Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 76, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 June 1909 — Arrested, Although Innocent of Any Wrong Intent. [ARTICLE]

Arrested, Although Innocent of Any Wrong Intent.

Marshal Dobbins was in Rensselaer yesterday. He went there to arrest Frank B. Ham on a charge of perjury. The case grew out of the recent exchange of the Wolcott Electric Light plant. Mr. Ham in transfering the property made affidavit to the fact that all taxes were paid. It afterwards transpired that such was not the case and Fecke proposed to protect himself. It seems, Mr. Ham received the property on the same kind of an affidavit. If such is the case some one else will be likely to be called before the court to either liquidate or' 1 answer the same kind of a charge.—Monticello Journal. Mr. Ham’s arrest was a complete surprise to him, as he had no intimation that trouble was brewing until the Monticello marshal appeared with the warrant. Ham has giver bond J'” his appearance when the case is called. Mr. Ham acquired the Wolcott plant in a trade in 1897, from a Mr. Stortz, a wealthy ciziten of Wolcott. In the bill of sale Mr. Stortz stated that the taxes for 1906 were paid. Mr. Ham was to pay the 1907 taxes. Mr. Stortz claims that the party he purchased the plant of also made a similar affidavit to him. Mr. Ham accepted Stortz’s statement without investigatigating the records and when he sold the plant to the Monticello party the statement was made in the bill of sale that the 1906 taxes were paid. Last summer it was discovered that the taxes had not been paid and the matter was taken up with Stortz, who promised to pay them and Mr. Ham thought he had done so, as he heard nothing more of the matter until his arrest. His attorneys have advised him that conviction of perjury is impossible, as the bill of sale given to him proves that he had no intent to defraud. Mr. Stortz has promised to settle the back taxes, and has probably done so by this time, and the case will be dismissed.