The Detroit times., 1912-10-07
Supervisors VIII Be Called on
for Appropriation In
Meeting Oct. II
PROBE WILL SINK
INTO MANY MATTERS
List to Include Alleged Milk and
Coal Trusts and Build
ers' Combine


Alleged coal combine.
Alleged builders supplies combine.
Alleged boodlIns In city and county
ottlees.
Just a. Mayor Thompson and his
political allies have dropped the grand
jury proposition. Prosecutor Shepherd
came out with the announcement TO
The Times, Saturday, that he Will
call a grand jury before election day,
Nov. s. Shepherd explained the
mayors silence on the proposition by
saying:
can emissary Of the owner OF
newspaper which Is supporting
Thompson and which has been most
loudly clamoring for grand jury
came to me yesterday and said that
now is not the proper time to call q
grand jury. He said that II l expect.
ed to call a grand Jury should at
least wait until after election day.
Why do you suppose he told me
that, after they have been shouting
for a grand jury Immediately, and
even went TO the governor to try TO
force me to ask for a grand jury?
Because the news got out that when
call q grand jury ! expect to In
vestigate the milk trust. The owner
OF that paper is one Of the heaviest
stockholders and an officer In De-
troit milk concern, and IL grand
Jury is called, II will investigate the
combine which 10 gouging the poor
people OF this city In raising the price
of milk.
"A grand jury was all right 80 long
as 1t Was intended TO help Thompson.
but when Thompson's supporter real
lied that II would also probe his busi-
ness affairs, there was no insistent
demand for Il from that quarter.
Have you noticed how silent an after
noon and morning newspaper have
been about the calling of grand jury
since the price of milk was raised!
Il makes a great difference on whose
toes we tread"
Shepherd laughed gleefully. Fol-
lowing the action OF Judge Jeffries In
binding over IL men involved In the
conspiracy case, Mayor Thompson
was asked what his position 10 on the
grand Jury proposition.
II have said ali am going 70 say
on the grand jury AFFAIR" said the
mayor with a note of fnality In his
voice. II is supposed he received the
same intimation as the prosecutor
that a grand Jury at this time would
not be ''the right thing"
But ] am going ahead and call
grand jury" continued Mr.. Shepherd
1.-THE county supervisors meet Oct.
IL, and am going to ask them for
an appropriation for n grand jury.
The Jury will cost us between $4,000
and $4,000. The grand jury will be
called within a week after the money
is appropriated and the investigation
will be under way by election time.
What are you going to investi'
gate" The Times asked.
II am going to call in Mayor
Thompson the first crack out OF the
box" replied the prosecutor. He
has said that we need grand jury
and that he has heard q great many
reports. am going to give him a
chance to tell US what he knows.
II am also going to investigate the
milk business, the coal business, the
builders supply business and possibly
the ice business. You and I know
that there is whale Of a combination
.mong the builders supply men. Why
lit ss getting so bad that people OF
ordinary means can't think OF build
ling a $4,000 house. You and also
know that there is a combine among
1.-THE milk dealers, the coal dealers and
1.-The Ice dealers. The prices 60 up and
all the dealers have the same prices.
That would indicate that there 10 an
agreement among these dealers. II Ia
Mot proof. however, and we might OBJ
tain proof by q grand jury investiga-
Ition. I say we might am not sure
about II because IL Is very hard
thing to prove that the dealers are In
combination.
THE price OF fuel milk and ice
have gone up 30 high that II is a real
discouragement to young people who
want to get married
Are there no other trusts you
might investigate" he was asked.
"Those are quite suficient," he re-
Piled. "Tf we wanted 10 investigate
'em all there Is no telling where VIC
would end"
'How about those aldermen who
were dismissed In police court. Are
you going to ask the grand jury TO
indict themr
IT wouldn't want TO disclose my
hand in that matter at this time. The
bribery cases are now In good shape"
A nnal report on the enrolment
fraud case as given out by the prose,
cutor, Saturday. shows that detec-
tives investigated $50 alleged fraud
ulent enrollments, discovered 47o
such enrollments to be actually
fraudulent and that none Of the az.
legged fictitious voters attempted to
vote in the primaries. In comparing
the names OF fictitious voters enrolled
with the registration books u was dis
covered that as such persons In "a
precincts are registered. The prose
cutor said that they will be watched
and IL they attempt to vote they will
he arrested