Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 103, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 April 1911 — WANT COMPANY TO “COUGH OP" [ARTICLE]

WANT COMPANY TO “COUGH OP"

County Attorney Told to Investigate Purtelle Bond SAYS BOND IS NOT BINDING And Commissioners Were So Instructed By Former County Attorney When Same Was Presented—A Chance for Purtelle’s Sponsors to Make Their Bluff Good. The county commissioners Tuesday afternoon instructed the county attorney to look into the Purtelle bond, of $5,000 which was filed last October guaranteeing in the event the subsidy election carried in Rensselaer and Marion tp., to begin active construction of the road within 30 days from the date of the election. Of course nothing was ever done toward constructing the road, and whefi the commissioners referred to the matter Tuesday, we are told that former County Attorney Halleck, who was present, said: “I told the board when this bond was presented that it was no good.” To which one of the commissioners replied, “I know you did.” County Attorney Williams said that he “had never seen the bond,. Auditor Leatherman said he would get it and show it to him, and did so. - Williams looked it over, then shook his head and said: “You

have no bond here; this paper is no good.” He added, however, that if he could learn where the "Bankers Surety Co.” was located—the bond does not state — he would take the matter up and put up a bluff to the bonding company, but the bond in his opinion was not binding for anything. While there may be such a bonding company—as we take the view of the attorneys —it is only morally bound to pay. It would seem, however, that no reputable bonding company could afford to repudiate a bond which it had executed, and the public will be interested in what Mr. Williams can learn about this particular bond. Now this matter is interesting in view of the statement made by The Democrat at the time the bond was taken and the fact that the commissioners went ahead, accepted the bond and ordered the election when their attorney had also told them that the bond was no good. It is also interesting in view of the statements made by the Rensselaer Republican that Hie bond was as good as gold, and the bluff of a Chicago attorney who came down here after the bond had been forfeited and bellowed that the bonding company was ready to pay the bond whenever demand was made; that he drew up the bond and it was absolutely good. The bond was not for paying the expenses of the election and says nothing whatever about that feature, but was for the purpose of guaranteeing the construction of the road, or a part of it at least, in Marion township. It has been forfeited, was forfeited months ago, and now here is-an opportunity for the Rensselaer Republican and the Chicago attorney to make their bluff good. “Cough up,” now, for the county attorney will make demand as soon as he can locate “Bankers Surety Co./’ which so far as the bond reveals may be located most any old place.