Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 September 1902 — FIFTEEN INDICTMENTS. Grand Jury Holds Nine Days’ Session and Get Several Scalps. [ARTICLE]

FIFTEEN INDICTMENTS.

Grand Jury Holds Nine Days’ Session and Get Several Scalps.

The grand jury adjourned Wednesday after a session of nine days in which many matters called to their attentibn were investigated. As a result of their deliberations fifteen indictments were found, and only the dense “ignorance” of many of the witnesses is said to have prevented several more being returned. Following is the docket number of the indictments returned and the charge named, but as arrests have not been made in all of the cases, some names are left blank, not having been made public: No. 1199. State vs. ; assault and battery with intent to commit murder. No. 1200. State vs Everett Myers; accessory before aud after the fact for assault with intent to commit murder. No. 1201. State vs. ; keeping gaming device for gain. No. 1202. State vs. Wm. Jackson; drunkenness. No. 1203. State vs. ; keeping house of ill-fame. No. 1204. State vs. Wm. Tanner; selling mortgaged property. No. 1205. State vs. ; selling liquor without license. No. 1206. State vs. W. W. Burns, Clint Brown et al., removing mortgaged property. (This indictment reads, charging them with removing mortgaged property, and it is inferred includes all the alleged cattle theives, who got away with the $13,000 worth of cattle in February, 1901, on which the Halligan’s held chattel mortgages. If so, it includes ex-County Commissioner Simoon A. Dowell and several other prominent ring politicians of Jasper county.) No. 1207. State vs. Wm. McNeil; keeping gaming devices. No. 1208. State vs. Wm. Bryant; petit larcency. No. 1209. State vs. r ; selling intoxicating liquors on legal holiday. No. 1210. State vs. George A. Strick f aden; knowingly permitting gambling. No. 1211. State vs. ; keeping gaming devices. No. 1212. State vs. ; knowingly permitting gambling. No. 1213. State vs. Conrad Kellner; knowingly permitting gambling. No. 1214. State vs. ; keeping gaming device. Following is the grand jury’s report on jail and poor farm: State of Indiana J County of Jasper.)

We, the Grand Jurors, having visited the county asylum for the care of the poor, find the same well kept aud in the sanitary condition good except the water closet, which should at once be cleansed and disinfected. We also visited the county jail, and we find that it is the duty of the board of commissioners to at once change the heating apparatus for said jail. That the present arrangement for controlling the temperature of said jail is wholly inadequate, and the grand jury on their oath present that necessary improvement iuthis respect should at once be made. We also find that the plumbing, bath rooms and water closets are in an unsanitary condition, and we direct that the bath tub be removed from its present position and be placed in a position more ready of access with due privacy to the inmates of said jail. The heating and sanitary condition of said jail we direct shall at once be improved so as to make the same tenable, and a lawful and healthy place for the confinement of prisoners.

Having concluded our labors, we ask that this our report be certified to the Board of Commissioners for their action at the earliest convenient moment, Respectfully submitted. AVGUST Stimson, NathaniblS. Bates. Frank W. Fibhek. Charles A. Lefler. Simon Kenton. J. L.S. Gray. Grand Jury September Term, 1902. Following arc the expenses of the grand jury, as shown in its report: August Stimson, per diem and mileage $23.00 F. W. Fisher, same 24.00 Sylvester Gray, same 18,00 Sitnon Kenton, same. 19.20 CharleeG. Lefler, same... 20.00 N. S. Batea, same 18.00 Frei Chlloote, room bailiff 18.00 <). P. Robinson, riding bailiff 32.50 C. W. Duvall, hack hire 3.50 J. W. Walker, short-hand reporter, 9 days. Several of the indictments are a result of the gambling here during carnival week, and it is intimated that only the defective mein-

ory of many of the witnesses saved several prominent members of Rensselaer’s sporty »“400” from similar indictments. The alleged keeper of a resort on “Smoky Row” is said to have had so many prominent patrons that she was given a quiet tip to “vamoose,” which she lost no time in doing. If the indictment which is said to have been returned against her does nothing more than keep her away from Rensselaer, it will have accomplished much good. Geo. Strickfadeu and Conrad Kellner each plead guilty to permitting gambling in their saloon yards and stated that they did not get a dollar out of it, but had simply donated their yards to theprivelege committee of the K. of P. carnival, which is universally accepted as correct. The court, no doubt realizing that they were not the ones who should have got a good taste of criminal law, only fined them $lO each and costs, about sl7 each. The “privilege committee” should make the amount up to every man indicted for these offenses.