Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 April 1910 — GRAFTER FROM GRAFTVILLE. [ARTICLE]

GRAFTER FROM GRAFTVILLE.

A Republican Township Trustee of Benton County Takes * the Bun. Of all the many stories of graft in public office both great and small that we read of every day, that of the. republican trustee of Bolivar township, Benton county, certainly beats anything thus far heard from in the openness of his work. According to a report of his methods of conducting his office as made by the field examiners, and published in the Indianapolis News, Killin has made a great mistake in life by not locating in some big city and running for Alderman. The article referred to, says; Although Killin Is held chargeable by the accountants with only $42, he was accused by the examiners of having used the township funds in a wasteful manner In the purchase of supplies, and in making improvements and repairs. In support of their contentions, the examiners attached a number of affidavits from various citizens of the township which purport to show how Killin handled its affairs. During 1909, the first year of hist incumbency, Kilim spent $2,127.87 for township supplies, Of this amount, W. L. Baker & Co., of this city, received $951.50; Charles Thompson, a map dealer, got $100; Charles Turner, a supply dealer, received $216.10; S. J. Rice received $121.50; T. S. Wilhite, $164.26; Burns & Davis, druggists, $227.86; The remainder wasi for sums ranging from $1 to SSO. Since January 1, 1910, Killin has spent $716.10 for supplies. Of this sum Turner received $296. Ezra McGhan received slls for a school wagon. Th,e examiners reported that Killin purchased a great deal more in the way of supplies than was necessary, and that much unused material was stored in the school buildings. For transporting school children during 1509, Killin paid $849.50. In citing the instances in which Killin' is held to have exercised poor business judgment, to say the least, in administering the affairsi of the township, the examiners set forth the fact that when it became necessary to make certain repairs on the school building at Otterbein, Killin advertised for bids and let the repair contract to Phillip Tulley for SI,OBB. The vouchers, however, show that he paid Tulley $1,388 for the work. Charles F. Rowe, a contractor, submitted an affidavit to the examiners setting forth that he had examined the work done on tne building and that he estimated that it could be duplicated for $75. The $4 2 * charged against Killin was an amount paid to Perry Weathers for transporting his own children to school. Weathers supplied the examiners with an affidavit saying that hee had never taken his children to school, and that he knew nothing of the money until a check for the amount had been tendered to him by Killen. He said in his affidavit that part of the money had been paid back.A Miss Mae Andrews, a teacher, whose home is in Vermilion; 0., supplied the examiners with an affidavit setting forth that when she entered into an agreement with Killin to teach in > the township, she wasi told by him that it was customary for a teacher to pay the trustee from 10 to 20 per cent, of the -salary received, an 4 that as a. result she was asked to sign two contracts, one fixing her salary at $65 a month and one making it $75, she being told such was customary. She agreed, she said, to pay Killin $5 a month during the school term, but that after she had paid him the first money and taken hfs

receipt, she did not pay him any more, but received S7O a month for her work. Other affidavits supplied to the examiners set forth the following: J. J. Bowie®, a contractor, says that Killen paid SSOO for the construction of two concrete bridges, when the work should have been done by the county. The hoard of county commissioners, composed of Thomas Fitzgterald, W. J. Dawson and Bephis Perry, filed an affidavit stating that Killin had appeared before the board and asked that a petition received by it for the construction of the two bridged in question be refused, so that he could proceed as trustee to construct £he bridges. The request was granted. Mamie Coats, a teacher, said that she had

agreed with Killin to teach for $4.5h a day, and that Killin subsequently attempted to make her take only SBS a month on the grounds that he had made an error in his computations. This, she. said, she refused to do. Dr. Lewis Learning filed an affidavit that after he had* agreed to treat the poor <of the township for $75 a year, Killin asfldSd him to sign a contract for SIOO a year for the work, stating that if the physician did not take the difference it could be turned over to the -trustee for the purpose of defraying certain expenses incurred in caring for the poor. William Mann filed an as-

fidavit that he received $lB for transporting the children of Perry Weathers to school, and that Weathers did not transport them at any time, although he was paid $42 for such /‘service.” George W. Voliva said m an affidavit that Ezra McGhan had offered him school wagon for S7O, and" that afterward Killin paid McGahn slls for the same vehicle. Nellie Etogle, a teacher, said in her affidavit that Killin attempted to make her transfer funds to the amount of $42.50 before he would sign her-contract, which she refused to do. Albert Zink, a patron of the township schools, said in an affidavit that the teacher of,his child-

ren, Miss Halcie B. Foster, furnish-, ed pencils, and tablets to them, but In at he paid for them at the usual retail price. Miss Foster filed an affidavit in which sthe said she had sold the supplies, and had used the proceeds in purchasing primary supplies not furnished by the trustee. Lemuel Shipman, county auditor, filed an affidavit stating that Killin had asked him what was the usual rebate allowed trustees by township supply dealers, saying that it was his understanding that such rebates were customary. , " Concerning the advisory boar'd-the examiners said: l “We are forced to the conclusion

that the affairs of Roliver township have been conducted in the most extravagant manner during the administration of Fred F. Killin, trustee, and jve are of the opinion , that the advisory board is being justly criticised for acquiescing in the extravagant use of public funds. And while their record is meager, in most cases it is apparent as to the intent. To illustrate: On the 27th day of March, 1909, we'note the following entry on said record: ‘We authorize the trustee to buy what supplies that is necessary,’ and May 14, 1909, an entry: ‘We also appropriate money to trustee Killin to pay for schodl books.’ h