The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-11
They Were Also Provided by Him
with Beer and
i'm Abundance.
ELECTION DAY CORRUPTION
EVIDENCE HEARD BY UNITED
STATES COMMISSIONER MOOREs.
Miller and Collins Released
ON Bond-Interesting Facts
Brought Out.

William Miller. the colored proprietor Of
the Grand Hotel barber shop, who was ar
rested on the charge Of illuminating col
ored voters last Tuesday, in violation OF
the fifteenth amendment Of the Constitu-
ton, was given a preliminary hearing yes
terday before United States COMMISSIONS
Moores and bound over to the federal grand
jury in the sum of $500. Miller was re-
leased on bond furnished by William Holt,
manager of the Grand Hotel. Emanuel
Collins, who was arrested on the same
charge, waived examination and was re-
leased on a $1,000 bond, furnished by Henry
Themes and Albert +. Gearing.
When Miller was arraigned before Com
missioner Moores his attorney. ]. E.. Nc
Cullough. made a motion to quash the affi-
davit, but it was overruled. He then
waived a preliminary hearing, but Commits
sioner Moores insisted on taking the testi-
mony In order to determine the amount of
the bond. The hearing was held in the
grand jury room of the government build
ing, and there was a crowd of colored peo-
pie in the corridors and the room in which
the hearing was held during the greater
part of the day.
1t was shown by the testimony of the
witnesses that Miller was engaged in polit-
ical work on election day in the Third ward
and that he directed his efforts chiefly to
the colored voters.
SENT TO THE CLUBROOM.
Several witnesses said that Miller gave
them cards upon which his name had been
written and directed them to go to a club
room on Sixteenth street, where refresh
ments were to be obtained free of charge.
The cards were presented at the lower door
and those who were admitted were con-
Quoted up a stairway to the second floor.
The testimony developed the fact that as
soon as the colored men entered the club
room a proposition was made to them to
remain until after 6 o'clock and they would
be we'll paid for their days work. During
the afternoon of election day it came TO the
ears of the Republican workers in the ward
that the colored men had been corralled
and a crowd of them went to the clubhouse
on Sixteenth street and were about to break
in the doors when there was a general rush
of the imprisoned colored men, who sue
coded in breaking the door down from the
inside and liberating themselves.
Levi Jasper, one of the witnesses, testi-
fed that he had been sent TO the club
room by Miller, and that he found about
twenty-five colored men present, drinking
beer and eating sandwiches. He said he
was paid 81 by Miller for his days work,
and that part of HIS work was TO get men
into the clubroom. He said that Miller
agreed TO give the men 81 apiece If they
stayed in the clubroom until after the polls
Charles Alexander, another cclored wit
ness, ties titled to substantially the Same
thing as Jasper. He said he was employed
by Miller to help get men to the clubroom,
and that he received $3.50 for his days
work.
Herbert Wilkinson testified that he went
up iE the clubroom TO get some free beer
and sandwiches, but before he accom-
plished his purpose the doorkeeper. Haag
Mead, announced that every nan was ex-
pected TO stay in the room until after G
o'clock. He said that Mead told him there
would he a man around after 6 o'clock
with $500, and that If anybody jumped out
OF the window ii would mean more money
for those who remained.
COLLINS HAD MONEY.
Wilkinson testified that he remained un-
til after 6 o'clock, and that Emanuel Col
Inns came in with $24. Wilkinson said Col
Inns distributed SIT of It, saying at the time
that "he hadn't been able to see the head
push to get the $500, but that he would pay
the boys out of his own pocket" VIII
kinson admitted that he received 81 of the
money distributed.
William II. Sneed testified that he was
employed on election day by the Repub-
lican precinct committeeman especially to
watch Miller and w. Allison Sweeney, the
oolored custodian of Tomlinson Hall. Sneed
said he saw Miller give a number Of col
| cred men cards which would admit them
TO the club and that he saw him take
one man, whom he did not know, into a
lumber yard. Sneed testified that he
crawled under a railroad car and saw MIL
Ter give the man some money, and the man
afterward went to the club on Sixteenth
street.
Matt Holloway, colored, testified that he
went uD I'm the clubroom and asked Mead,
the doorkeeper, for some beer and some
thing to eat. He said Mead told him be-
| fore he got any beer he would have to sign
a book and agree to stay in the clubroom
until after 6 O'Clock. Holloway admitted
he signed the book, but said that wnen he
had all the beer he wanted he jumped out
Of the window and made his escape.
Several of the witnesses testified that
there were several free-for-aH tights dur
ing the day in the clubroom, which came
about through some of the coiored people
trying to escape.