Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 May 1910 — OBSERVING A DISCREET SILENCE. [ARTICLE]

OBSERVING A DISCREET SILENCE.

No Information Given Out About Recent Grand Jury Indictments. It is impossible as yet to get any official information regarding the character of the eight indictments returned by the grand jury which adjourned Saturday, or of the affidavit and information filed by Prosecutor Longwell. It is unofficially reported that the affidavit deals with the bridge graft disclosed here, and perhaps implicates one or more county commissioners, while it is thought'some of the indictments are against bridge contractors. • The court order on the . indictments reads in part as follows:

“And the court now orders that tench warrants l be issued on indictments numbers 1409, 1410, 1411, 1412, 1413, 1415 and 1416, to the sheriff of Jasper county for the defendants named therein, to be executed instanter, and directing the said sheriff to execute the same by arresting said defendants, If found in his bailiwick, and having the bodies of said defendants in open court, and day is given. And that of 4he affidavit: “No. 1417. The State of Indiana vs. — : . Comes now Fred Longwell, prosecuting attorney of the 30th judicial circuit, and files , affidavit herein, reading as follows (insert), and bench warrant is ordered for the defendants, returnable instanter. And day is given/’ Therefore if any of these wairants, which we are told were issued Monday, are for bridge graft, it would seem that arrests have probably been made. Under the law, to be technical, we understand no report has to be made on these warrants that is public, until the convening of court in September, and they can be kept secreb until that time if so desired, even though arrests have bgen made and bond given. However, the public is interested in its public business, and we contend has a right to know what is being done in this respect, if anything, so long as the information can in no wise affect the cases. If arrests are made of anybody, at any time, the ; public has a right to know who it is and* what the charges are. Of course it is not right to give up the names of parties indicted before the warrants are served, and this is never done officially, but after the arrests have been made if is then the public’s business to know the facts concerning them.

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