Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 55, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 December 1908 — TAX-FERRET WORKMAN HIT. [ARTICLE]

TAX-FERRET WORKMAN HIT.

Must Pay Back Money To County Because Appropriation Was Not Properly Made. Wabash, ind., Dec. 7.— Judge McClure, of Madison county, has rendered a decision in the tax ferret cue in this county -in favor of the plaintiff. This is a suit begun two years ago by W. ,H. Sharpe, a taxpayer of this county, to recover SB,•00 paid to J. B. Workman, taxferret, for work performed under a contract made with the County Commissioners, there being no appropriation by the County Council to pay the work done under the contract. r Believing'the contract to be illegal W. H. Sharpe, publisher of the Times-Star, filed suit to recover the money. The case was ; venued by the plaintiff and Judge McClure, of Anderson, Was appointed to try the case. In his decision, rendered Saturday evening, he found for the plaintiff Insfull for the amount due the couiljfe-, but denied the • right of the plaintiff to recover any part of the fund belonging to the state, townships or the county or city of, Wabash, all having their respective interests in the SB,OOO paid-to Workman et al. The State Treasurer, township trustees and • Wabash city officials accepted the 65 per cent, of the money collected by the ferrets, the contract of the colleCtiohb for their work. Judge McClure decided that no part of the State, townships or Wabash city funds paid to the ferrets could be recovered by the taxpayers on account of the fact that these corporations had all accepted settlement of their interests in the taxes recovered when they accepted 66 per cent, of the money so recovered. *

Wafren G. Sayre and other prominent attorneys here give it as their opinion that this finding was erroneous, but as the plaintiff- brought this suit to prove that the contract was illegal, and has succeeded in doing so and haß recovered every dollar of the fund belonging to the county, it is not likely that either side will appeal the case. There have been many defalcations by public officials in this bounty, but is -the first time any money belonging to the taxpayers has eyer been recovered, all attempts heretofore made to bring the guilty , parties to justice having ended in a whitewashing for the officials and logs to the taxpayers. This suit will be followed by others to recover other money belonging to the taxpayers.