The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-09-09
A GIGANTIC SWINDLE.
Three Indiana Township Trustees Charged with
Issuing Fraudulent Warrants.
The Aggregate VIII Foot Up Quarter of
MiIliOn-Canada Said to be the
Present Abiding Place of the
Alleged Delinquents.

ViSCESNES, Ind. sept. "a thorough investiga-
ton of the Township Trustee swindle as per-
petrated in Davies County, twenty miles east of
this city reveals the most astounding official cor
Tuption and rottenness ever recorded. RumOrs
have been rife in Washington that all was not
right with the affairs of Township Trustees c. II.
Brown and John Grimsley, and these rumors be-
came so general that some of the bOndsmen OF the
Trustees petitiOned to be released.
There are three Trustees involved in
this mattcr-ChaTles Fl. Brown, of Washington
Township; John Grimsey, OF Steel Township, and
John Clarke, OF Barr Township. 1t is said the
Trustees would issue longtime warrants on their
townships, drawing per cent interest. These
warrants or orders are the same a note made
payable at bank, and on their face show that they
are executed by the Township Trustee 10 the hold
er in consideration of n certain amount of money
paid the Trustee for school supplies. Trustee
hnds trouble in dispOsing of these warrants. 1t
is said that the three Trustees mentioned have
Eraetieed this game to perfection, and scores of
these warrants have been issued, put upon the
market and gobbled mp by mOney-lenders. The
Township Trustees have all gone to Canada. Days
viii elapse before the full extent of the villanies
viii be known.
THE AMOUNT INVOLVED.
II the warrants are legal Davies County is
ruined; ii nOt-snd the question is a fine point in
dlanaPOns, thleago, 81 Louis, Cincinnati. and
throughout the Middle States are out of pocket.
10 II estimated that warrants Washington
Township have been issued to the amount of over
s7j,00e-althOugh some claim twice that
amOunt-Steele Township $4,000, and Barr
Township $4,000. The Jennings County Bank
of North Vernon, holds 8, 800 of these warrsnts:
Stanton j. Peelle, of indianapolis, has 50, 900;
Bedford bank $1,000; Thomas G. Day, OF TndianRp-
oils, $4,000; :. v. Harding, of Seymour 500:
Charles Leninger, of Seymour, il is Tumored, has
So coo; an indianapolis jewelry firm 81 500. There
il also an order for $50 in De Kalb County There
are large number of these warrants held in the
different cities mentioned. Mr.. J, H. rlNeal an
attorney at Washington, estimates that the swim
die VIII involve more than s2j0,OO0 in the three
townships,
ANXIOUS INQUIRIES,
County Auditor Iayelle told your correspond
ent to-day that he ned received scores of letters
from capitalists, stating that they had been
offered warrants on the townships named from all
over the States OF Indiana and Illinois. The
County Commissioners met to-day at Washington
and declared the Office of Charles Brown vacant
They have not taken action on the
TWO remaining townships. A peculiar
feature in regard to Browns speculation is
that he left enough money in bank in Washing
ton 20 squsre up legitimate township business. a
balance OF s. ~ being there on deposit The last
heard of Brown he was iii Boston Sunday, and in
Canada Monday, where later in the week he met
his vile. He Is only twenty-six years old. Aside
from the issuing of township orders, Clarke, Of
Barr Township, was short in his accounts $500.