The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-06


ish; that is. everything is in doubt; that is,
you are doubtful about getting the BAL
lot
Banks-No. I am not; no. 1 am not
Bridges-And | am doubtful about getting
the $50. These people may change their
minds. You know they say that wise men
cnange, fools never. and some fools may
change pretty often. Now suppose they
fail down on you, and you can't raise that
SO-then what?
Banks-Oh. 1 have got it myself.
Bridges-Now, you have the utmost con-
hdence that these people will deliver you,
Banks-Yes, not only fifty, but five hun
bred If need it. / can go in ten minutes
TO the Grand Hotel and get $500 TO do bust
ness with-that is, if l want to go into
business, open a saloon or anything Of that
kind There is no doubt about that; but
these people are reaping the benefit of the
harvest. and If / do say this myself, with
CART, Stuckmeyer or Bell, or any of them
fellows. and say, L want a hundred dol
lars, l can get it that quick. If they
haven't got il in their pockets, they give
me note so that can get IL. That
is the reason that 1 can go down there and
get so many niggers out of jail. Why, no
longer than day before yesterday / was
down IN court and stood good for lot of
niggers down there. man that
makes his word good with parties. natur-
ally they will take mans word. i have
house in my life, and l have went down
there and fixed up more straw bonds than
any other colored man in this town-more
straw bonds-and l will have that other
nifty for you.
Bridges-What time will you be around
at the polls?
Banks-Oh. will be around there good
and early.
Bridges-You want this ballot as soon
as possible, | suppose?
Banks-Yes. as soon as I can get ii, so
that l can get to work with il right away.
Now, YOU see this ballot won't do
any good in any other precinct. / want to
go TO work like this: you understand, my
meaning i'm this go
Bridses-They don't care If I drop dead
the next minute, long as they have
got this ballot
Banks-No; you see. 1 can go to work
a and say So that tbs ! stole this ballot
make long story short, / will come pre-
Fared 10 do business on the morning OF
eiection-to-morrow morning: You know
L asked you IL you was ready to do bust
ness. and you said you was.
vd 5rioees. Vel l was PREPARED to give
pose you know the election laws.
CRAP GAME AND SALOON.
Banks-Yes. am manager of
the house. with the crap game and the
saloon. You see we run sometimes
over $500 week. and sometimes only $500
a month.
Bridges-Now about this ballot: Don't
you know that the ballot must have the
two signatures of the two clerks before it
is any account.
Banks-Is that so?
Bridges-Yes. What good would the bal
lot be without those signatures?
Banks-Well, / didn't know that. Well
l would just have to wait until the ballot
was fixed I'D, that's all. / understand
now. Let's walk out and have a cigar.
Bridges-Well. thought those people, in
~ IN chNrr <<x1 f.ttl L., fA.t %tx.@.-
was going to deliver half of the goods when
| made the agreement, and the other half
when the ballot was delivered.
Banks-Well, told them-I says: IT will
make proposition: / will tend to my
business" So. instead of going to
the cid man. goes to Polster- He
take this $50" = He is a - niger
hater. will be there with $50, and
l will have as much as couple of hundred
dollars In my pocket.
way of picking up money. / guess he is
careful of the parties that he is dealing
with; that they are safe; but at the same
time those are pretty long chances. 1t is
not less than two years and not more than
ten, and disfranchised for an indetermin-
ate period-that would be not less than
ten years.
Banks-I know that is a fact. / know
that, but have been taking those chances
all my life. If / didn't think that
l could put all the confidence possible in
Now, l say this: Nobody needs to know
anything about this business except you
and l. Now. l am trying to go to work
and place myself in a position with you,
as white people do with one another
Bridges-Well, now, that is all right.
am going from here, now, over into your
neighborhood; it would not be the discreet
thing, understand, for me to walk out of
here and take cigar with you
Banks-I understand, and / don't want
you to walk out with me- Here. get your
self a quarters worth of cigars. I don't
want you to go out with me. / will go
one away and you need not come and peek
out after me, either.
Bridges-Now. want to see you tonight
again, and If you think it will be safe,
] will come over to your place / was
scared to death last night when we were
sitting in there talking, but you said they
would not bother YOU
Banks-There won't a policeman come
in my house. Don't you be afraid of that
Bridges wonder if that fellow that
las done business before, on the board, is
on the board this time? If he is he will
be expecting TO be approached again.
Banks-Well, I will tell you, Yves, there
is no doubt but that there amt one of
them out does business
Bridges-Well, | never done n dollars
worth of business, and / never had man
approach me before you approached me.
You are the first man that ever approached
me In That way. There is Bill Kis-
sci and a host of others that Tom puts
his confidence in, you know, but / was
surprised that they had you over there.
instead OF working in the other ward
Banks-Well you know, they hollered for
me to work out here; / didn't want to
work out here .
Carpenter made affidavit that the fore
going is true statement of the conversa-
ton as he heard it.
A PREPOSTEROUS CLAIM
The Democrats are trying to give the
idea that Bankss negotiations were for
the purpose of trapping Republicans, and
that the arrest of Banks will result in
a fiasco of the most ridiculous nature
| II was claimed that Banks went to
Bridgess place under instructions. but
the nature of the proceedings and the
attempted explanations do not fit well to-
of the Democrats TO secure the ballot. TO-
gether with others from different precincts.
after which they would be taken out
marked, and then given to men who had
sold their votes. who were to deposit the
ballot given them, and give to those who
had given them the marked ballot the
one secured from the clerks of election
when they went in to vote, and this one
| in turn marked for Democratic candidates
and given out again. The scheme is known
among politicians the "endless chain
| scheme of purchasing votes. Banks Is a
notorious character and Is known as one
of Mayor Taggarts henchmen.
REM OTIVEp'c AppCcr