Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 June 1903 — CHANGED HIS MIND. [ARTICLE]

CHANGED HIS MIND.

We have frequently heard it said that John W. Medicus was one of the worst prevaricators in Jasper county, and unless he can make a clear explanation we shall be inclined to believe that the reports were not overdrawn. When John was down herefrom Chioago Heights, two weeks ago, he dropped in at The Democrat office and for ahont two hours talked almost continuously, and among other things told ns that he had signed the liquor remonstrance in the first ward of Rensselaer the Saturday night before. Asked if be still claimed a residence here, he said: “Oh yes, Rensselaer is still my home and I. am a resident of the First Ward. I voted there last fall (which we knew to be true as we were on the election board) and I expect to hold my residence in Rensselaer. I have never voted np there (Chicago Heights) and do not intend to. I am jnst up there because I can make bigger wages than in Rensselaer. I send money down to my little girl right along and go to see her whenever I come home. Yes, I shall still make Rensselaer my home”. This he repeated several times, as is his wont And yet an affidavit was present at the hearing of the Hilderbr&nd license case, wherein John had sworn on Jane Ist, only one week later, that he was not a resident of Rensselaer and had not been forthe past sixty days, and that he was registered at Chicago Heights, Cook county, Ill:, as a voter there. The affidavit was acknowledged before Charles McColley formerly, of this countv, now a police magistrate, we believe, of Chicago Heights. We are not arguing the question of his having the moral or legal right to sign the remonstrance, or not, as he chose, when here, bat bis unsolicited public statements to us and several others, pat him in a very unenviable light, in view of this later affidavit. It was also stated by the saloon* istfs attorneys, we understand, that John had voted in the judicial election held in Cook county last Monday. If so, he was certainly very indiscreet, for the laws of Illinois require a year’s residence before one can vote there, and hie voting here last fall would bar him from casting a legal vote in Illinois at this time.