The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-08
HIGNITE ON FIRE FORCE
ONE OF FEW SALOON KEEPERS
WHOSE LICENSE WAS REVOKED.
His Appointment Last Tuesday Kept
Secret on Account of His Record
in Police Circles.

People who know James Hignite will be
surprised to learn that he has been ap-
pointed to a position in the fire department
The Board of Safety made the appoint
ment last Tuesday and Clerk Herrick made
it point to keep the record away from
the newspapers. 1t only leaked out yester-
day, when Hignite was seen working with
was investigated. Hignite has been sta
toned at headquarters.
Hignte was a member of the fire de-
partmenI once before, going in when the
city charter necessitated the discharge of
a number of Republicans in order to make
a strictly bipartisan department. He re-
manned on the force until the winter of
1S93-94, when he opened a saloon at the
corner of Washington and Oriental streets
During his experience as a saloon keeper
he caused the police no end of trouble. He
was arrested on more than one occasion
for violating the liquor laws, and his viola
tons BECAME so aggravated that Mayor
Denny revoked his license. This latter
proceeding was caused by the most fragrant
act. 1t was during the big railroad strike
when everything was in an unsettled con-
dition and there was no telling when riot
ing might commence. The police force was
increased by the appointment of two or
the United States marshal was not much
smaller.
During these exciting times the Fourth of
July came along. 1t was feared that on
account of the day being one Of idleness
trouble of a serious nature might occur.
The excitement was at fever heat, and 1t
would not have required much to have
started rioting, which would doubtless have
ended in loss of life. 1t was at such a time
as this that Mayor Denny issued a procla-
nation calling attention to the law pro-
hibiting the sale of intoXcants on legal hol-
idays and requesting all saloon keepers to
obey the law for at least single day
Nearly every saloon keeper closed up
during the entire day and complied with the
law and the mayors request But it was
before the days of the Nicholson law, and
it was an easy matter to evade the law if
the saloon keeper wished to. Hignite was
one of the sort who wished to evade the
law, and he set up a bar in the rear room
of his saloon. He claimed he was selling
only soft drinks" but the officers who
went there found evidence of the sale of
intoxicants. This was the final act which
led to the revocation of his license. Thts, of
course, closed Hignites saloon, and later
he began business at the corner of Prospect
and Dillon streets. His customers here We're
largely young men and minors. 1t was IN
his saloon that the only suicide club which
Indianapolis ever boosted was organized,
and it was here that the members had their
meetings. 1t is not record that the
rules of the club were ever carried out,
fo1r Hignite was again closed up-probably
before his whisky had the effect of caus-
ing any of the misguided young men to
take their lives in the fulfillment of an IN
sane club rule.
This time Hignite was arrested for selling
whisky without a license, and it was shown
that he had gone into business there with
the expectation Of continuing under the Il
cense of the man whom he succeeded in
business.
Hignite and his two brothers-in-law,
Charles, and Dick Irish, have big pull
in the lower end of the Fourteenth ward.
This is the end where the political fight is
always made, and whoever carries the
brickyard and floating vote Of this part car
ries the ward. The Irishes and Hignite
have this vote pretty well under control
and it is a matter of policy to have them
under the, wing, if the ward is to go right"
The ward is naturally largely Democratic
but it is a matter of history that the four
hundred Democratic majority was over
come in 1898, and it is also a matter of
history that during that campaign the Ir-
ishes were out of harmony with the
leaders of their