Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 133, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 November 1903 — School Board Scandal at Hammond. [ARTICLE]

School Board Scandal at Hammond.

The persistent efforts of Mayor Knotts of Hammond, for civic reform have resulted in a sensation which was sprung at the city council meeting in Hammond Wed nesday night in the reading of the official report made by the special committee appointed by the mayor to investigate the fiscal report of the Hammond board of edneatibn, filed several weeks ago. The interest of the taxpayers has been centered for some time in the expected report. If the charges are egally substantiated much work may be cut out for the Like

county grand jury which was called by Judge W. McMahan, at Crown Point. The members of the board of education are: O. K. Whitelaw, George B. Sheerer and I Hobart M. Godfrey. The official report charges num- , erous suspicions transactions in the purchase of supplies for the city schools and is strong in its implications. It covers a period of over a year in which great improvements have been'made in. the city schools, but asserts that neirjly $17,000 was ordered paid for supplies for which the market ' price was but $7,000. Warrant ■ amounting to SSOOO were rescinded ! through injunction proceedings

brought by the mayor. The most flagrant single transaction was the purchase of a lot of out-of-date charts for about $7,000, and the market price of which wks about one tenth of that sum. It was on this 'deal that the $5,060. in unpai l warrants was recovered. These shady looking transactions, were all made through one Charles Crum packer, of Valparaiso, a dealer in school supplies The committed which made the investigation end reported thereon consisted of three members, one of whom was H. E. James, a former wTellkuown resident of Rensselaer. J. O. B ><*ers, fie referee Ju bankruptcy t‘.»r Una dintrict wan another memo, r.