The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1911-09-16

but 10 were with him and 80 were for
the mayor and about 100 were afraid to
express themselves. Many who had
been loud in their denunciations an
hour before quoted down when Knots
invaded the meeting and surveyed the
crowd.
Club Has Acted Before.
Using as their defense that the club
had no right to take up the bride ques-
tion and that the passage of the resolu-
tion at this time would have tendency
to PREJUDICE those arrested loud appeals
were made on this score. Yet it is not
so many months ago since Knots AMI
his friends in the club caused custer
proceedings to be taken against Alder
man Castleman when he got out of the
mayors band wagon so this fact shat
tered setting a bad precedent"
What happened last night was
replica of the meeting called in May to
protest against the granting of the
Geist street railway franchises. The
mayor was denounced but no action
was taken against him.
President H. s Norton, presided at
the meeting. Many of the steel COM
pany officials were present but they
took divided stand the question.
MacCracken Chief Defender.
Il am in favor of the resolution said
Mr.. MacCracken who was his feet
the minute after 1t was introduced. II
am no moral coward and am In favor of
good government but these men have
not been proven guilty and under the
law entitled to a fair and impartial
trial. If we take action on this there
will be a tendency to make public the
idea that the Gary Commercial club IS
"a thartpc ha ut
guilty"
The purpose of this is to remed.
conditions" answered Alderman Feuer
Every four or five months something
arises to hurt business and to lower
real estate values. II these men are
innocent the club should protect them
and keep their mans clan. II guilty
they should be investigated"
KNOTS spnks to Club.
At this juncture Mayor KNOTS arose
| in his own defense He said. II made
an aff1davit for a change of venue from
this county on account of prejudice. II
| this resolution is passed all that L
would have to do is to show the judge
the names of those here. l have been
tried ten times before and tried real
hard. This resolution might hurt our
cases. / don't know where Mr.. Feuer
gets his evidence but I am prepared for
my defense. 1 don't believe that it is
right for this club, even though we are
guilty, to hnd guilty.
Il don't blame anyone for thinking
that a person in office is a thief. For
| five years I have sat back quietly and
had a lot of stuff rammed down my
| throat but from now on 1 propose to
have my say. If the courts find me
guilty l will pay the penalty without a
cry"
! For And Against Resolution.
! Speeches demanding the passage of
the resolution were made by Hugh E.
Corbett and Homer J. Carr. H G. Hay.
! jr, president of the Gary state bank
Harvey j. Curtis. city attorney pro-
tested against it's passage claiming that
! the club had no jurisdiction in the mat
| ter.
| II opposed the calling of this meet
| ing" said Mr. Carr. "5ut since 1T is call
ed / Want to say that if we defeat the
resolution the Commercial club stands
before the country as being in favor, os
graf"
| Corbett declared that if the city off,
| Gals were innocent that they should
demand the passage of the resolution.
He declared that Gary is the laughing
stock Of the world and is suffering from
the stories of graft and bribery.