The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-12
A NORTH PARK SCANDAL
WHY THE COOPER-MILLER LAND
WAS FORCED ON TAXPAYERS.
A Free Beer Picnic-Commerc iaI
Bodies Not COnsuIted-Protest
Over the Purchase.


very much surprised at the Journals dis
covery of the errors and defects in the or
dinance that undertook to authorize the
Board of Works to condemn and purchase
the Cooper-Miller parks up at the north
west corner of the county. 1t was rushed
through before they had time to examine it
and detect possible defects. They are won
derirg, however, what steps it will be
necessary for them to take to lift the cloud
from the real estate the city bought One
OF them suggested yesterday that it might
be necessary to ask the Legislature to pass
a special law declaring the city's title to the
lands to be good.
1T seems strange to me- said he, that
the fact the ordinance did not designate
how much was to be paid was not discov-
cred. Even if the city attorney and the
mayor did not detect the error that was
made when the ordinance was written in the
city engineers office, any one would have
thought that Controller Johnson would have
examined the ordinance carefully before
paying out close on to 100000. He took the
pains to get an opinion from bond attorneys
in the East as to the validity of the or
dinance authorizing the sale of the park
bonds that were issued to create the fund .
Mr.. johnson has been quoted in the News
as denying that the omission of the con-
sideration that was to be paid for the lands
placed any cloud on the title. He issued
warrants to pay for the land when the deeds
were presented to him.
Several councimen are recalling how the
ordinance was "rairoaded' through the
Council. June the resolutions for the old
Fall creek system were abandoned by the
Board of Works. A few days later Mayor
Taggart. members of the Council, the off,
cial boards, two or three representatives
of the Commercial Club and the Board of
Trade, and a few others, drove out in car
riages-nobody knew who paid for the con-
veyances-to look at the parks" They
drove to Brightwood. then, late in the even
ing arrived at the Miller land, where Mr..
Miller met the party. John J. Cooper and
Charles NJ. Cooper were along. They drove
along the outer edges of the ground, getting
narrow bluffs over the bottoms that will
make nice lakes when dams are built, and
sometimes when there are no dams-say
when some of the freshets for which the
west fork of White river is famous, come
along. The drive ended at the beer park
on Thirtieth beyond North Indianapolis,
where an immense spread was set out for
the $50 people that had gathered by this
time. Beer and bowling were free to the
crowd. with other nice summer refresh
ments, at whose expense has not been ascer-
tanned. That was the extent of the park
sight seeing save for private trips that one
or two of the counclmen afterward made
Neither the Board of Trade nor CONNER
cial Club, according to statements of off,
GERS of both organizations. were ever asked
to pass an opinion as to the ACCESSIBILITY of
expanding 100000. On the occasion mem
toned d. M. Parry and Evans Woollen, of
the Commercial Club. and E. b. Martindale
and H E. Kinney of the Board of Trade
were along. They were not asked then nor
subsequently,, for opinions as to the value of
the land, or to whether they considered
1t wise to purchase it. On former occasions
the administration had ostentatiously in
Vited both organizations to help solve the
park question, as they have since been
asked to do with the water works purchase
THE ORDINANCE RUSHED THROUGH.
A few days after the park picnic" at a
special meeting of the Council, held July g,
the ordinance was introduced and turned
over TO the committee on public property
and improvements, Messrs. McGrew. Mer-
rick and Grail. An effort was made to hold
a midnight meeting for the passage of the
ordinance that night but it was defeated.
Another special meeting was held the next
night, however, and the ordinance was
passed over the protest of Republicans. Mr.
Grail made a minority report, and both he
and Mr.. Allen protested against paying the
prices for the land which the ordinance
Was supposed to designate. They had heard
that about double what the land was worth
was about to be paid There was also oppo-
sition to the passage of the ordinance from
members who had not seen the original
draft and who thought that members
should be given a chance to know the con-
tents of such an important measure before
voting on it, without taking any one s
say So" There had not been time for the
ordinance to be printed and laid on their
desks since its introduction the night be-
fore. But it went through by vote of ''16
to l." Four members were absent Mr.. Al
len alone voted no"
NO one discovered the errors in the ordi-
nance when 1t was read by the clerk and
but for an accident they might never have
been discovered by the newspapers, and the
facts with reference to them published. 1t
Is asserted, however, that the city officials
discovered the errors before the land was
bought. but hushed 1t up. Mayor Taggart' S
signature was not placed upon the ordi-
nance until July II, three days after it was
passed In a few days more the purchase
of the lands began. No steps for its condem-
thorized and directed. They were bought
outright without disinterested real-estate
experts DelfiS employed 10 ascertain what
they were worth.
Now that the mischief has been done, Con-
trOler Johnson, who had to approve all the
purchases and issue the warrants in pay
ment for the lands. attempts to dismiss the
errors and the assertions tn. the ordinance
is invalid and the title to t. and question
able, with a wave of his hand. The council
men are asking why there was need of so
much haste. In a month after the old sys-
tenn was abandoned, the purchase of the
new one had been determined on, with no
public discussion and the ordinance author
izing 1t rushed through the Council, errors
and all.
After the ordinance was passed, but be-
fore the land had been bought, John r. AL
len, one of the members of the Council,
was asked to call mass meeting at Tom
linson Hall to take action against any
further steps along that line. There was
time, even then, to head off the purchase
of land at twice it's value, as the money
had not been paid over, even If the pur-
chases had been agreed on. But Mr.. Allen
did not call the meeting. He replied TO
those who suggested 1t that he had done his