The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-29
THE KITZ-POLLARD WARRANTS.
The Testimony of Banker Cook Regarding the
Alleged Fraudulent Warrants.

Yesterday afternoon, shortly after 2 o'clock,
| Charles K. Cook, the Jennings county banker,
took the witness chair in the Criminal Court to
answer Undergraduates concerning the Kitz-
| Pollard issue of Center township warrants and
| matters connected Herewith. He testified that
| to make the purchase of the Kitz warrants and
the others bought at the same time, he met r.
B. Pollard, by agreement, at the Bates House in
in this city, in the latter part of August. 1885,
| and there paid the money and got the warrants.
| He bought at that time about $21, 900 in war
| rants, of which $1,000 was on Center township,
| Marion county, and signed with the name
Ernest Kitz. His first purchase of trustee war
rants from Pollard was about four years ago.
He did not remember the township or county.
| He never before purchased from him any war
rants on any township in Marion county. He
did not remember what he paid for them. The
| price was Jumped. He considered Center town
| ship warrants better than others, in making the
estimate, because it was a township Of greater
| valuation in taxables.
Prosecutor Harding-Would you know one of
the warrants if you saw t9
| Witness-Yes, sir. A warrant was handed
him. That is one of the warrants. 1t is dated
June II, 1885, payable JAM Is, 1887. 1t is for
$1,000, payable at Ritzinger's Bank, bears per
! cent interest from date, and is Endorsed r. b.
| Pollard.
| The witness read the warrant which was on
pink paper and the certificate, on white paper,
was pinned to it. The certificate specified that
school supplies to the amount named had been
| duly furnished.
| The witness did not know whether he pur-
chased all the Center township orders that Pol
lard had or not. He purchased all he knew of his
having at that time He had been inquiring of
| Pollard for Center township warrants for six
| weeks or two months previous to this purchase
| sometimes by letter and sometimes Pollard was
| at the witnesses bank. He did not think he pre-
served any Of Pollard's letters
| Prosecutor Harding-In these letters he wrote
| to you, did he make any proposition to sell them
at less than part
| Witness-I always bought them at discount,
no matter what townships they were on. He
| said he would furnish me some Center township
warrants. He told me he was going to have
some Center township warrants Almost invari-
| ably made it a practice to write to trustees about
| township affairs. He did not do so in the case
| OF the kltz warrants Understood the entire
Indebtedness of Center township was less than
| per cent on its assessed valuation took it as a
| matter of course that they were all right I
have never spoken to Mr.. Ktz at any time. l
think Pollard referred me to some of the Fren-
| zels, but don't remember in what connection
| | think he (Polard) said they had assisted him
in placing the goods. He said: while you have
some time you might 60 and get acquainted with
| Kitz" l did not go because l had no
reason to do so. l received the first
| intimation that the warrants were not right, in
Cincinnati, on the night of the 4th of last Sep
| TENDER in Cincinnati newspaper. The notice
was headed '"Tricky Trustees" l came home to
! look over my warrants to see how many l had
had sold 81, 500 to the bank of North Amherst,
xnvfh l..
National Bank. don't think ever talked to
Mr.. Ritzinger. I talked to Fletcher e. Church
| man on the DAY purchased those at the Bates
House. l talked about warrants in general.
Prosecutor-With what object9
Witness-Only as we exchange business ideas
about paper. The Center township warrants
were put in with the other warrants. at rs cents,
| 76 cents, between that and so cents-somewhere
| along there. Pollard kept an account at Fetch
| err & Churchman's.
| Prosecu tor-What was the sum total you laid
| for the So 900 in Center township warrsnts2
Witness-I could not say now. l do not
recolleet4 There were other warrants. Pollard
Endorsed the warrants at the Bates House, in the
money. l paid him through Fletcher &
| Churchman's bauk-two checks; don't remem-
| Der the amounts One was about $1,000; the
other about S. 600 and something in cash; $l4 600
or $i5, GOO by checks | bought in the neighbor..
the checks was sight draft and one one day Is
| draft.
| Prosecutor-Did Pollard tell you anything
| about furnishing these supplies2
Witness-He said he had a hard time to sell
| the goods understood from that that it was
hard TO get Mr. Kitz to purchase.
| Judge Norton-Have you ever had any talk
| with Mr. Kitz about these warrants2
| Witness-No sir 1 never met Mr.. Kitz. I
| was never here but part of day at time.
met Pollard at the Bates House by appointment.
| l met him at Greensburg. He had the Center
| township warrants with him there. He was
coming to Indianapolis. and so met him here.
| The hotel register will show when was here
| The court then adjourned until 8 o'clock this
| morning.