Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1920 — McCRAY SAYS HE HAD $18,000 [ARTICLE]

McCRAY SAYS HE HAD $18,000

In Government Bonds; That Assesv sor Made Error. “During the war he (Warren T. McCray) led every Newton county activity in Support of our government. He gave unstintlngly of his time and money; and was an untiring worker at home, and was one Of the recognized leaders in state and national war work.” —Paragraph from testimonial advertisement appearing in Republican papers prior to primary Lnd purporting to nave been paid for by people of Kentland.) In last Saturday’s, Democrat it was shown that the personal assess-1 ment return of Warren T. McCray, g. o. p. candidate for governor of (pdiana, showed that Mr. McCray was the owner' of SI,BOO in government bonds on Meh. 1, . 1919, and that some time in the spring of 1920 someone went to the files in the auditor’s office in Newton county and changed this return by adding cypher, making it read 18,000. iJks alteration was made without .'-the knowledge or consent of the L county auditor, so the latter stated, - when 'be discovered the alteratlon he wrote In ink immediately underneath the figures the following: The above amount has been changed from 1800 to 18000 within the last few days. S. R. SIZELOVE, Auditor. Dated April 29, 1920. A few months later, it now seems, an affidavit was filed by McCray, reading as follows and which has been pasted in between the inside pages of the assessment sheet: State of Indiana, ) County of Newton) SS: The undersigned Warren T. McCray, upon his oath states that in making his tax return for the year commencing March J, 1919, that he returned to the assessor of Jefferson township, Newton county, Indiana, In answer to the question “How many government bonds did you purchase during the war,” that his answer was SIB,OOO. „ x This affidavit is made to correct the records; which the assessor inadvertently recorded on the assesjror’s sheet at SIBOO. Witness my hand and seal this 15th day of June, 1920 WARREN T. McCRAY, Subscribed and sworn to before me, a notary public, in and for said county and state, this 15th day of June, W * (> ’ WIIiLiIAM p TOWERS, Notary Public. My commission expires December 18, 1922. The above affidavit was made. It will be noted June 15 last. It was probably made without taking the trouble to examine the assessment sheet Itself as to the inquiry, for It would seem that the assessor would hardly ask the question quoted In the above affidavit, for no such question appeared on the assess-

ment sheets in 1919. The question as printed In the second Inquiry at top of the assessment sheet is: “2. All bonds (a) Value of government bonds,” then follows “Value of municipal," “gravel road,” “railroad,” “street improvement” and “other corporate bonds." The question of when any of these bUhds were purchased is not asked at all in the sheet. It was simply the value on Meh. 1, 1919. In the space provided for listing government bonds Is where the figures referred to appear, and these were the only kind of bonds listed. The Democrat does not profess to know anything about the amount of bonds or any other property owned by Mr. McCray, other than as shown by official records or reports. Without questioning the statement that an error was made in putting down the amount of these bonds, no one had any legal right to surreptlously change the figures as shown tn the returns of the and If the latter made an error he should have made the affidavit —or joined in it —it would seem. Such affidavit has been procured, it is reported, within the past week and has now been attached to the assessment sheet along with the affidavit of Mr. McCray. „ — This “corrected” assessment sheet, along with the two affidavits referred to, show--that the candidate had SIB,OOO in government bonds on Meh. 1, 1920, which is not a very large amount for one of Mr. McCray’s reputed wealth and who “led in all war activities.” In fact it Is less than the price received.for one Hereford bull and considerably less than the amount held by several Jasper county people who do not claim any credit for “leading” nor that they are millionaires or near millionaires. \