Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 May 1887 — OUR POLICE FORCE. [ARTICLE]

OUR POLICE FORCE.

Lafayette Journal: “There is something rotten in Denmark.”- — The Lafayette police force seems to need investigaton. The Journal does not make this statement in a partisan spirit. The election is over. The assertion is based on the fact that if there is tny truth in the complaint of Hugh Early, published in yesterday’s Journal, and the explanation of Officer Powell, in this issue, there was one of the most diabolical outrages perpetrated on Hugh Early on election day ever heard of in the history of Lafayette politics. We would like for the citizens of Lafayette to put the statements of Messrs Early and Powell together and read them. It seems that Early, an unfortunate young man, was some days ajo committed on a charge of drunkenness Election day found him behind the bars. He says that John Mitchell, brother of the defeated candidate for m yor. agreed to get him out of jaii if he would vote the Republican ticket. In pursuance of this agreement a release for Ea»ly w’as procured from Mayor Caldwell on Monday, the 2d; and placed in the hands of Officer Powell, who went down io the jail Tuesday morning, took Early out of jail and started to the polls with him. Early, being released, wanted to go home. The officer asked him if he was going to keep the ‘contract,’ so says the officer, and at the same tim « he says he told Early if he did not he would be locked up in jail again. Early was locked up again for breaking the com pact,and although he had been m jail several days and had had no opportunity to get liquor he was reslated with a charge of drunkenness in order to force him back in prison. After a time, for some reason not explained, he was again released. This is a simple statement of the matter. Now what does it mean? It must mean that some part or all of the police force so far forgot itself and its duty that it entered into a corrupt and criminal contraci with this man to prostitute his vote. If the statements of Early and Charles Powell are true somebody on the police force is guilty of conduct that would put him behind stronger bars than Hugh Early had to contend with in the County Jail.

Officer Powell says he went to the Courier and C»*ll and wanted to publish a statement in reply to the article in yesterday’s Journal and that he was refused a hearing. Why? ihe Jou nal heard him and it will grant a hearing to every man. We will not say who is guilty in this outrageous affair, but we believe the liberty loving and law abiding citizens oi‘ Lafayette without regard to party, will demand an investigation and a conden. nation of the guilty. For “ways that are vain and tricks that are mean,” commend us to radical tricksters. In Indianapolis this clas£ of bummers seek to com pel members of a grand jury to aggi oe to an indictment of certain parties designated by them.

L\w Reports.—The Indianapolis News is a special favorite with the legal fraternity throughout the state on account of its daily reports of the Supreme Court deciioiis printed as fast as they are delivered < y the Court. If these abstracts cost double t e subscriplion price of the paper, and the paper contained nothing else, the lawyers of any’practice would want it. but as it is they get the decisions tor 10 cen*-s a week and a model family newspaper in the bargain. * *

Dus. Starkey and Palens’ advertisement of Compound Oxygen in this issue of this paper should be read by all of our readers. The cures which this treatment is effecting a- e almost miraculous. In the few years since its discovery they have treated in all parts of the world up \ aids of fifty thousand patients. Thousands of these ha e given testimonials that they are cured, and a large proportion of the others report great benefit from its us>e. Their offer to send a two hundi ed page book free, giving a history of the treatment, with a large number of testimonials, is a liberal one. Read the advertisement and send for the book now.

xtoAST beef, or fowl, will be much nicer if they are kept covered whilt routing; it keeps them moist; uncover just time enough to let them brown.