Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 June 1899 — Page 4 Advertisements Column 2 [ADVERTISEMENT]

An investigation of the county offices in Jasper county should be made by all means, and The Democrat suggests that in the event of such investigation that the amounts illegally collected by the various newspapers of Rensselaer be looked into. There is little question but what such an investigation would result in thousands of dollars being returned to the county. Do the taxpayers want this money paid back into the county treasury? If so, an earnest and united effort should be made to bring about an investigation. Probably, owing to the I peculiar condition of affairs here, there is no likelihood of any investigation being made union it is made by the taxpayers themselves, but the money paid for this work would be well spent and would be a great saving in the end to those who subscribed the necessary amount to secure the investigation. The matter is worth your earnest consideratisn. Let prominent taxpayers in every township in the county take the matter up and start a subscription to secure an investigation.

The latest cases of official rottenness to be unearthed in Indiana is at Anderson. A dispatch from that city says: During a session of the council last night Councilman J. W. McMillen and Street Commissioner McCandless were placed under arrest by Sheriff Moore on bench warrants issued by Judge McClure upon application of ex-Secretary of State W. R. Myers and other heavy taxpayers. McMillen is charged with embezzlement of public funds and McCandless with making out and certifying false pay rolls. The broad and general charge is made against public servants that the city has been systematically and thoroughly looted right and left. It is claimed the starling climax has just begun and that more arrests on equally sensational charges will be made tomorrow or next day. For some time there have been rumors of city mismanagement, and the newspapers took it up, making a fight, which, backed by the prominent taxpayers of the city, resulted in an expert examination. The arrests were made upon rather nominal, but is claimed specially strong, charges. McCandless, it is claimed, has not only made false returns and used the city employees to work his ends, but he has also, it is alleged, cornered this city and Elwood on the gravel market. In fact, the whole city is said to be tied up by a ring which has been raking in thousands of dollars.