The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-09
WHAT MIR. DEwAR SAYS.


WHAT MIR. DEWAR SAYS.
Has Agreement to Purchase Taggart
Land in His Possession.
Duncan Dewar, a Democratic member Of
the finance committee of the Council, has
in his possession the original agreement
signed by Sterling r. Holt and Albert Lieb-
er, in which the privilege was reserved of
purchasing for 900 land at the Belt
road and White river" The agreement was
signed, he says at the Grand Hotel. 1t is
dated Feb. 26, 1897. Mr.. Dewar says that
Mayor Taggart was present and knew what
was going on. Mayor Taggart has repeated
ly said, in speeches and interviews pub
lished in the Democratic organs that his
land was not considered after Feb. s. when
a letter was sent to Mr.. Wolcott by Mr..
Claypool, saying that the Belt road land
had been left out in addition to other tracts
that were described, in order to bring the
appropriation down to $3.50, 900, the amount
Controller Johnson recommended for parks.
Mr.. Dewar has had the agreement in his
possession ever since 1t bears the sigma
ture of Albert Lieber and Sterling r. Holt,
the latter written on the bottom line, Mr..
Lieber's name on the next line above, leav-
ing two other lines on one of which the
finance committee was made to believe Mr..
English. the third Democratic member of
the board, was willing to place his sigma
ture had he not been too Ill at the time.
The Journal yesterday said that Charles
A. Bookwalter. in a meeting the night be-
fore, had divulged Mr.. Dewar's name as his
informant Mr.. Dewar was asked about this
yesterday.
rs it true that you gave Mr.. Bookwalter
his information" a Journal reporter asked
Mr.. DeWar Yesterday
"About a week ago." said Mr. Dewar,
MIR. Bookwalter called at my residence
and finding me absent, left card inviting
me to call at his office, Lemcke building.
AT that time l had never seen Mr.. b. to
my knowledge, but soon after, when
came down town, / called upon him. He
Immediately introduced the park question,
and in minute details described the meet
ings at the Grand Hotel between the Dem
ocTatic members of the finance COMMITTEES.
as conveyed in his speeches, and appealed
to me to verify his statements. 1 was
forced to admit the general truth of those
statements and asked him who his in
formant was. He replied that inasmuch
as the story was known to seven or eight
truth. he would only say that he had it
from person very near the Board of Park
Commissioners.
Although I had no intention to reveal
the proceedings Of the meetings held at
the Grand on any occasion, felt that as
away, and that all of it was of such a char
acter that it would not in any way incrim-
mate any, one, l gave him specific details of
which he was not possessed. 1t is unneces-
sary to give in full the agreement entered
into at the first meeting, because Mr..
BookWalter has already given it publicity.
follows I am willing to swear to
When the agreement was drawn up it was
taken to the Grand Hotel, whore a meeting
was arranged between the members of the
committee and the Democratic members of
the Park Board, and given to Mr.. Holt by
me, ne having agreed to secure the sigma
1Cl iC q CT ~ md IN
the lobby of the Grand Hotel discussing
the park question with Mayor Taggart and
awaiting the arrival of Messrs. Holt and
Lieber. When Mr.. Holt returned with the
announcement that Mr.. English was too sick
and could not sign the agreement, j think
Mr.. Lieber was there, but whether he was
or not or arrived later is not material.
Mayor Taggart took me aside and with
ferVent pressure of the hand assured me
agreed to in the matter Mr.. English would
ratify and that as Mr.. English, Holt and
Leber comprised a majority of the board
any agreement then entered into would be
carried into effect.
I'VE retired into the room at the rear
of the barroom and there the agreement
and in view of Mr. Taggart and in that
agreement was included $4,000 worth of land
at the Belt road and White river
-Four members of the finance committee
Messrs. Kirkhoff, Ohleyer, Clark and my
self, were again invited to meet the gen.
tlemen at the Grand Hotel--this time in an
same gentlemen with Mr.. English also pres
ent. This time the subject of discussion was
the substitution of a strip of land be
tween Washington street and Fall creek in
stead Of some Of the other properties men
toned in the first agreement. Three of the
committee Messrs. Ohleyer, Kirkhoff and
myself concluded that as the appropriation
ordinance was passed and resistance would
be then useless we assented but Mr.. Clark
objected and protested against any change
but after some conversation had taken place
between Messrs. Ideber and Clark. which
did not hear. Mr.. Clark consented and we
THAT is The substance of what I COM
municated 20 Mr. Bookwalter and while his
construction of the affair may be entirely
me see any harm in ali this. nor do ] see
any reason why IT should not be given full
publicity. Nor do I find why Mr., English
can find any cause for offense, for / am
certain that ! have said nothing to offend
him in any manner. AS to any arrange
ment between Mayor Taggarf and the
know nothing Sections IS and 10 of the
park law confer the power Of eminent do
main upon the park commissioners and
give them the power to acquire lands with
in and without the city to the limit of four
miles, no matter who it belongs to- and if
they deem it the right thing to do they
can take the land of the President of the
United States if they want to. provided ii
is found within the above-named limits'
THE FIRST REPORT.
Being asked for further details of the
agreement and the facts leading up to it. Mr.
Dewar said that the entire finance commit
tee met In the City Hall to consider the
park appropriation ordinance. Mr.. Wolcott
chairman of the committee submitted q let
ter he had received from Mr.. Claypool. in
which the information was conveyed that
on Feb. certain lands, including the bog .
had been dropped by the Board of Park Com
missioners to reduce the amount to within
the appropriation. The committee consid-
cred that the letter was a personal letter to
Mr. Wolcott-that is. Messrs. Dewar, Kirk
hofs. Clark and Ohleyer, Democratic men,
bers of the committee. did-and they re-
fused to be guided by it. Mr.. Dewar drew
up a report on the ordinance, directing the
Park Board to specify just what tracts
would be purchased with the money. Mr.
Wocott objected TO this, and the resDort
was destroyed. He thought that the other
Democratic members of the Council were
trying TO freeze him out" by dropping the
White river lands south of Indiana avenue,
which he wished TO have included. Besides.
he doubted the right OF the Council to die
tate to the Board of Parks on this subject.
Messrs. Dewar Ohleyer, Clark and Kirk
hoff walked out and had a caucus OF their
ot ,fr,er revue eel.