The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-15
j. M. WILSON ON TRIAL
DIRECT TESTIMONY As To FRAUD IN
THE CLAIM HE FILED.
Sensational Evidence mt Sheibyyille-
The Berger ~Case-Eiks' Eabor Day
-Sunday-Sch0Ol Convention.
Special to the InaIanapoIIs journal

Special to the indianapolis Journal
SHELBYVILLE, Ind, June 1.-THE first
witness for the state in the case against
j. Marsh Wilson. charged with filing a
false claim. was John L. Wild. of Camp
bell, Wild & Co., of indianapolis. whose
name, it is claimed, Wilson used fraudu-
lently to obtain 81. 800. Mr.. Wild testified
that the firm had not authorized Wilson
TO file any claim for them against the
county for acting as financial agents He
denied all knowledge of the claim what
ever. Auditor Gilman testified that. on
Dec. II, last, j. Marsh Wilson called him
into the treasurer's office and said he had
a claim to file against the county in the
name of Campbell. Wild & Go. at was al
ready made out and L swore him to it.
The claim was taken back into the audi
tors office and placed in a bill file, and. by
some oversight, was not placed on the
claim docket until after the commissioners
were in session. 1t was taken out and ex-
amined by the commissioners. and while
the matter was being discussed, the claim
disappeared and has not since been SEEM
Gilman was able to give the exact words
of the claim, which was for $500 for pro-
curing a loan for Shelby county of $4,000
at 2 per cent. The claim was in Mr.. Will
sons handwriting and bore his signature
at the close said the witness. Il heard
him tell the commissioners that the claim
was just and all right, when he was urging
its early passage. Some time in November,
1899. Mr.. Wilson presented a claim to the
commissioners in the name of Campbell,
Wild & Co. for interest, that is, a day or
two after the commissioners went into ses-
sion, and / saw on the claim docket the
filing of such a claim and also the word
allowed written after it. Next day Will
son asked me to issue the warrant for the
money, but / refused on the ground that L
could not find the claim on file in the office
and did not know anything about its allow
ance except what ppeared in the docket.
1 told him 1 would take a little time and
consider the matter, and If l felt it was all
right, / would issue the warrant. He said
If 1 would issue the warrant he would fur
nish the claim. He gave as a reason for
not filing it in proper shape that he did not
want the papers to get knowledge of the
allowance. He gave that as a reason for
taking the claim out of the office. The
entry on the claim docket and the word
allowed after 1t was in the handwriting of
Commissioner Cherry. The word allowed
was erased and the word continued is in
the handwriting of no one connected with
the office. Wilson said he did not wish
everybody to be talking about the claims
and that was why he would not file Them
ON cross-examination the witness swore
that Wilson called him into the office of the
treasurer and gave him the claim there.
1.-The claim was already made out when |
went in,' he said. After the oath Wilson
said that the claim was a just and legal
one as far as he knew. Afterward when the
commissioners were in session / saw Will
son standing at the end of the table urging
them TO allow the bill. AT the table were
Barnes, Amos and Cherry, and Wilson was
standing at the end next to Barnes, when
/ was called out 10 wait on some one. The
claim was lying on the docket, in front of
Amos. When / came back the claim was
gone. / asked each one of the commission
ers and they denied all knowledge, of its
whereabouts. When Barnes first heard of
the allowance of the claim he wrote in the
docket opposite the claim: L protest
against the ~owan of the within claim.
Stephen ID. Barnes. 1t was this protest
which called up the discussion of the COM
m~issioners and caused the continuance"
Testimony corrobOrattve of that OF Oft
man was furnished by Deputy Auditor
Hayworth. When he last saw the claim II
was lying on the docket in front of Amos,
and Amos's glasses were on top of ii.
Z. NJ. Campbell gave the details of his
firms contract for furnishing funds &c
SnelDy county. lie denied all hnOWleuSe OF
the claim and said no authority had beer
given to Wilson to file claims for the firm.
The state then introduced evidence to
show that, on July 9. 1899, Wilson filed a
claim against the county for copying and
transferring school-fund records, fol
which he asked and received $737.50. Ex-
Deputy Auditor William Maholm identified
the processes and papers by which this
amount was drawn from the treasury. The
defense raised the question hat the evi.
dence was inadmissible. because the
transaction in July had nothing whatever
TO do with the case against him at this
trial. and could have no bearing except to
prejudice the jury. The state offered to
prove that the labor performed, about 35
lines. for which he drew S737.5 was worth
less than $50, and went to show facts SINH.
lar to the charge on which Wilson is being
tried. Judge Morris held that the evidence
was admissible, and Treasurer f. II. Les
identified the work done by Mr.. Wilson
and testified that il was worth about $50
Other testimony was introduced on thi:
point and then the state introduced the
records of the treasurer's office to prove
that Wilson took credit for the payment o
the semi-annual interest on the Campbell
Wild & Co. bonds by the vouchers and no
by warrants.
Court then adjourned until tomorrow
morning.