Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 102, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 March 1918 — BOUGHT FLOUR LAST SUMMER [ARTICLE]

BOUGHT FLOUR LAST SUMMER

Before Federal Regulation Was in Effect and Had No Unpatriotic Intent. ■ Concerning the confiscation of eighteen sacks of flour at the home of Rev. J. F. Rainier of Indianapolis, mention of which was made in Wednesday’s Democrat in a clipping from Monday evening’s Indianapolis News, Tuesday evening’s News said: Mrs. Rainier said today that the flour w’hich was confiscated was bought before the food regulations became effective. “Just as I have done every year for years,” said Mrs. Rainier, “I bought this flour at sales last summer. We only did what hundreds of others did and had no wrong or unpatriotic intentions. “Mr. Wyckoff says he is going to send us a check for the value of the flour, and when he does we will give the check to the Red Cross. Our Children are buying Thrift stamps and we are buying Liberty bonds. If any one had come to us and asked us to share this flour we would certainly have done so.” Wednesday evening’s News said: Continuing his Investigation resulting from the confiscation of eighteen sacks of flour at the home of the Rev. J. F. Rainier, 2716 Sutherland avenue, Stanley Wyckoff, federal food administrator for Marion county, announced today that the records of two downtown department stores showed that Mrs. Rainier had bought twenty-four and one-half pound sacks of floqr in November and December of last year. In a statement made to the newspapers yesterday, Mrs. Rainier said the flour confiscated had been bought last summer before the food regulations became effective. When informed today of the report of Mr. Wyckoff, Mr. Rainier, speaking over the telephone for Mrs. Rainier, said Mrs. Rainier had not bought any flour since last June.

After Mr. Rainier had made this statement for Mrs. Rwtnler, she telephoned the News and requested , that the statement be withdrawn. , She said she did not wish to make any further statements for publi-1 cation. I “On November 24, 1917,” said Mr. Wyckoff, “and on December 15, 1917, the records of one depart-' ment store show that twenty-four and a half pound sacks of flour | were sold to Mrs. Rainier. From , another department store on December 12 and December 20, sacks of flour of the same weight were bought by Mrs. Rainier, according to the records of the store. One sack was bought at each of the times stated.” Mr. Wyckoff conferred with L. Ert Slack, United States district attorney, in regard to the Rainier case today. The district attorney, Mr. Wyckoff said, requested that a written report of all matters pertaining to the case be given him. Mr. Wyckoff is preparing his report and will turn all his information over- to the district attorney.