Omaha daily bee., 1921-06-03
Two Bluffs
Councilnlen
AreIndicted
Lee Evans and Charles Camp.
bell Accused of Soliciting
Bribes in Purchase of
Flusher.
Custer Move Is Started

Alderman Charles D. Campbell o!
the Fifth ward and Alderman l., Lee
Evans of the Third ward. both re.
elected at the Council Bluffs city
election March q, 1920. were in,
dicted Thursday by the district cour,
grand jury for conspiracy to solicit
bribes. They were indicted jointly
on two separate charges Bonds oi
$1,000 were required on elch indict-
ment Bench warrants were not is
sued for the reason that bo:n de-
PENDANTS immediately appeared in
court with their counsel, ]. J. Hess
and John P. Tinley. and submitted
bonds aggreeating $4,000.
. Judge o. D. Wheeler, in dismis-
sing the jury until August so, said
that the members were free until
that time unless recalled"
Custer Proceedings Started.
The indictments were returned
shortly before 5 p. IN. and a few
minutes afterward County Attorney
Swanson filed custer proceedings
against the indicted aldermen, based
upon the grand jury action Judge
Wheeler fixed the date for the custer
hearing for June IS, but it will prob
ably not be reached then, as it was
intimated that an outside Judge
would be called here to hear the case,
The indictments do not charge the
aldermen with having received mon
ey. but with conspiracy to solicit
bribes Each indictment is based on
specific charge, one that the twd
aldermen demanded $500 from the
street railway company to put
through the council an ordinance
raising street car fares to cents
and the other that they solicited $500
from the Western Motor Car COM
pany, Omaha concern, in connection
with the street husher bought a year
age.
81 Bribe Attempt Charged.
The indictments charge that the
two aldermen "willfully, unlawfully,
fclonicusly did mutually conspire to-
gether to commit the crime OF ac-
.cepting reward for public duty. and
in furthcrance with such conspiracy
did solicit fro mthe Council Bluffs
Auto company and the Western
Motor company sum in excess OF
$500 as compensation. conditioned
upon said defendants casting their Of
ficial votes as councilmcn at a meet
ing of the city council in favor OF
the purchase OF street ffuslier from
xtlhaf bidder offering the largest con-
sideration and gratuity to said de-
PENDANTS sat a public letting of con-
tract at which the Council Bluffs
Auto company and the Western
Motor car company were then and
there bidders"
The other indictment covering the
alleged offer to put over" the in
creased street car fare is identical in
wording so far as the criminal charge
is concerned, the amour named be
ing in excess OF $500"
Many Incidents Recounted.
Both of these charges are included
in the custer proceedings with an
additional charge of bribery in con-
nection with the construction of the
city incinerator plant. 1t is charged
that lots. originally purchased for the
city at $50, were turned over at $3.50
and $500.
A dozen witnesses were examined
yesterday, but one from out Of the
city whose testimony is considered
Of great value. did not appear. Wit
nesses before the grand jury re-
counted many incidents OF alleged
bribery solicitation. including the
purchase OF the Sl2.500 fire truck, the |
Sixteenth avenue bridge over Indian
creek, city printing contract with the |
Monarch Printing company and the
city ordinance permitting the tele-
phone company to raise its rates, all
within the two-year statute OF lini- |
tation. No witness was able to give |
direct testimony that any money was
actually paid.
The indictments cannot be tried
until the July term of the district /
court, but the testimony before the |
grand jury will probably all be used !
in the custer hearing
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