The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-05-22
ABUSE OF OFFICIAL TRUST
Tax Sought To Be Collected from Persons
Not Charged on the Duplicate.
Treasurer Loftin Reads the Riot Act TO Depu-
ties and Collectors Who Want to Manage
the Office to Suit Their Purposes.

For SEINE time many complaints havs been
made about the business methods of the dslin-
quent-tax collectors by people who claimed that
they were being imposed on in various ways
Almost daily people come to the county auditor.
or township assessor. with statements that they
are being compelled to pay double taxes, or are
being charged Illegal fees, but the offending COL
lectors have generally been able to justify their
acts by some excuse or other. 1t was discovered,
q few days ago, thss some one
connected with the delinquent collection
department of the Office was sending out postal
cards demanding taxes, with penalty added,
from the persons addressed. generally widows
whose names do not appear on the tax duplicats
at all. Some of these cards have fallen into the
hands of the officials. who have determined to
investigate every instance of the kind and bring
the offenders to punishment.
On May IL the following notice printed on .
postal card was sent to Mrs. Lou Geissndorff.
q widow living at No. 20 NORTH Mississippi
street:
DEMAND FoR DELINQUENT TAXES.
ID 23l11sl
TREASURER OFFICE (CouRT-HoUsEl
INDIANAPOLIS, May IL, 1881
You are delinquent in taxes due the city, county
and State for the year 1887 in the sum of 500
Under the law I am required to collect all delin-
quent taxes by levy and sale of personal property,
and you will save additional costs and trouble by i'm
% hs1d ns.i payMsns on . s,hII =, Of mx t hnnd n fr sSs Is soIl s :
ton OF these sums, and tho law must be complied
with.
The notice bears the printed signature Of S.
Loftiu, treasurer. and the additional signature
Of 1T" written In ink.
Soon after the notice was served a collector
called on Mrs. Geisendorf and demanded $3.l2
for DELINQUENT taxes and 81 for sending the
notice. The lady refused TO pay anything on
the ground that she had no property, and was
not assessed at all in 1887. She went to the
county auditors Office, aud on investigation
the fact was revealed that her name did not ap-
pear on any Of the books in the auditors, as
SCISSORS or treasurer's books for 1887. The
records of the assessors Office show that she
did not make out a list at all in 1887. She lived
with her son and all the personal property OF
the house was assessed in his name.
The books of the treasurer's Office do
not show any taxes charged against
her, and there IL no such number AZ 23lll3 on
the duplicate. 81 have reason to believe that
like notices have been sent out professionally"
said . county official yesterday. 1T is An easy
matter to take the names Of women who have
been dropped from the tax-duplicate, and de-
mand . small amount of delinquent tax from
them. If the amount is not large it will eener-
ally be paid without making any fuss about 1t.
II IL reasonable to think that IL such . demand
as cleo 10 MADE from one person, IL mas Deeu
from others. Every collector who does so
should also be prosecuted for charging 81 Tor
sending OUT . notice. It is q clear steal OF
seventy-6ve ceuts, which he puts down In his
pocket The law allows him to collect twenty
five cents for sending . notice, but no more"
Treasurer Loftin says he knew nothing about
any notices like the above being sent out. and
if it 10 being done it is without his knowledge
and consent. II is known that things have not
been running smoothly in tho treasurer's Office
for some time, and only q few days since there
was q lively dispute over who Was running the
office. Mr.. Loftin or some Of his deputies, and
the delinquent tax collectors. In accordance
with the instructions Of tho Council, the
finance committee appointed Harry Lehr to
look after the collection Of the delinquent tax
belonging to the city. Mr.. Lehr had heard
Of some Of the abuses p~ractioed by the collectors
and after his appointment announced that he
proposed TO see that they were corrected. When
the collectors and employees OF the treasurer
heard OF the appointment they held q confer
ence and decided that Mr.. Lshr should not be
allowed to interfere with their rich picking.
Accordingly. when he reported for duty they
plainly told Mr.. Loftin that he should
not work in the Office. Mr.. Loftin
insisted that he was treasurer, aod
that the appointment of Mr.. Lehr was per-
fectly satisfactory to him. The men told him
that they would all leave IL Mr.. Lehr won't to
work. and when Mr.. Loftin insisted On rpnuing
his Office they called on John j. Cooper. Loftin's
principal bondsman, and persuaded him to with
draw his name from Mr.. Loftiu's bond. Mr..
Lshr has been doing some work, and Mr.. Coop
er's name still remains of the treasurers official
bond. Mr.. Cooper and Mr.. Loftin were in con-
sultation yesterday. with the view Of coming to
an understanding about the matter.