The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-07

square per season. but did not include sun
Heretofore the prices have ranged from
$3.50 per great square TO $45 and $50. the
present price being $3.50 for two sprink-
lings and 3d. 20 for three.
The committee consisting of Thomas A.
Wynne. Fred w. Expert and Michael j.
Shea selected James w Noel as attorney
Mr.. Noel. under oath. stated that he used
every possible effort TO obtain evidence and
upon the questions referred TO in the above
resolution 10 the committee.
EMPLOYED A DETECTIVE.
Mr.. Noel joined with Hilton U. Brown
and DR.. George E. Hunt in employing de-
tective Zone Arthur StahD to come to In
dianapolis and according to the theory of
the matter. ferret out public crime This
effort. with very slight delay led to an at
tempt TO cause Mr.. Edwin d. Logsdon to
commit ID a dishonorable and character
destroying act or % crime.
Mr.. Logsdon promptly secured the arrest
of the detective and then made an affidavit
accusing him of conspiracy with Noel.
Hunt and others "for the felonious pur-
pose of corruptly promising and offering to
the affiant money"
The trial of the detective before the Police
Court was most bitterly contested by the
best criminal lawyers in Indiana, and re-
suited in the detective being bound over to
the grand jury.
The grand jury indicted Arthur stahl. de-
tective, James w. Noel, attorney; George
e. Hunt, secretary OF the Citizens League,
and Hilton u. Brown, business manager of
the indianapolis News, for conspiring TO
bride Edwin ID. Logsdon.
The committee presumeS that the Grim
inal (and possibly the Supreme CourD will
pass on the sufficency of the indictment
and guilt or innocence of the parties.
Pending the trial in the Police Court and
the action of the grand jury, as above
stated. your committee removed Mr.. Noel
from the position of attorney; because he
had without the consent of knowledge or
consent OF the committee gone into mat
tiers beyond the scope of this investigation,
both in visiting st. Louis and in assisting
in employing a detective from that city
in an attempt to discover matters not re-
ferred to in the resolution under which this
committee was acting.
At the time of Mr.. Noel's dismissal your
Qrom April %, 1903 to May 81 1909; 1t has
heard the evidence of twenty-eight witness
es Through the public press 1t had extend
ed every possible invitation to every one TO
testify to any material facts.
The trial of Arthur Stahl, with its excft-
ing battle of legal giants" had fixed and
held the attention of the people of this
city-private conversation, political policy
and the public press had done their utmost
to magnify this examination.
There was no excuse for any Intelligent
man being ignorant of the questions under
consideration by your committee: There
was no excuse for any citizen good or PAD,
who had any knowledge concerning the let
ting of the sweeping and sprinkling con-
tracts or the corrupt conduct or the BOARD
of Public Works in relation thereto with
holding facts from the committee.
Such a Withholding of material facts on
the part of any citizen entitled to be called
good would be so unworthy and dishonor-
able that your committee does not believe
that any such knowledge existed.
LETTER TO BOSOM.
On June "a. without any solicitation from
him, the committee sent to William Bosom
the following letter:
I'm resuming the investigation of the
street sweeping and sprinkling charges
against the Board of Public Works the
committees instructions are to resume at
once along the line of charges preferred, no
hearsay evidence being admitted. The line
to be followed will be strictly that estab-
lished by regular court proceedings, and no
stated on the sweeping and sprinkiing
charges.
The committee also wishes to maintain
a position of absolute neutrality as between
the indianapolis News. the Citizens
League Mr.. Legsdon and the Board of Pub
lie Works. in order to be absolutely fair
and unbiased.
I'VE wish this matter to be closed next
week and desire you to ge. to work at the
earliest possible moment"
Mr.. Bosom accepted the employment on
July l. 1903, and this committee resumed its
sessions. 1t had again invited through the
public press any citizen having knowledge
of facts to testify. Not single citizen
came forward voluntarily to testify-by re-
quest, in the form of a summons, about
seventeen witnesses were examined. Among
these witnesses were James w. Noel, for
merly attorney for the COMMITTEES; Hilton
u. Brown, business manager for the In
dianapolis News: George L. Hunt, secre-
tary of the Citizens, League; L; B:
members of the executive committee
of the Citizens League Not one of the
witnesses was able to throw any light upon
any of these gentlemen name any person
who had any knowledge of facts material
in any degree.
1t is true that Mr.. Noel named certain
parties-already upon list of witnsses-and
also Mr.. Conrad Rust and Mr.. Diller. Mr..
Noel stated that these gentlemen might
give the name of the writer OF letter sup
by Mr.. Remington. Both denied any
knowledge of such fact.
Every stockholder and officer of the Ma
rion County Construction Company was
examined. Each and every one denied that
any offer or inducement of any kind had
been made, either on the letting or per-
Torrance of sweeping contract.
1t was fully proved that neither Mr.. Logs
don nor any member of the Board of Pub
lie Works knew who were stockholders In
the construction company at or before the
bidding; nor did they know until after the
charges were made that II. Il. Gates, Will
Gates and Floyd Woods were stockholders.
Either the members of the Board of Public
Works and each of the stockholders of the
Marion County Construction Company are
perjurers, a conclusion which is entirely
unwarranted, or there was no corrupt prac-
tce of any kind in regard to the sweeping
contract. Upon the sprinkling contract no
new evidence was obtained.
The opinions (under OATH of those who
are unfriendly, hostile and interested in
destroying the reputation of man are la
BILE to reflect the worst that can be said of
his character.
On May 30, 1903, DIR. George E. Hunt, sec
rotary of the Citizens League, was asked
by MIR. III. N. Spann:
$50 you and Noel and Brown entered
in this scheme, believing there was no guilt
on Logdon's shoulders-that he was straight
and you could not convict him?
Ayes, sir.
Mr.. James w. Noel was asked on July /,
1903: Did you not testify in the Stahl trial
as follows:
OIL want what you said about Mr. Logs
don's honesty, and that you had no evidence
against him.
AIN answer to a question by Mr.. Ems
ley I'm regard to the sprinkling investiga-
ton L said to him, in substance, this: ''Of
course, Mr.. Remington and Mr.. Logsdon
were the parties to the corrupt transdc-
tions If there were any,.
Mr.. Remington denies that there were
any corrupt transactions, and Mr.. Logs
don denies it,. and else seems to
know anything about II.
We agree with the sworn opinions as
stated by the gentlemen named.
The statement of Fuehring. Rust and 9TH
hat l. or in ton off hor, In,