The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-26

tells how ne was hired to do the work Of
a spy to prosecute nonsyndicate saloon
Keepers ana ne goes into minute detail IN
giving the reports he made to the Indian
apolis Brewing Company. Wheeler was IN
a similar employment and both claim to
have been hired by otis Balloon. VINO was
license inspector under Mayor Denny. but
has been in the employ of the syndicate
since last summer as a travelling salesman
IT seems that Smith was playing both ends
against the middle by working fDr The
syndicate and Good Citizens League at the
same time. Then ne made some more mon
ey out of the deal by keeping duplicates Of
his reports and selling them to the anti
syndicate people.
Maurice Donnelly last Thursday called
on Mayor Taggart and demanded that Col
bert be dismissed from the mead CT the po-
lice force. Neither party to the interview
will give the details Of it, but the result is
that Colbert stays and Mr.. Donnelly has
made public the charges. The AFFIDAVIT or
Walters says:
John A. Walters, being first duly sworn,
says that he is the owner and proprietor
Of saloon on West Washington street
near Eagle creek known as Eagles Nest.
THAT on or about the 10th day OF Feb
ruary 1897, Fred Grossart manager OF the
Maus branch of the Indianapolis Brewing
Company, called on ne at my, place OF bus
mess for the purpose Of inducing me TO
purchase their beer; AT that time I was
taking from the Cerre Haute Brewing
Company. He said that the indianapolis
Brewing Company would liquidAte the IN
debtedness OF said Walters to The terre
Haute Brewing Company, would take cut
his license for him, nuke any Improvement
that he desired, build a dancing floor for
him and guarantee him protection from
any interference by the police force 0t In
dianapois and for the purpose of in,tLc eng
him to do. this presented hnn with oae-ha if
barrel of beer Affiant says he refused their
offer and refused to take their beer.
ENTICING MINORS TO DRINK.
One of the affidavits is by William Wheel
er, coored, who was on the police force
from 1891 to November, 1895. He declares
under oath that Otis Balloon met rim in
the summer of 1896 and asked him TO pro-
cure a wheel and meet him next morning
at Washington and Pennsylvania streets,
as he had some detective work for him to
do. Wheeler got tie wheel and kept the
appointment and his affidavit, given Ver ba-
tim proceeds as follows:
And Balloon then said he was in the en-
ploy of the indianapolis Brewing Company,
and he wanted atfiant to go out and follow
the beer wagons Of companies other imam
the wagons of the Indianapolis Brewing
Company, and he wanted aftiant to start on
the Pabst Brewery and find out how many
wagons they had out about o CLOCK in the
morning. when they went out, and track
one of the wagons and follow 1t and take
the number of places where he left beer
and the amount and when he started out
to stay with him until evening and bring
him report every night that 1T was ram
ing that first day. and Balloon said to at
faint You need not go out on the wheel
but you can walk down there and see what
you can get and report to me at my house;
that affiant followed one of the wagons of
the Pabst Brewing Company for three days
and made reports to said Balloon; that at
the end of the third day said Balcom asked
affiant if he thought the drayman had got
on to him, and aftiant told him he thought
he had, and Balloon told him he better shift
off and take Carl Habich's wagon and get
out and see how many wagons he had out
and make report of that and then take
one of the wagons and follow it, and at
faint says that he followed one of the Carl
Habich wagons for three days and made
report every night: and affiant says that on
the fourth day that said Balloon told him
there was one wagon out altogether for pri-
vate families on North Meridian street. and
he wanted the names of all those private
families and for him to follow that wagon
and in the meantime, in making his route,
to keep his. eye open and get all other
wagons as he was following this wagon,
and if he saw a wagon standing at any
other place to make a report of that, other
than the wagons of the Indianapolis Brew
ing Company.
TO TRAP vOLRATH.
"Affiant further says that he was taken
off the wheel then and told by
said Balcom to get a couple of
minors and take them down to Charles
A. VoIrath's saloon, at No. SIT Madi
son avenue, and have them go in and
get something to drink and affiant says he
took a couple of boys down there by the
name of Manuel Kennedy and Will Yeager,
colored boys, and they got a couple of beers
apiece, and that said Balloon gave afiant
the money to give to the said minors. and
affiant gave said money to the said minors
and reported the facts about said minors
to the said Balloon.
"Affiant further says that on the next day
said Balloon sent him down to said Vol
rath's place to buy key of beer, and gave
him So with which to buy the keg of beer
and said that Mr.. Lieber said that atfiant
should go down there and buy a key of
hoe hnt hA a -
doing a wholesale business, and he wanted
to catch him and prosecute him and afiant
says that he told said Balloon at the time
that he did not like to be mixed up with
anything of the kind, and that Balloon said
affiant would not be mentioned at all in
court and that he would be used merely as
a witness, and thereupon affant went down
to get the key of beer and took with him q
man by the name of Warren Miller, and
i Ter in first and Miller reported
that .Volrath said he did not have
get it over at the brewery, and affiant says
that he went away and came back and told
Volrath that the night watchman said that
and affiant says that he left and came back
and told Volrath that he was going fishing
and would like to have it, and that Volrath
told him to wait minute and he would go
and see if he had it to spare, and that Vol
rath came back in few minutes and said
that he did not have any to spare, and af-
faint says that he reported it to Balloon
and Balloon said all right and aff1ant says
that on the next day SAID BalcOm told MIN
that he had sent a man down there and
caught him; that affiant need not bother
with him any more and af11ant says that
when he reported to said Balloon about the
minors getting the beer said Balloon said,
Never mind that; let them co. that Mr..
Lieber said they could not use that; that
they had already got him on the beer bust
ness.
land aff1ant further says that said Bal
com then told him to go to George Kol-
checks at the corner Of Capitol avenue
and old Seventh street; that there was a
football game up there in the afternoon,
that the boys practiced over there in the
old baseball park every afternoon and that
he understood that the minors drank beer
and played pool in there, and said Balloon
gave affiant 81 and told him to go up there
and sit down and drink and eat and watch
and take the names of the boys that played
pool and got drinks, and said Balloon fur
Their said that all you have got to do is
70 go UP there and get the names and re-
port them to him (Balcom}. and he would
have them indicted. and said Balloon also
there because he had lived up there and
knew all those boys by name and he would
rather put him up there than any Of the
rest of the men.
SPYING ON OTHER BREWERS.
"Affiant further says that said Balcom
asked him If he knew man by the name
of Shaffer who drove a wagon for the Gin
cnnati Brewing Company, of Hamilton, o.,
and affiant told him yes, and Balloon said:
L want you to make it your business to
catch him some place and get on his wagon
if you can and ride around with him and
get the places where he leaves beer and
afiant says that he afterwards met said
Shaffer at Pink's saloon on Indiana avenue
and West street and got on the wagon with
IA In, nd Nj inn q ffaf