The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-13

iHOTlSdBeS.
Swift ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 1926
McCulIough ............................ 800
McCdslln ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. l3J
freeman ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: o5O
r~dlhih 800
LahuefS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 800
Total IS 90
q. II. McCaslln Fl. c. G. Balls and Samuel
b. Corbaley were employed at the court
house at that time. They were the school
fund appraisers and appraised the various
tracts as being worth 81 600 EACH or $2S. 900
for all seven. This appraisement was $2l $3.50
more than the assessed value. But, then,
II they had not appraised it at that figure
$4,000 could not have been loaned to Land
ers, as the law requires the property to be
worth double the loan.
Hunter McCasin and II. c. G. Balls and
Mr.. Ccrbaley were asked yesterday how
they arrived at the value of lands in max
ing their appraisements. II was made an
appraiser while employed in the court
house. said Mr.. Corhaley, because of my
knowledge of the value of real estate. |
had been employed there for years and in
my duties learned real estate of Marion
county very thoroughly. / was to the man
the country. 1t rarely happened that was
asked to appraise land that l did not know
all about
What did you do when you did not know
about the land offered for a loan?'
,"Oh, | went right over to the assessor S
office to see what it was assessed for taxa
ton"
When you did not know what land was
worth you consulted the assessments?'
Always"
S. B. CORBALEY'S STATEMENT.
Mr.. ICorbaley was in a reminiscent mood,
and. Mithout the reporter asking many
questions. told many of his experiences in
making appraisements. Sometimes he was
contentious, insisting the land was not
worth enough to warrant loans. Once in a
while he went out to look at the lands and
afterwards changed his mind. He spoke of
a case where the assessment for taxation
was not as high as it ought to have been.
Finally he drifted around to the Landers
lots. There was this Landers's land down
here said Mr. Corbaley, who lives on West
New York street, (which was divided up so
that he could get more money than $1,000 1t
was afterward decided back to him. That
was done, you see, to get around the law.
You know that $1,000 is all one man can
borrow. He was in dificulties and needed
money-some kind of security trouble I
guess, or something of that sort | don't
remember the transaction entirely. 1t seems
TO me the lots were worth something like
$1,000 nv
Did you have any contention over
"Oh, no. That was a good. safe loan,
Were they assessed too low?"
On, no. They were old lots, had been
aid, out for years. They were assessed for
ABOUT what they were WORTH
Before this he had just said lots were
sometimes assessed too low, citing some on
You see," said he, 1--WE only assessed the
land Under the law no account can be
taahen Oh improvements 1t is only the dirt
Mr.. Corbaley went on to say that the APP
pralsers had nothing to do with making the
iCans That was all in the hands of
ne lore ef,, Johnson, You know he controlled
the once Although Thomas Taggart was
auditor, Dore' had charge of everything.
sometimes he would not make loans. Once
he sald TO me: sam, you've appraised that
land too high. l don't want to make that
thing"
Mr.. Balls and Mr. McCaslin said there was
no nxed way OF getting at the value of
property. Sometimes they relied on their
knowledge of real estate Cloth were en-
ployed about the county offices) and some
times they made inquiries, occasionally go
ing to see the land. They did not rely much
on assessments for taxation Mr. Balls said
property was frequently assessed for not
more than 90 per cent. of its value. If the
Landers land had been worth twice what
IT was assessed 1T would have been worth
$1,000, while Mr.. Balls fixed it's value at
$4,000. Mr.. McCaslin said he was generally
guided very much by the value of land in
the neighborhood of that offered for secur-
ity when tracts were offered with which he
consider the old porkhouse very salubrious
neighborhood. Mr.. Balls and Mr.. McCaslin
were rather retlcent, the latter particularly
so. he gave vague answers
SAY THEY NEVER SIGNED.
A reporter last night saw Jordan Free
man and the only John Larkin whose name
appears in the directory. Jordan Freeman
is a colored Whitewater living in the rear
of 523 Bright street over a stable His
room is reached by rickety stairs on the
outside of the building. Neither the sur
6ff0c he
to have transactions in which the consider
alton for buying property was $4,000, nor
did he appear likely to be in a position to
borrow large sums from the school fund.
Jordan freeman was once a coachman in
the employ of Franklin Landers. He pro-
fessed the utmost ignorance of the transac-
ton. He had never bought land from Mr..
Landers, nor sold it back to him. Neither
had he ever signed school fund mort age
nor had any other transaction at the court
house.
Were you ever at the courthouse with
Mr.. Landers?
Il used to drive him there. l never had
no paper transackShuns with him. l got
some notices about observation-disclosures /
think they called them. to come to the
courthouse &c Ino3Ss ! owned some property, then
did not come there the property would be
sold. l went down and told them L didn' t
know anything about 1t.
He seemed genuinely surprised when told
that the records showed he owes the county
about 81, 7O0 including interest. He asserted
that II his name had ever been used ii was
without his knowledge or consent. He was
positive that he would have remembered
any such transaction. Mr.. Landers had
never asked him for such an accommoda-
ton. The documents on record show the
signature of Jordan Freeman his mark .
written in the hand of f. NJ Johnson In
one place there is an atteStation by Franklin
Landers. The same his mark in the
hand of Mr.. Johnson is on the back of
the warrant for $1,000 that was payable to
freeman. There could hardly be two Jordan
Freemans. The name is not common.
John Ii rkln, teamSter, at 500 Bright
street, had retired, but cheerfully arose IN
tell reporter that while he knew Franklin
Landers, he had never been party to any
such transaction as described to him He
was sure that he had not accommodated Mr.
Landers by buying a ousand-doIIar
piece of land from him and selling it back
at the same price two or three days later.
after placing schooi-fund mortgage on IT,
You've surely got the wrong man." said
Mr.. Larkin.
Bur yours is the only name in the direc-
Yes. ]. think I am the only John Larkin
in town.
You better look it up, father" said an
notwithstanding young lady. ut would
be nice thing to learn you owned prop
erty-"
With a two-thousand-dollar mortgage
on it, interrupted he. with laugh
Republican Meetings This Week.
George w. Lancaster and Frederick f.
Matson will speak at Bridgeport. Wayne
township. on Thursday at 73O p. m Ell F..
Ritter and c. D. Bowen will speak at West