The St. Louis Republic., 1904-04-30
GRAND JURY |ND|CTS
JUDGE AND SHERIFF,
\. W. Hope and G. Frank Grove
of Madison Charged With
Misconduct in Office.
SAY IT is SPITE WORK.
Alleged That .Turist Refused 10
impanel a Juryman and Off
Ger Would Not Serve
Poolroom Warrants.

Closing the busiest session Of any Grand
Jury in Madison County in recent years.
the Jury for the April term o: the Circuit
Court handed in It's report at Edwards
vile late yesterday afternoon. Only four
indictments were returned in the final
bunch. but they were sensati tional.
One vas against Judge Alexander ".
Hope, presiding in the City Court at AL
ton. and three against G. Frank Grove
Of Alton. Sheriff of Madison County.
Agains; the former misconduct in Office
is charged. and against the latter the
charge is malfeas sance in Office.
Judge Hope made the following state
ment to The Republic last evening. when
apprtsed OF the action taken:
THE Indictment is unfounded and a
piece Of spitework. 1 shall pay no at
tention to it. Ny official acts are not sub
ject to scrutiny. anyhow, by a local body
Ike Grand Jury, and l shall not hold
myself arswsrabie to any warrant issued
OF the strength of such an Indictment"
The specific charge against Judge Hope
IS that on February Q. ls'S. he prevented
William Sweeney, a resident OF Alton. VINO
had legal qualifications as a grand juror
ana had been appointed as such by the
Madison County Board OF Supervisors on
tce 5th CT DeCtlnDeT- IS1s. from f-slllP
sworn in ana iInpaneled. and caused his
name u be omitted from the ven!re- II
IS charged that he so directed the Clerk.
The charges. in the three indictments
ci;izeEa' raid on the Madison pooiroonls IT
the late winter. AT that tirIe Il is alleged
William j Ccudy. Oscar Schooiey and AL
Senator David Nelson OF ST. Louis, Victor
Sciluler. Charles Fielding. Eugene Wahl,
Joseph Graham. Whitfield Brooks. j. r.
Ganen. James Riley. Lee Wagner, George
Z.iler and J. II. King. charging partieipa-
ton in the operation ot a poorocm. on
the strength OF this these warrants We're
issued.
1t is charged that the Sheriff neglected
TO serve these papers. Al; OF the war
rants but one were procured in Justices
courts. the exception being bench war
rant for Nelson. issued from the County
Court
POOLROOM CASES.
Sheriff Grove does not deny that the
warrants We're not served and has never
made secret Of the fact.
yersy first arose. he said last night.
that my office cannot and will not serve
warrants from Justice courts. l was sick
at the time these warrants were brought
in and could not be in ny Office for sew
eral days. At the same time there were
two divisions OF the Circuit Court in ses-
sion, which my deputies had to attend.
". made arrangements to get Nelson. for
whom Il State warrant Was out. should he
show up in Madison. but he did not ap
rear again. The other warrants from
Justice co-Tts We did not have time TO at
tend TO. rcr did we have the inclination.
They are properly for the disposal o.
Consta bles. and IN local precedent have al
ways been so considered. 1 consider the
action taken BY the Grand jury as e1-
treTne and unjust
Tie indictments against the Sheriff were
drawn and signed by a special State at
toruey. the Grand Jury having asked the
court for the appointment OF one. a.
leging that State Attorney P j. Brown
was interested in the matters the Jury
named Judge James f. Dunnsgan OF Al
for end tre 'atter drew the parers.
Quite a controversy arose when the jury
voted an Indictment against Judge Hope
State Attorney Brown refused to draw
the Indictment wanted. The jury filed into
the courtroom Thursday night and peti-
toned Judge 3. r. Burroughs 70 appoint
another special State Attorney. Mr.. Brown
was called to the bar rail and asked II he
he did. His contention was that he dli
not approve the action from legal stand
point, and hence could not coEscientousiy
sign what ne did not believe in.
The Judge allowed the matter 10 stand
over night without action. and yesterday
morning MI Prown. after consultation
with some authorities, consented TO sign
the papers.
The disagreement raised an interesting
a State Attorney Is the advisor and as
sistant of Grand jury. Whether the
vote of the jury cbligates him to tndorse
an action which he NAV not consider good
law is point upon which the laws are
indefinite.