The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-01-26
TURNED INTO A FARCE
SAFETY BOARDS RIDICULOUS IN
yEsTIGATION- OF QUINN CASE.
a Scandal That EcIipses the CcIe-
brated Hearing of the. Hospital
Nurses-onIy One Sid Given.

There is a story that has become aged
with telling. about a man who was on
trial before an ignorant justice Of the
peace for stealing some small articles. Sew
eral witnesses testified that they had seen
the man in the neighborhood of where the
theft was committed and others said they
saw the defendant with the stolen articles.
Still others saw him coming from the home
of the owner with the stolen property. The
defense introduced nearly one hundred
witnesses. all Of whom said they did not
see the defendant take the property and
did not see him have IL. The magistrate,
in summing up the evidence. said ii was
quite apparent that the preponderance OF
the evidence was on the side of the de-
PENDANT. that he had produced more Wit
neSseS who did not see him steal anything
than had been produced by the State to
prove that he did commit the theft. He
was discharged.
1t was through this process OF reasoning
that the Board OF Safety yesterday reached
the conclusion that Quinn's saloon on the
corner of West and Ray street. concern
ing which Mr.. and Mrs. Pyne filed their
formal complaint last week. is one of the
most orderly places in the city: in fact.
is a place where any man might feel JUS
tihed in taking his wife and children for
the purpose of spending an evening.
The matter came up on the report OF
Superintendent Colbert. who has been in
vestigating the charges filed by Captain
Ritter as attorney for the Pynes. In short,
the charges were that the grossest immor-
ality is committed in the saloon and i'm a
room over it and that the place is constants
ly frequented. at legal and illegal hours,
by people of the lowest character.
The board met yesterday afternoon and
had a private consultation with Clerk Her.
rick and then came out into the main Of
fee TO take up the business Of the day.
Mr.. Herrick made a show or having just
opened a large envelope containing the re-
port of Mr.. Colbert. and then proceeded
to read the papers He first read the orig
inal complaint and q letter from :. A.
Beliemore. denying that his wife knew the
contents of the complaint when she signed
il. Then came aTndaVitS from every pa
trolman and sergeant who has had any
thing TO do with the district i'm which
Quinn's saloon il located for the last year.
They were al of the same tenor. The pa
trolmen had watched the place carefully
and on a number of occasions had gone
through ii, but they never saw anything
that indicated a violation OF the law. The
blinds were always down on Sundays and
no one was in the place. In fact. IL was
an ideal saloon that never showed the
slightest thing 10 indicate a violation OF
the law.
Then came a lot of statements from
neighbors. OF which the following is a fair
sample:
II have lived at - for - years and
have often seen Quinn's saloon. 1t is usual
ly quiet and orderly and have never seen
any scenes like those described in the COM
plant. l have never seen any violations
of the law at that place" (Signed.)
After the formal reading of these papers
Mr.. Mcguire turned TO MIR. Mack and in
Dictated to him that il was now time for
his part of the show to take place.
Il move that IL is the sense of the board
that the charges are not sustained" he
said.
And that the officers in charge of that
district are not guilty Of neglect added
Mr.. Mcguire.
The addition was accepted by Mr.. Mack
and the motion was carried.
Il think IL is plain" said Mr.. Mcguire.
| that the evidence before us shows that
| there has been no violation of the law at
Quinn's saloon. OF course. If Mr.. Ritter
wants to do so he can ask for a further
examination, but / should think this is
| sufficient"
And yet the original complaint asked that
the board make an investigation and SUBJ
! poena witnesses TO testify.