The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-07-01
Gary Attorneys Get Cold
Feet When Asked to Take
Action Against Chief of
Police Joseph Martin Last
Night.
HEARING GOES
OVER A WEEK
Hearing Is Set For Next Monday and
Attorneys Harris and Bretsch Are
Involved In Sensational Case Which
Attracts Considerable Attention
Over Region.


Chief of Police Joseph ID. Martin
yesterday presented to the town board
of Gary petition In which he re-
quested full Investigation of the
charges which have been made against
him by FIVE of the Gary attorneys. His
request granted, and special
meeting of the board was called for
Monday afternoon where a hearing of
the matter will be heard. Here. the
town board will net Judges in the
matter and the result Will mean either
the resignation of Chief Martin or the
condemnation of the attorneys who
have preferred the charges.
Wants a Vindication.
Martin has felt the charges that have
been made against him deeply, and as
he stated in the petition, he demands
a complete vindication or dismissal
from the force. Popular opinion seems
to be largely in his favor, but in spite
of the favorable sentiment the officials
desires a public hearing in the case
so that there will be no opportunity
given TO question whether or not the
whitewash was used to settle the diff
ficulties.
The date for the hearing of the evil
dence of conspiracy" was set for next
Monday in the city clerks office The
members of the town board will act
as judges in the matter, and Chief
Martin will employ attorney 5 an
advisory airing the court martial"
If the parties who signed the petit
tion default the board will regard this
as evidence that they did not have
sufficient proof to back their asser-
tons.
Oliver Holmes Appointed.
The resignation of President Ed
ward Jewell of the board of education
was handed in and accepted. as THE
TIMES stated would be done yesterday
Mr. Jewell aspires to a higher position
as supervisor Of buildings, which po-
sition it would be impossible for him
to hold while a member of the board
A surprise was sprung after the office
was declared vacant when oliver
Holmes was selected to fill the vacancy.
A short time ago when his term ex-
PRED and it came time to appoint
some one else, the place was given to
City Engineer A. P Melton This was
construed to mean that Oliver was
slated to be dumped" but the develop
ments Yesterday tend to entirely dis
credit this. Instead Of being reelected
to tn treasurership he was made the
president Of the board of education.
May Forfeit Property
When the board reached the petit
ton for the Improvement Of Nine
teenth street, it was the signal for the
representatives of the Gary real estate
board to start the fireworks in oppo-
sition to improvements Of this char
acter William H. Fitzgerald presi-
dent of the organization, showed the
board of trustees where it would be
folly to order such improvements as
the one before the house Mr.. Fitz-
gerald made an interesting talk and
went on to show where. in many cases
the assessments for various improve
ments exceeded the market value of
the property.
The petitioners who ask for the
improvements out in the jungIes where
they can be of no possible use for
some time to come. are generally per
sons who do not understand what they
are doing" said Mr. Fitzgerald. IF
the assessments keep getting very
much higher many of the property
owners will have TO forfeit their prom
erty for payment Of taxes and
this will cause a decrease in property
values"
They Got the Cold Shoulder.
The Gary lawyers who have neti-
toned the town board to INVESTIGATES
the alleged conspiracy between Chief
of Police Martin and Attorney Clarence
Bretsch, by which Bretsch is said tn
have secured the bulk of the Justice
court business, We're given the cold
shoulder at the meeting of the Gary
Bar association last evening and We're
plainly given to understand that the
circulating of the petition did not meet
with the approval Of the majority of
the lawyers in Gary.
So far. there are only five LAWYERS
who have signed the petition and that
is out of total of forty five lawyers
in Gary. The Gary Bar association
adopted its constitution and bylaws
and then took up the matter of the
conspiracy charges.
C. NJ. Rennolett made a speech and
followed it with a motion that condf-
tions in the police department be in
vestigated. This was overruled or
the ground that the Bar association
had no right to investigate the police
department
Other motions along this line were
overruled until finally William Fftz-
gerald made motion that the rela-