The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-20
A CASE FOR GRAND JURY
COUNCIL SENDS THE ENTIRE GAME
WELL SYSTEM MIDDLE THERE.
Residence District saloon Restriction
Ordinance IntrOduced-A Step to Pro-
vide for Safety in Theaters.

The grand jury will be asked by the Com
mon Council to investigate the entire mud
die which came up over the award, by the
Board of Safety, of the police telegraph
contract 10 the Gamewen Company. Last
night at the meeting of the City Council
Mr.. Montgomery submitted a report from
the special committee which had been APP
pointed to investigate the charges against
Councilman Clark. The report contained
all the evidence submitted to the committee
| at its recent meeting. The report was an
exoneration of the member of the Council
Mr.. Montgomery explained how the COM
mittee had proceeded in the investigation,
summoning and examining all persons who
We're known to have had any knowledge o
the case. He told how Messrs. MacCurdy
and Dodge had retracted all they had saiG
through the newspapers.
The committee moved the adoption of its
report. Mr.. Payne opposed the mere adop-
ton Of the report, as such action would
end the entire matter. He thought either
the committee should make a more
thorough investigation, or if the Council
was unwilling to impose further service on
the committee, the entire matter should be
sent to the grand jury with the recon-
mendation that that body give it attention
MacCurdy had gone to the newspaper Off
ces and made explicit charges of attempted
corruption against Councilman Clark
Agent Dodge had gone with MacCurdy and
corroborated the statement as to Mr..
Clark's appearance at MacCurdy's office.
These men then went before the Investigate
ing committee and made exactly contrary
statements. MacCurdy has since made
statements, weakening what he testified to
under oath. The case was in a fair shape
for the grand jury to investigate. If Mac
Curdy had circulated falsehOodS against the
councilman the law of the land would prob
ably cover his case, for no one has the right
to spread such a willful and damaging SLAM
ders against a public official; while on the
other hand, If MacCurdys charges were
the grand jury should put the councilman
on the road to punishment 1t was ques-
| ton as to the occasion on which Mac
Curdy had told the truth. The speaker
thought the investigation could have been
more thorough. The conduct in other
municipal dealings of the CfameWell agent
who was given the contract might have
been a proper subject for inquiry. Refer
ence was made to charges in a Covington
KY, paper OF attempted boodling by this
same agent.
Messrs. Golfer and Montgomery insisted
that the investigation had been thorough
All the Witnesses known to have had any
information about the case had been queS-
toned. The committee had taken Mr.. Mac
Curdys sworn statement and had no right
to dispute it. Mr.. Allen said he knew very
little about the investigation except what
he had CLEANED through the newspapers
and his vote would necessarily be cast in
the dark. He said there was a general dis
satisfaction over the investigation and a
feeling that it had not been thorough. Mr.
Dudley, a member on the Democratic side
of the chamber, said he willing that
the matter go to the grand jury. The
motion to receive the report of the investi-
eating committee was amended so as to
provide that all the records in the case be
transmitted to the grand jury with the re-
quest that a thorough investigation be
made. This amended motion was adopted
without opposition.