Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 September 1907 — NO PAY FOR FURNITURE YET. [ARTICLE]

NO PAY FOR FURNITURE YET.

Kentland Democrat: M. C. Uiery was over from Brook Monday for the purpose of drawing his pay of $2,591.17 for the furniture which he placed in the court house about a year ago, but, sadly for him, be did not get it. At their annual meeting last week the County Council made appropriation for the amount above stated and bn the same day the county commissioners, then also in session, approved and allowed it, and accordingly he called on Auditor Purkey Monday and asked for his order for the payment of same. This, Auditor Purkey declined to draw, however, on the grounds that since Judge Reynold’s decision that his (Ulery’s) contract for the furniture was illegal because of the irregularity of his bid for the same he could not understand that he had a right to draw his warrant for the payment of his claim. Auditor Purkey contends that since the Court’s decree that Mr. Ulery’s contract whs not a Idgal one, he, technically and in the “eyes of the law, had no cdntract at all; that he, virtually voluntarily placed the furniture in the court house and that therefore he could not permit of the payment of the claim—with the peoples’ money—and besides he questions if their would not be some danger of some taxpayer instituting suit against him for recovery on suoh action. Mr. Purkey then suggested to' Mr. Ulery that if he cause a letting for his work to be readvertised, make his bid and contract in regular form, and have his claim then allowed, thereby making it absolutely safe for him to draw his warrant for its payment, he would do so, but this Mr. Ulery refused to do, saving that someone might underbid his price and secure the contract. Mr. Purkey finally informed him that he would have to have a circuit court decision on the matter before he would think of being a party to the payment of his claim. And thus the matter still rests.