Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 November 1902 — SUES THE TAX FERRETS. [ARTICLE]

SUES THE TAX FERRETS.

Judge Thompson Brings Action to Recover $4,000 Already Peld Them, The county of Jasper, by Simon P. Thompson, a citizen and taxyayer, vs. Mart Fleener, John J. Carnahan and John B. Workman, also Abraham Halleck, Frederick Waymire and Charles T. Denham, members of the board of commissioners of the plaintiff, is the title of a case filed in the circuit court on Thursday. This case is brought to recover about $4,000 which has been paid out of the county revenue on account of the tax investigation, illegally it is alleged, and, as plaintiff claims, contrary to the provisions of the contract made with the tax-ferrets, who were to be paid one-half of all sums discovered and collected which was due the county. Under the system inaugurated by “Honest Abe” the ferrets have been paid one-half of all sums collected as a whole. The county If course, has only a part interest In these monies collected, the state, townships and municipal corporations having the greatest interest, and the plaintiff alleges that only one-half of the amount collected of county revenue proper

can be paid the tax-ferrets for their work. Plaintiff also demands • that the time for the future operation of the work be made definite and that the commissioners be restrained from making any further payments to the ferrets until the sum already illegally paid out has been refunded. Below we quote from the contract made with tax-ferrets: “We will examine the books, papers, vouchers, settlements and statements of the various ofticers of your county and state and ascertain whether or not there is any money DCE YOUR county from the state yj any other source on account of epsora or ommissions, and in the event we find anything dub your county as aforsaid, we well report the same to your proper officials for collection without cost to your county save our charges, and for our services in making said examination we will charge you a sum of money equal to one-half of all sums discovered and reported by us in accordance with the above proposition and collected by your officials. ’’ Mr. Thompson will prosecute | the case to a finish, and the ! people of Jasper county will look [forward to the final outcome with much interest.