewar was
not at home. In the evening he went to the
rooms, where he found Mr. Holt The latter
told him that it was reported Bookwalter
intended to exhibit phOtOgra phic copies of
the agreement during the campaign. Mr.
Holt exacted a promise from Mr.. Dewar
not to allow the agreement out of his
hands for the purpose of being photo
graphed.
i have kept that agreement to the let
ter, said Mr.. Dewar. Mr.. BoOkWalter did
not show photographs Of the letter nor
will he"
sunday. to refute the charge made by the
Sentinel that he was mendacious liar Mr.
Dewar went to Mr.. Bookwalter to have
photograph made for etching purposes. He
did not let Bookwalter have it for any pur-
pose The facsimile was printed yesterday.
In an interview in the News Mayor Tag
CART insinuated that the agreement had
been tampered with after it was signed by
Messrs. Lieber and Holt. He did not pre-
tend to say that the signatures were not
genuine. as they speak for themselves
THE people will notice that plenty of
room is left between the body of the letter
(agreemenD and the SIGNATURES or alleged
signatures of Mr.. Lieber and Mr. Holt.
Room might have been needed to put in
something else he was quoted as saying
Mr.. Dewar showed the original agreement
to a Journal reporter. 1t is written ON ruled
paper. MIR. Holt. always crafty. signed on
the bottom line. so that his name might not
appear first on the document. Mr. Lieber
signed the next line above. the letters
of his name running across the next line
and half way into the open space Above
this there is an open line on which the
wicked partner was to get Mr.. English
to sign his name The last words of the
agreement run half across the page on the
next line above the one that was left for
Mr.. English's signature. Mr. Dewar SAYS
that II is foolish to suppose that Mr.. Holt
and Mr.. Lieher, both of them shretvd busi-
ness men. would leave room for additions
to be made to an agreement after they had
signed it, With the last clause containing
the Taggart land left out there would have
been four blank lines left above their
names.
why did not the News ask Mr.. Holt
about that feature of it?' asked Mr. Dewar
Last Friday Mr. Dewar was interviewed
by a Journal reporter Saturdays Journal
said. in regard to the story of the meeting
at which the agreement was signed that
Mr.. Dewar could not recall whether il was
Mr.. Holt or Mr.. Lteber or both of them