The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-27
DEFENSE ON THE STAND
DEEP PROBING INTO THE MIRE OF
SHELBY COUNTY FINANCES.
End of nm Era Of Thievfng mt Odon-
New Evidence I'm the kifer Case
Medical Row at Marion.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
SHELBYVILLE. Ind, June 26.-In the
Ferris trial to-day Deputy Auditor Hay
worth testified that the commissioners
Record 90" in which are recorded the
proceedings Of the commissioners at the
special term in November. 1899. when the
claim of Ferris of $3.50 was allowed, was
in Ferris's handwriting. and that the rec
ord of his claim was omitted from the
record, while the other proceedings of the
court are on record. The State introduced
evidence to prove that they could not show
the exact amount of money received by
Ferris on his contract, beause the COM
missioners' Record "N'' of proceedings be-
fore June. 1899, had been taken from the
auditors office some time last September
and had not been seen since by any of the
officials. The State rested at 1905 this
morning.
The opening statement for the defense
was made by Attorney Wray. in which he
stated that the defense would show that
the first contract with the County Commits
sioners was to index certain court records
at the rate of u cent a line; that afterward
another contract was made by Ferris, and
the price to be paid was not specified, but
that he was told by the commissioners to
go ahead and they would pay him what
was right; that about the same time the
commissioners were having work done by
other persons at a greater rate than the
first contract of Ferris, and he thought that
he was entitled to as much as any one else;
that the work done by Ferris in indexing
was worth all of the money that he had
drawn. and that before the allowance of
the $50. so he had drawn only $40.
James Wiles, who has been in the employ
of some OF the officers of the courthouse
and held Office himself for thirty years,
testified that the work necessary to make
the index was worth about SIS a week. He
has heard that work of the same character
had been done for the county at the rate of
l cent a line and even for " cent. He knew
that the Ferris contract was let on COM
petitive bids. Frederick Chueden, who was
clerk for four years and has been employed
about the courthouse for twenty-one years,
testified that the work was worth from $2
to SIS a week; that he was deputy under
Clerk j. w. Powers while Ferris was at
work and had noticed Ferris working about
three or four weeks. Judge K. NJ. Hord.
WIN was detOihCs " tHO OOtuts OOAA
missioners when this work was done. tes-
titled that there was a written contract
for the work, but about the amount to be
paid he was not certain. He had himself
prepared an acceptance of the Ferris propo-
sition, and that was put on record and
signed by the commissioners.
Adam A. Girton, one of the Board of
Commissioner who let the contract, testi-
fed that there was a written contract for
the first indexing that he did for the coun-
ty. There was some talk with the commits
sioners about some additional indexing, but
where that talk was held and the substance
of the conversation the witness could not
say. Ferris filed two bills, he said, and
when the second one was allowed he asked
Deputy Mahlon to draw the order, but
Mahlon refused because his superior, E.. T.
Carson, had forbidden him to draw any
warrants for Ferris on account of a dis
agreement which had led TO Ferris's dis
charge from the auditors Office a few
months before. After Gilman came into Of
fee. last September, Ferris talked TO the
commissioners about the settlement of the
claim and presented the claim in dispute,
and the commissioners allowed ii. When
this claim was allowed Ferris brought a
statement to the commissioners of so many
lines at such a price, but witness could not
remember.
C-ross-examined as to what he had sworn
before the grand jury, Girton admitted that
he had testified that when Ferris talked TO
him about the claim last fall he (Girton)
had thought that Ferris had been paid for
the work, and Ferris had said that the
others had received a cent a line and he
thought he was entitled to as much as they
were. He said Ferris had a contract with
the commissioners at " cent a line, but
could not remember how much he had been
paid on the contract, but ne thought Ii was
rather late to be asking for the rest of his
money. 1t was a year or two between the
allowance of the two claims He thought
that Ferris had been paid in full for the
work months before.