The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-03-11
FIFTY-FIVE PER FOOT.
Damages Allowed Joliet Men for
Their Property.
VERDICT in THE DRAINAGE CASE.
II Cuts the Estimates of witnesses and
Appraisers as to the Value of Property
Involved More Than so Per Cent-De-
feated Citizens Are Furious and the Jury
Is Greeted with Groans Grand Jury In
vestigating Charges of Perjury.

Is Greeted with Groans s-Grand Jury In
vestigating Charges of Perjury.
Joliet. Ills, March 11.-Trustees of the
drainage board and the corps of attor-
neys who have been engineering the
sensational bribery and condemnation
proceedings are celebrating great vic
tory. Judge Hilscher's court room in
the Joliet court house was the scene of
an unusual demonstration when the
demnation case which completely
floors" Joliet property owners and cuts
the estimates of witnesses and apprais-
ers as to the value of the property in
volved more than 80 peY,cent.
Instead of obtaining on an average
SIPS per front foot from the drainage
board, the contesting property owners
must be content with an average of $55
per front foot, which is slightly over
the amount which the drainage board
originally was willing to pay. The ac-
QUESTION of this land means that the
sanitary district can now boast Of q
complete route for the big drainage
ditch.
Jury Greeted with GrOans.
The jury was greeted with groans,
and il looked as If violence would be
perpetrated in the corridors of the
court house when the jury's finding was
announced at 8 o'clock in the morning.
The drainage board representatives
were as greatly surprised by the award
as the Joliet property owners were in
dignant. The latter have again pooled
their interests and will now make an
other fight. They are going to ask Judge
Hilscher to set the verdict aside and
grant new trial. The drainage board
will refuse to be a party to such
notion and ii is not expected that the
Joliet people will succeed in having this
verdict set aside.
While these events were taking place
in Judge Hilscher's court room, the
grand jury which is investigating
charges of perjury against Brewer Lins
and looking into the allegations Of brib-
cry was also getting down to bed rock.
Swallowed Eminent Citizens.
The attorneys for the defendants in
the contempt hearing have filed afii-
davits asking for the indictment OF
Detective Murray, who is said to have
shadowed some eminent citizens of Jol-
let and made statements in his afficav-
its which involve the honor of John z.
King Detective Weirs, who also filed
an affidavit, which is said to involve
both King and Carloss, is charged with
perjury in an affidavit submitted to the
grand jury by the attorneys for King
and Carloss. Detective Ritter, whose
evidence is said to make it impossible
for the grand jury TO return no bill'
against Lins, unless the law is ignored,
will not be made the object of attack.
Detectives Murray and Weirs are the
attaches OF the drainage board secret
service force who will be called upon
to answer the charge Of perjury. All
Joliet is "riled" by the announcement
of the awards agreed upon by the jury
which was brought under cloud by
the charges of attempted bribery.
Much Less Than They Wanted.
The Bannon property got $4,000; the
owners estimated it at $4,000 Adams
got s21.1s5: Wilcox, S17 7,O6O; King. So
O75: Paul. $4,000; Holbrook, $3.50, and
Holmes. $3.50. No action was taken by
either side, the attorneys stating that
they would agree during the day.
Before Attorneys Haley and O'Don-
nell, representing lhe ui it'ih'SO 'O'' y y
at Joliet. left for Chicago they learned
that the Joliet property owners were
threatening to bring injunction pro-
ceedings against the sanitary district
to prevent the construction of the canal
through that town. on the ground that
the law under which the sanitary board
is clothed with authority to build the
ditch is unconstitutional. This. at any
rate. is the step proposed If they fall
to have the present verdict of the jury
set aside or to get an appeal to the su-