Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1901 — The Starke County Defalcation. [ARTICLE]

The Starke County Defalcation.

Regarding the shortage of exTreasnrer Lightcap of |Starke county, mention of which was made by us last week, the Starke County Democrat says: So far as the county is concerned there is nothing new in the matter of ex-Treasurer Lightcap’s shortage. The treasury is still minus about $7,600 due from him, and the prospect of its being paid soon does not appear to be as promising as it was a week or two ago, when a solution of the difficulty was confidently predicted in a few days by his friends. Not a dollar, of the amount has yet been paid and the obstacles in the way of securing a loan of the amount on a note signed by the bondsmen seems to multiply as the days go by. It is known by many, as it was some time ago to a few, that Mr. Lightcap’s actual shortage is nearly $12,000 What made it appear less is the fact that he borrowed $4,000 on personal security from the Farmers bank just before his finel settlement was due, assuring the men who signed the note with him and other party friends that this amount would a little more than meet what was due the county from him. So this $4,000 is to be added to arrive at his actual shortage. The absence of the funds due from ex-Treasurer Lightcap is causing decided inconvenience. The money is due township trustees who are needing it, and as it is not in the treasury Treasurer Pierson cannot pay it to them. Something will have to be done to releive thesituatsonatonce. About twenty of the bondsmen met in the banquet room at the K. of P. hall Saturday to try to devise some way out of the muddle, Bht •nothing decisive was done. In addition to the difficulty encountered in negotiating a loan some of the bondsmen evince a marked disinclination to sign a note for that purpose. Some of them even say they desire to compel the filing of a suit by the county to recover the balance due from Mr. Lighcap* They state that they will then undertake to make the old, or first bond, shoulder a share if not all the loss. They point to the alleged fact that two years ago last December Mr. Lightcap was short something like $24,000. That to make it good the men on the old bond, among other means, borrowed $16,000 in Chicago on a note signed by them, and that this no v te was afterward paid with money taken out of the county treasury, and an attempt made to in this way shift the shortage which really occurred during his first term to the present bondsmen. This, they say, they will endeavor to prevent by showing up the real situation. Some of the present bondsmen are dissatisfied, too, claiming that Mr. Lightcap turned over the bulk of the proceeds from the sale of the North Judson store to Chicago wholesalers, instead of applying it to his shortage as they had been led to understandhe would do. Mr. Lightcap Tuesday issued a trust deed to F. P. Whitson for his two store buildings in North Judkm, fifteen town lots, nine acres uear the Pan Handle track south of town, fifty-three acres east of town and his half interest in the ten acres between the 3-1 and Erie railroads. Bert Lightcap’s residence was also included and a chattel mortgage on George Lightcnp’s stock. Notes for $2,000 and accounts for $3,134 were also assigned to Mr. Whitson for the benefit of the bondsmen, some of whom belive they can get off with a loss of something like $1(X) each if the property is carefully handled. The rumor is current this mottling that the bondsmen will bring legal action to recover from the estate of the late Lewis Keller about $7,200 alleged to have been paid out of the county treasury by Mr. Lightcap soon after his first election to discharge a private debt. It is said they have legal advice that it can be recovered. Viewing it up one Bide and down the other it is an ugly situation. A civil suit against Mr. Lightcap on his bond to compel payment of the balance due the county is practically assured, and a criminal suit for embezzlement or defalcation entirly possible to grow out of it.