The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-01-12
TALK OF GRAND JURY ACTION
Property Owners Retain Attorneys and
Will Seek to Force Council to Let
Contract to Lowest Bidder Many are
b Interested.

The precincts about Elizabeth street
are sizzling with indignation and pro.
perty owners are promising to heap
vengeance on the heads of the alder
men who voted to give the contract for
the paving of the street to any one but
the lowest bidder. Already the prop
erty owners are organizing for the fight
and former District Attorney R. V.
Baker has been retained as one of the
attorneys to look after their interests.
They have contributed to fund to be
known as defense fund and they are
determined to enjoin the city from
starting any work ON the contract or
dered by the city council on Monday
evening.
| Most of the men interested in the
movement are smaller property own
ers but they are sore property owners
and they, are determined not only to
prevent the street being paved until
the contract is let strictly in com
pliance with the laws but they are
clamoring for the political scalps of
men who refused to listen to their pc
tition. They assert that the petition
for burlington brick was signed by
| people who have little or no interest in
the ward and that at that the majority
| or the property owners signed in favor
of using Barr brick and giving the
contract to the lowest bidder. Attor-
ney Baker admitted that he had been
looking into the action of the council
but as yet no formal action has been
started In the courts. The Elizabeth
street people are fighters and it will
be remembered that the entire operat-
| ing scheme of the Electric Railway
company was changed on account of
the insistent fight that these same pro-
perty owners put up against the action
of the council three years ago. The
same men are in the fight against the
proposed contract for paving at this
time and they are in to stay.
One of the men interested has de-
| clared that he is planning to appeal
directly to the Circuit Judge and ask
for the assembling of grand jury to
look into the methods Of the Common
Council in regard to the letting of con-
tracts. District Attorney Hastings
would have to join in the demand for
the calling of such a grand jury and
1t is probable that if one were called
lot of the transactions of the council
would be investigated. The grand jury
threat has been heard in Kenosha be-
fore but it is just possible that the
Elizabeth street property owners back
ed by fighting attorneys will be able
to show the Judge the demand for such
an investigation. No work can be
done on the paving of the street until
the first of April and there will be
plenty Of time for the property owners
to get their cases in court started. 1t
is claimed that no less than forty of
the property owners have already
agreed to make fight against the con-
tract and that recruits are being Sc
cured to the list every day. It is GER
tain that there is going to be some in
teresting times for the council and for
the city and that some one will be kept
busy defending suits before the last
one of the Elizabeth street property
owners has been whipped into sub
mission by the administration leaders.