The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-01-24
Before the
Commissioners.
The Proposition Of Robinson, Shack
eIfOFd and Parrett.
victor Basel, Files "a Protest.

mitted the following for the immediate
action Of the Board:
TO the Honorable Board of Commissioners
of Nanderburgh County:
The undersigned would respectfully
submit to the Board, that there seems
to be some little misunderstanding in
regard to the matter presented to the
Board by j. NJ. S~hackeiford, on Mon
day, the 18th inst, tor its considera-
ton and action, and the undersigned
therefore beg leave to submit the
same in writing. 1t Is as follows:
At the December term, 1868, of the
Board, an order was passed, employ
ing and authorizing Andrew L.. Rob-
inson TO examine the books and
records Of the county officers, and to
proceed by suit or otherwise to collect
any moneys Improperly paid out OF
the funds of the county. In pursu-
anee Of said employment and author,
ity SO given said Robinson, two suits
were instituted in April, 1869, and
stood for trial at the May term, 1869,
of the Court of Common Pleas of
Vanderburgh County. One against
Victor Bisch, the Auditor, for nine
teen thousand $4,000 dollars, and
the other against John Rheinlander.
ESQ, ex-Treasnrer, for a sum between
two and three thousand dollars.
During the May term, 1869, Of
said Court, the law firm of
Shackelford q Parrett was engaged
by said Robinson to assist IN the pros
%ecution of said suits. During the
May session. 1869, OF the Board Of
Commissioners, and while said Court
of Common Pleas was in session, and
before the issues had been formed in
said suits, the Board passed a second
order In relation thereto, directing
the suits to be discontinued for the
present. This last mentioned order
is still ofrecord unreVoked and In full
force; and the same has been pleaded
by the defendant in the case against
John Rheinlander, but it has not
been pleaded In the case against
Victor Bisch. The undersigned have
| examined with some care both the
law and the facts connected with
these suits, and they give it as their
legal opinion that there is a good
cause of action in each case; and
should the suits be properly prose-
cuted to final judgment, at least the
greater part Of the money sued for
can and will be recovered from said
defendants. But while the order
directing the discontiuuance of the
causes remains of record and in full
force, they are unwilling to proceed
further in either cause. They there
fore respectfully desire that the
Board, in view of the facts, should
assume the responsibility of saying
whether they shall proceed in the
prosecution of said suits, or discon-
tinue them from the docket; AID they
respectfully request action in the
matter by the Board at once.
Respectfully,
A. l.. ROBINSON,
SHACKELF0RD q PARRETT.
Mr.. Bisch then submitted the fol-
lowing:
To the Board of Com mission ers OF Wander
burgh County;
GENTLEMEN: Referring to Messrs.
Parrett & Shaekelford's solicitation
for employment at the expense of the
county, to further prosecute the suit
maliciously and groundlessly brought
against me BY Criminal Judge Robin
son, and still pending In the Court Of
Common Pleas, l beg leave to submit
to your Honorable Board whether
such a course would be consistent
with justice to me, or with your own
dignity and self,respect.
So long as those gentlemen choose
to prosecute me as volunteers, | make
no objection. On the contrary, botk
/ and my attorneys have done every
thing in our power to bring that pros
ecution to an end by a trial. Declin-
ing to avail myself of your order re-
curing the case to be dismissed, by
persistent efforts in that direction,
my attorneys have at length succeed
ed In getting the case set down for
trial on Thursday next, and notwith-
standing the long continued and in
defatigable labors Of my enemies to
poison the public mind against me,
1 pr0poS to see Whdt 11iU be the Uer-
diet Of a jury of The honest citizens and
tdG p0yerS of Vanderburgh County in
nor forbearance of Criminal Judge
Robinson or his attorneys, Shackelford
~ PaTrett, OF any one else he MAJ in
duee to assist him in his holy zeal for
the punishment of everybody's sins
but his own. But l DO object
and solemnly protest against your
1OAA0 again l OA4AAA LAGtI dHD1TenL /
endorsement to the false and living
charges of fraud and completely ia
fraud, SO literally iterated and reit-
Grated against yourselves as well as
against me In the suit those gentle
men modestly ask you to pay them
for continuing.
It may be profitable to remind YOU
of the course this thing has taken.
More than two years ago, under the
pressure Of a prejudice created by
his own false clamor, Criminal Judge
Robinson has. from time to time. in.
duced the Grand Jurors Of the Coun-
ty to return as many as FIVE several
indictments against me for ~extortion.
In every instance, when no longer
able. by pettifogging subterfuges. to
obtain delay, and forced to trial or
dismissal, he has adopted the latter
alternative. Not one of them could
he sustain, but was compelled to nolle
them all. Again, upon his own petit
tons, Criminal Judge Robinson was
authorized, by your Board, to examine
the books and accounts of all the
county officers, aud collect any monev
that might have been unlaWfullv oh
tanned or retained by any of them.
He proceeded at once to work, and
represented to your Board that | had
not honestly administered the SOL
dier's bounty, relief and other
funds, which, by your and the
peoples appointments, had passed
through my hands. At his instigation.
l was required, at the expense Of
hundreds of dollars to the county to
make detailed reports of all REGENTS
and disbursements of those funds.
did it, accounting for more than dou-
bic the money he charged ne viii