The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-09-21
THE DELPHI BOODLERS
Commissioners Secretly Sell $780,
600 Worth Of County Bonds.
Fine TeutOnic Hand Of John P. FrenZel
in the Deal Which Amounts to
Snap for His Trust Company.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
DELPHI, Ind. Sept. Cot begins to look
as if Carroll county would get her fill of
Democracy long before an opportunity is
presented for the people to seek relief at
the polls. This county is now In the
hands of as impudent and audacious q
ring as ever fourished in northern Indi-
ana. and every day it Is growing bolder.
Its last plunge, however. has fairly dis
counted all previous efforts. and for bold
ness and unscrupulousness stands without
q parallel in the county's history. Last
June the Board of Commissioners ordered
two bridges constructed in the township
in which DeIphi Is locaied-one ACROSS
Deer creek. inside the city limits; another
across the Wabash. southeast of the city.
The estimated cost of the bridges was
$50 OOO and bids were advertised for. There
were o number of bidders for the sub.
structure. and over twenty for the super
structure. The men who bid in good
faith naturally concluded that it
would require two or three days
for the board to decide which were the
Lowest and best bids,' and were COM
pletely dumfounded when. in q very short
time after the bids were opened, the con-
tract for both superstructures was let to
the Lafay cite Bridge Company. Collision
and fraud were openly charged by repre-
sentatlves of the various companies. the
commissioners being denounced to their
faces while they were in session. There
was strong talk of an injunction. but the
matter quoted down.
However. the excitement caused by this
scandal was q mere bagatelle compared
with the Indignation aroused few days
announcements board
of Commissioners had. in star chamber ses-
sion. disposed of Ss0, coo of county bonds to
the Indiana Trust Company at q discount
Of $4,000, without 80 much as
tisinR the bonds for sale. or even havin q
placed q scratch of q pen on record to noti.
fy any one 1t was necessary or desirable to
sell bonds. AS said before. the board met
behind closed doors and disposed Of the en-
tire issue. lt mas since transplred, as ycnr
correspondent learned. that the deal was
worked" through none other than Henry
w. Marshali. of the Lafayette Bridge CON-
pany. who is also interested in the Indiana
Trust Company. Marshall and John p.
Frenzel. of Indian apOlis. fixed up the deal.
had the bonds Autographed and then came
here with Judge Ayres, their attorney. and
got the thing through. The bonds run one
fourth for ten years. One-fOurth tor hfteon
years and one-half for twenty years. and
will bear per cent. interest In the bid
also was the heretofore unheard-Of agree
ment that the board shall let the Indiana
Trust Company have additional bonds
issued by this Board Of County Commits
sioners at 95 cents on the dollar!
Carroll oounty's bonds have always sold
at q high premium. and the secret disposal
of them at q heavy discounts stab at the
county ty'sCredit-savorss sc strongly OF irregu-
IarIty that the taxpayers are greatly aroused.
Another feature of the deal, that looks ex.
ceediDg gly bad. Is the fact that the bonds
draw interest from Sept Is. and the bulk
of the money will not be delivered to the
county for possibly two months yet. Not
q dollar is TO be procured before Got. g.
making an additional rake off," for some
one, of several hundred dollars.