The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-05
SUMMING UP.

To sum I'D the evidence and the law In
the Stahl bribery case is the province OF
the police Judge but it may not come aniss
for a newspaper to sum up the net results
as affecting public opinion. And after all,
this Is the main thing. for the Journal does
not believe that either the prosecution or
the defense is much interested in the per-
sonality of Stahl, the detective. The points
at issue in the public mind are:
First-Has the city administrator been
guilty of protecting gambling?
Second-Has the Citizens League been
used as catspaw by a newspaper in its
pursuit of practices that are regarded by
most people as a trifie unfair?
The Citizens League. composed of honor
able gentlemen with a bent for reform and
blessed with plenty of leisure to pursue
their fad, procured certain affidavits from
unsuccessful bidders on municipal contracts
to the effect that successful bidders were
expected to contribute to the Republican
campaign fund. through Mr.. Logsdon, chair
man of the Republican city committee and
member of the Board of Public Works.
The newspaper in question made a charac-
teristic sensation of this incident, and was
promptly sued for libel by Mr. Logsdon
The City Council, controlled by Repub-
lican majority. on the demand of Mr.. Logs
don for an inquiry, took cognizance of the
Citizens League charges. and, in good
faith, appointed a special committee and
began an investigation, employing as it's
attornev an ambitious vounp lawyar Ouito
naturally, he seems to have been seized
with visions of big newspaper headlines and
the possibility of a national reputation
within reach if only the newspapers and
newspaper correspondents could be induced
to pay sufficient attention to the matter.
The investigation drifted along until it
came to point where it was necessary to
have some evidence IL there was to be any
real sensation that would bring satisfactory
results to the newspaper and the lawyer.
Then the managing editor of the paper and
| the lawyer made a journey to st. Louis, ap-
got in touch with detective. Returning.
the lawyer made an appeal to the Citizens
| League for money Ito obtain further evi-
| dence." and got an appropriation from that
| body Thereafter the matter seems to have
been conducted by the general manager of
| the newspaper, the detective, the lawyer
and the secretary employed by the Citizens
League. The detective made a proposition
| 10 Mr.. Logsdon as the agent of a mythical
| slot-machine company to pay a sum of
| money for protection for these gambling
devices. corroborated by fake telegram,
concocted by the manager of the paper and
| sent by one of its agents. Mr.. Logsdon APP
| parently fell into the trap, put the detective
off on one excuse after another until he
learned all he could of the matter. and then
promptly turned him over to the police.
The trappers trapped and thrown into a
| panic. the newspaper attempted to shift the
! responsibility for the whole miserable hush
| ness on the league. but by telling a
straightforward story of the performance
the members of this organization have
placed the responsibility where it belongs.
| The effort 10 prove that the administra-
| ton protects gambling has proved fiat
| failure. The effort of the newspaper to cre-
ate sensation and win for itself prestige
has failed. and it has failed just as utterly
| In It's effort to wash its soiled hands In the
| perfurned bathtub Of the Citizens League
| There are a few more or less important
collateral results. not the least Of which is
the lesson It has taught weil-meaning re-
| formers that there are certain animals with