The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-09
A Suit Filed Against Him in this City Yes
terday by Firm Holding Some of
the Bogus Checks.
Cumulative Evidence that the State Has
Been Honeycombed with Fraud.
A League Between Township Trustees and
Dishonest Dealers and Spectators to Rob
the People-Plan of Operations.
A BIG swINDLING SCHEME.

The Chief Conspirator and the Suit Filed
Against Him in This City Yesterday.
A suit that has very important relation to
the recent swindle in township orders in Daviess
county was begun yesterday in the Superior
Court. 1t is based upon the alleged Endorsement
of Robert Pollard CT several of these orders to
A. Cohen & Son, pawnbrokers, No. 81 South
Illinois street In the complaint the firm Of
Abraham and Hyam Cohen appear as plaintiffs
and Pollard as defendant They allege that
Pollard indorsed to them the following
orders: The first of date Feb. ii, 1885,.
for $l,620, and payable Dec. 26, 1886.
signed by John Clark, trustee of Barr township,
Daviess county; the second, dated March 1S,
1885, for sS375O, payable July 90 1886, signed
by G. H. Brown, trustee of Washington town
ship, same county; third, of date May %, 1885,
for $415, payable Dec 20, 1885, signed by John
Clark, as the first one was fourth, dated March
IL, 1885, for $929 payable June 20, 1886. and
signed by John Grimsley, trustee of Steele town
ship, Daviess county, and the fifth, of date
April 25 1885, for $567.50, payable June
20, 1885, signed by Henry A. Thorp, trustee
of Morgan township, Harrison county 1t is
claimed that these orders were purchased from
them, but upon none of them is payment due.
They charge that the defendant has secretly left
the State with thedntent to defraud his creditors.
and that he is about to remove all of his property
subject to execution, and also to sell and other
wise dispose of other properties that can be
levied upon. This, they charge, is done
with fraudulent intent to cheat his creditors.
The plaintiffs say they ought to recover "a, 365
~ mt nJ NO Jndn anrf IN
these orders, and they pray for writs of garnish-
ment against certain money belonging to the de-
fendant in the possession OF Fletcher % Church
man, the Merchants National Bank, and the
First National Bank. In the Merchants Ma
tonal Bank they claim there is also money to the
credit of Frank Pollard, who is the same person
as the defendant. and writ Of garnlshment IL
asked for that as well.
These orders were issued, as represented on
their face, for school supplies, and each Is
payable at the First National Bank. OF New
Albany The charged to the special school
funds OF the = hips named. In answer to the
PRAYER of tb nens, the writs were served
by Deputy-sl ! Harding yesterday.
The filing o. the suit led to searching inquiries
as TO who Pollard is but ii was not until many
of the knowing ones had been asked the ques.
ton that his place in the community ne has left,
could be definitely established. He belonged to
Greensburg formerly, and represented a Chicago
schoolsuppiy house and like establishments IN
other cities. This business brought him In contact
with township trustees. About year ago he
came TO this city. and with his wife and son.
boarded at the Occidental Hotel. His bank
accounts were distributed, the Cohens in
their complaints show, and the fruits of his
transactions with township trustees went to
increase them. 1t is charged that Pollard con-
spired with these officials to take their orders
for fictitious school supplies and market them.
TO his genus is attributed the scheme, and it
worked to a DOT, as the rage of taxpayers and
numerous holders of the orders testify. With
quantity of these papers, when he
wished to cash them, Pollard would
seek ont capitalist or moneyed man
and make a very plausible representation.
He would allow liberal discount on the face
value and this and the per cent. interest they
drew proved tempting bait His reason for
selling was that he could not on account Of his
financial shortness, wait until the orders
tured in 1886. when they were to be paid out OF
the taxes of that year. Legal opinion and sub
sequent inquiries on the part of purchasers as to
the taxable value of property in the townships
concerned generally led to the completion of the
transactions.
near approximation of the amount involved
in the swnde cannot be reached, as daily
reports come that townships in this and
that county are interested The latest
reports are from Fountain, Harrison, Vermillion
and Posey counties, in each OF which large
amounts have been issued 1t is the general
legal impression that these orders cannot be
collected it having been decided that township
trustee cannot incur any Indebtedness, except
for legitimate school purposes and can only bind
the township for Indebtedness created for artl-
cles purchased and actually secured by the cor
poration Pollard with his wife and son, are II
Hamilton. Ontario.