Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1901 — Suit Begun Against Lightcap. [ARTICLE]

Suit Begun Against Lightcap.

Starke County .Democrat: At their meeting Tuesday the board of commissioners instructed the prosecuting attorney to immediately bring snit against ExTreasurer Lightcap and his bondsmen to compel payment into the county treasury of the amount he is still short, which is $3,359.23. .together with the penalty or damages of ten per cent and interest provided by law. Prosecutor Vurpillat arrived here from Winamac Tuesday evening and began at once preparing the case for filing. As stated before, it is entitled “The State of Indiana, on relation of John W. Kurtz, Auditor of Starke County, Indiana, versus George Lightcap, et al.” The others whd are made parties are the gentlemen who signed Lightcap’s last bond, each of whom is named in the complaint. They are the men who went on a new bond for Treasurer Lightcap in January, 1899, after the late John C. Larrew, M. D. Eatinger and be released from the bond accepted Nov. 17, 1898. Following are the names of those made defendants with Mr. Lightcap:

A G W Sherman Herbert R Koffel Albert 1 Gould Joshua B Prettman Charles J Lumlin Wm Widlsch James W Nichols John C Baker Johu L Moorman Lewis W German Charles Larumore James G Heilman Wm Miller W H H Coffin Charles Kuester Bert Lightcap Cyrus N Carnes Walter Lightcap Henry H Euglerth Malcom B Rockwell John H Phlllippi Frank Hay Edgar R Fell Isaac R Basoom Henry Z Crissman Elmer E Rogers Amos Laramore Alex H Henderson Hiram G Shilling Benj S Bell Edgar W. Shilling Isaac N Bailey Jerome Beery Schuyler CShilling John H Hiatt James Wilson

Only those on the last bond are made defendants, the presumption in law being that any shortage that existed at the end of Mr. Lightcap’s first term was made good, and that the last bond is liable for the present shortage. If any question as to the liability of the former bond is raised, it will have to be done by the men who are being compelled to pay by this suit. As it was a matter of common knowledge a little more than two years ago that Mr. Lightcap was then short $20,000 or more, and that money was borrowed in Chicago to make it good, which loan is generally believed to have been repaid out of the County Treasury during his last term, the question of holding the old bond responsible may yet come up. At least some of the bondsmen express themselves to that effect. The complaint filed last evening demands $7,600. This does not give Mr. Lightcap credit for the order allowed him by the commissioners of $3,149.23 for interest paid on county orders, and it includes the penalty or damages and interest provided by law. The order mentioned has not been taken up by Mr. Lightcap and applied on his shortage, it is claimed, hence it could not be deducted in the demand. The general understanding is that no defence will be made in the case filed yesterday, the bondsmen allowing judgment to be taken by default. “Grip made me very weak and nervous with tightness of chest and headache. Dr. Miles’ Pain Pills and Nervine gave me quick relief.”—Mrs. Clarinda Butler, W. Wheeling, O. A whole armload of old papers for a nickel at The Democrat office.

“I httd grip three months; could not sleep, pain all over and headache very bad. Dr. Miles’ Nervine, Pain Pills and Liver Pills made me well.”—Mrs. E. C. Bowlby, Waterloo, Ind.