Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 August 1877 — Michigan City Scandal. [ARTICLE]

Michigan City Scandal.

Referring to the Michigan City scandal the Laporte Argus says; As Senator Winterbotham is a man of wealth and high social position, as well as a Demociat of large influence in this part of the State, the columns of the lletorm Journal offered the shyster politicians, who desired to accomplish his political downfall and cared not what means were used to accomplish that end, an opportunity to vent their spleen by inventing every possible mode of attack and placing it at the disposal of the unscrupulous conductors of the paper. The joint desire to extort money from and to accomplish Senator Winterbotham’s political downfall may be considered the real groundwork of the attacks on him. The attacks on his business and political conduct created no considerable attention tor the animus of the attacking parties was generally ni derstuod. The conspirators then thought to injure the Senator by adroitly working up and connecting his name with a scandal that they thought would disturb his family reirtions and materially injure his political and s cial standing. To this end they used a Mrs. Goodwin, a woman of notoriously disreputable character and who freely admits that she is a prostitute and a blackmailer. She lived in McCartney’s house and seems to have been used as a tool to accomplish the purpose of all the parties who were fighting Winterbotham. The wretch was not content to lend herself to such base ends but tried to drag with her a virtuous tho’ unfortunate woman, who by reason of sickness was obliged to remain at Goodwin’s house until her approaching codfinement. The Senator’s association with the lady’ was entirely honorable and charitable, and was done at the request of herself and her husband, who was in his employ. The above is only a brief statement of the case as it really is, and the affidavits now on file and evidence easily attainable will abundantly establish what we have said. Back of the whole of this matter is plainly seen the devilish ingenuity, the baseness and damnable duplicity of a few political adventurers, some of whom pr tend to high personal and professional character. With these men the end is not yet. In due time they will be thoroughly exposed and shown up in a manner that will open the eyes of the public.

A prisoner for life in the penitentiary, located at Michigan City, has served nine and a half years, during which time he has made 19,312 large lard tierce. His task was 17*000 for the State, leaving 2,312 tierce over his task, for which he received 18 cents each as an average, securing to him for overwork $416 16. One hundred and twenty of these tierce make a car load, and this 19,312 tierce would fill a train of 260 cars, and require about four engines to draw them. The State contracted these men at 50 cents per day, and all earned over this amount was credited to the prisoner on the books.

Real Estate Transfers.—Oliver B. Mclntire to Ebenezer Chamberlin, e$ nwj 16, 27,6. Jonathan Lee to Samuel Moore, e nw, sw nw, and 10 acres west side w ne 26, e sw 13, an 1 w se 14, 29, 6, and nw ne 13, 30, 6. Tolson E. Myers to James F. Zimmerman, seines 9, 30, 6. Joseph W. Price to Nancy H. Zimmerman, nJ nwl 16,30, 6. Sarah S. Beacher to Micah B. Halstead, nw nw, 18, 29, 7. L. J. Frees to C. O. Codar nw ne 14, 28, 6. Wo>. W. Kilgore to John H. Slayle, Lot 5, block 10, Weston addition to Remington. Sarah Ann Britton to Thomas Walters, Lots 1 and 2, block 1; lots 1 and 2, block 2, in Davissonville. Walter Railsback to Keziah E. Railsback, undivided interest in wi 25. 27, 7. John Woln to Rieh.d M. Hazelett, undivided f w j sei. and wi nel I‘, 32, 5. Auditor Jasper County to Isaac F. Biggs, net sec. 6, and s part nwi nw! 17, 32, 5.