The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-08
MIR. ENGLISH TALKS.
A Park Commissioner CorrobOrates
Mr. Rn0EMRIter.

a Park Commissioners SorfoDOrates
Mr.. Bool<waIter.
William E. English has returned from the
East. where he has passed most of the sum-
mer
Are you still working on the Park
Board2'' he Iaughingly asked reporter VINO
had often met him at the boards office.
What do you know about the mayor s
LAND being included?' he was asked.
II know that / was opposed to its being
taken into the park system, first, because
l did not consider it necessary, and, again,
because it belonged to the mayor. Not that
1 think it would be wrong on that account
particularly. / believe the board has the
right to take the mayors land or the land
of any one else, but 1 realized that If it
were taken it would be misunderstood and
misconstrued. People would think there
was something wrong whether there was or
not. Not foot of land that own or con-
troll is in the park system nor Will 1T be
while 1 am q member of the board and have
anything to say about it..
did you ever discuss the mayors land
with other members of the board?'
"Once with Colonel Perry. L do not think
I ever talked about it to other members of
the board When we were coming away
from the boards office one day Colonel Per-
ry said that he was opposed to taking in the
propagating ground and would oppose it. l
agreed with him and told him / was also
opposed to it for the reasons have stated;
that considered it unnecessary to purchase
it and would oppose it because it belonged
TO the mayor"
you have heard what Mr.. Bookwalter
says?"
II was rather provoked when l learned
that he was charging that authorized the
mayor to sign my name to an agreement. /
did not know just what he really said until
1 saw his article in the Sun (an afternoon
paper.) When saw that l found that my
impressions as to what he had charged were
erroneous to some extent
Mr.. Bookwalter did not charge that Mr.
English authorized the mayor to sign his
name to an agreement as to what lands
would be bought with the money the Coun-
Gil was about to appropriate Mr.. Bookwal-
ter said in his speeches that an agreement
was presented to the Park Board by the
Council as to what lands would be pur-
chased with the money. 1t was to be signed
by the Democrats. Mayor Taggart, Mr.
Holt and Mr.. Lieber met the councilman
at the Grand Hotel. The agreement was
amended so as to permit $4,000 to be spent
for buying propagating land Messrs. Holt
and Lieber, he said, signed the agreement
leaving q line for Mr.. Englishs name above
theirs. The mayor then asserted that he
had authority from MIR. English to sign
his name, but preferred Mr.. English to APP
pend his own signature. Mr.. Holt took the
agreement, saying that he would carry it
to Mr.. English, who was then i'll and con-
fined to his room. He afterward returned
the agreement with his own and Mr.. Lieb-
er's signature to the Council, explaining
that Mr. English was too i'll to be bothered
with any business. The inference conveyed
to the Council was that he had talked to
Mr.. English about it, and the mayors as
sertion that he had Mr.. English's authority
was regarded as a guaranty by the Coun-
Gil. What Mr.. Bookwalter really said in his
speeches was impaired to Mr.. English He
then said that his telegram was sent under
the impression that Bookwalter was charg-
ing that he had delegated authority to the
mayor.
Ibid Mr.. Holt show you that agreement %
mo, he did not. Mr. Holt came to see
me one day after l was beginning TO get
Well enough to see q few people, but / was
not permitted to do much talking and his
visit was short. While in my room | think
1 asked him about the Park Board and he
spoke of the delay in getting the appropria-
ton made by the Council"
Did you ever hear that the mayor had
claimed authority to use your name?"
II did not.
Mr. English explained that he only be-
came a member of the board last winter
upon the retirement of Judge Allen, who
resigned from the board to become circuit
judge. The first few weeks he tried to ia
miliariZe himself with what had already
been done. He was not acquainted with
the general park plan and considered care
fully the various tracts that were being
considered. 1t was on Mr.. English's mo-
ton that a good deal Of the river bottom
stance-were dropped from the general
plan.
80 far as you know other members of
the board than Colonel Perry did not know
of your attitude on the mayors land?"
$50 far as / remember / never discussed
the mayors land with any of them"
did the mayor know your attitude?"
Yes, | met him one day and he asked
me how we We're getting along with the
parks. / TOLD him in our conversation that
reasons I have stated-that it was I'M
necessary and that the fact he was mayor
made it objectionable. He agreed that my
position was correct and said that he did
not want to sell it to the city,
The Sentinel has made much ado over
Mr.. Engish's telegram which was sent
under the apprehension that Mr. BoolkWaI-
ter was charging Mr.. English delegated
authority to the mayor. The telegram said:
1.-THE charge made by Bookwalter that
sent me at any Park Board meeting is
absolutely false; and, further will say that
you had always stated to me that you did
not desire to. sell any land to the Park
Board. Use this as you see fit
Mr.. Bookwalter did not make such
charge. He simply said the mayor claimed
to have authority to use Mr.. Englishs
name.