The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-21
THE PARK SCANDAL
MR. ALLEN SHOWS THE CAUSE OF IN
VEsTIGATION FARCE.
SubpOenas for Watt Not Given Police
Till Night Committee Held Its
Final Session.
DECEIVED as TO A REPORT
DEMOCRATS SUBMITTED IN VIOLA
TON OF AN AGREEMENT.
Councilman HarstOn Arrested for q
Street Fight with His
Wife.
DECEIVED as TO A REPORT
DEMOCRATS SUBMITTED IN VIOLA
TION OF AN AGREEMENT.

Councilman Allen at a meeting Of the
Council last night laid bare some Of the
methods of the committees Investigation of
the charge that q corruption fund to be used
among the city officials in the sale of park
lands to the city had been collected. Last
night the two Democratic members of the
investigating committee-Madden and Cos
tello-submitted a report of the commit
tee" absolving everybody by saying that the
committee did not believe there was any
truth in the charge.
Mr.. Allen arose and said he had not
known until a few minutes before the meet
ing that a report was to be presented, and
he had not opportunity to make a minority
report. Furthermore, ne said, he had
learned from the superintendent of police
that the subpoenas for witnesses for last
Wednesdays nights meeting Of the COM
mittee had not been turned over to the po-
lice department to serve until Wednesday
evening, and that as one at least of the
witnesses lived several miles in the country
it was impossible to serve them None Of
the witnesses were present at the meeting
that night and the two Democratic men,
bers of the committee decided after the
meeting, over Mr.. Aliens protest, to give
up the investigation.
Last Friday night the committee was to
have held a meeting to make a report. Mr..
Madden, the chairman, was not present.
Mr.. Costello told a Journal reporter that
the report would not be made until Madden
called another meeting. Allen and Costello
agreed that no report should be drafted
until then. Costello said he would draw up
the statement of facts of the Investigation
without making any recommendation, and
then that part Of the work would be over.
Allen then left the committee room. Not
withstanding these facts, Costello and Mad
den held a meeting without Aliens knowl-
edge between Friday night and last night
and prepared a report of the COMMITTEES"
They kept Mr.. Allen in ignorance of their
action until a few minutes before they pre-
sented their report last night. Both Cos
tello and Madden tried to answer Mr.. Allen
last night, but they made no excuse for not
having apprised him of their meeting. Mr..
Allen became disguised n sat down with
out further protest.
Madden and Costello's report was short.
1t reviewed the charge made, named the
twenty-five witnesses examined and con-
cluded by saying that the committee be-
lieved there was no truth in or foundation
for such ruImorS." The had found,
according to the report, that the charges
arose from statements alleged to nave been
made by Watt, but when he was examined
he denied that he had ever paid or had been
asked to pay money into any fund of the
kind, and that he had not made statements
not under oath when he made them"
The mayors message, which is printed
below, and the reports of the different de-
partments Of the city government were re-
ceived. Councilman Golfer said: After the
mayors message is read we won't know any
more about it than we did before" and he
moved that it be accepted without reading.
This was done. The reports were referred
to a committee.
A report was received from City SAM
tartan Clark showing the amount of money
expended in the fight against a spread Of
smallpox. The maintenance of the two
peSthouses has cost $407. so, and the mainte-
nance of sixteen Quarantines=about 127 peo-
ple-has cost $500. The wages of the guards
have amounted to 81, 900, of which 81, 100 has
been paid. DIR. Wagner's bill has amounted
to $270. The total expense has been SO, 277. so.
of which $1,2O has been paid. There is
81, 464 to pay the BALANCE of $2.057.50. leav-
ing $4O6.50 in the fund. This amount, DIR.
Clark reported, is not sufficient to carry on
the work, and he asked for a further appro-
p~riation Of $1,000. His request was referred
to q committee.