Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 May 1912 — ANXIOUS ABOUT $5,000 ROLL. [ARTICLE]

ANXIOUS ABOUT $5,000 ROLL.

Perjury Case Against T. B. Dean Will Not Be Dismissed with Mayor Knotts' Consent. Dismissal of the indictments against the Gary councilmen whose ca.-es were pending at Crown Point on charges of soliciting bribes in the Dean steam heating franchise proposition, will not reSull Jn the dismissal of the criminal charge of perjury which is pending against Thomas B. Dean nor wil it permit Sheriff Thonias Grant to return to Dean and his confederates the $5..000 which is alleged to have been given by Dean to Mayor Knotts and declared to have been found in his desk in the mayor's once by the deputy sheriffs whom Dean had stationed in the corridor of the city hall while he made the "plant” in the mayor's ■ desk. ■ ' Mayor Knotts stated ’ today that not only will he push the prosecution against Dean for perjurv, but he will see that Sheriff Grant retains the $5,000 until the real wners come into court and' state on oath who the roll ot money belongs to and how it was placed in the mayor’s desk. Mayor Knotts declares that he now -has, the whole inside story of the money transaction and how the •‘roll” was placed in his des*k. He also knows who furnished the money and all the circumstances surrounding the "plant” by which it was hoped to railroad him out °f office and into the penitentiary for the sole purpose of seizing the reins of the city government. , "I am now in possession of all. the inside facts in the conspiracy,” said Mayor today. ,"I know who furnished the money and I 1 now Loh it was placed in my desk. I want those men to go into the court and tell the truth about it. If they do not-tell the truth I will have them indicted for perjury and conspiracy.” The, men who furnished Dean with the money are becoming uneasy, it is declared, and are trying to make Sheriff Grant give it up to them without a fight in the courts which would expose their part in the

conspiracy. They have been ■to see Sheriff Grant several times within the last week and have been so importunate that Grant finallv werit to Attorney w. J. McAleer • of Hammond-who is one of Mayor Knotts' attorneys, and asked him’ to see the mayor and ask him if he might return the money to the men who are seeking i(. Atty. McAleer came to Gry yesterday morning and had a conference with the mayor on the subject. Mayor Knotts sent word to the sheriff that he would be held responsible for the safe keeping of che money until the rightful owners make clear their ownership in the courts and also te itify. to the truth concerning how it came to be found in Mayor Knotts' desk when he was arrested. Then Mayor Knotts will be ready to prefer changes of perjury -and conspiracy against them, he declares unless they tell the whole truth.’ Mayor Knotts declares he is armed not only with verbal but with documentary evidence relating to the 11 ansact ion and these facts are what 'he backers of Dean are trying to avoid by trying to secure the return of the money quietly. It was declared today that the ,ii mis.-al of the indictments against „the Gary councilmen was part of the scheme whereby it was hoped o secure the dismissal of the charges of perjury against Dean and also secure the return of the s. jhhi w;:hout going up against a fight ■ w filch might result in -some very unpleasant publicity. As a matter of fact the cases councilmen Were disbecause it was found that here was no evidence whatever upon . which to base a conviction. So ia.r as the prosecution against Dean is concerned the evidence against is a- matter of legal record and he cannot avoid it. Minor. Knotts said today that so far as ’h/ N concerned the case against Dean I will be pushed to. the bitter end and that it would result in disclosures' of the' mo-t sensational character.! —Gary Post. i