The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1912-04-02
PARIS MAYOR INDICTED
Grand Jury Returns Bill Against
J. T. Hinton for Receiving
Corrupting Funds.
ALLEGED DEAL WITH BANK
First National Said to Have Fur
nished Money to Control
City Election.

On the charge that he received
money unlawfully for the purpose of
influencing an election the Bourbon
County Grand Jury sitting at the
March term Of the Bourbon Circuit
Court returned an Indictment against
Mayor John T. Hinton, .of this city,
| but by order of the court the indict-
ment was withheld from the public
until late last week and after bench
warrants had been issued and served.
The indictment against Mayor hin
ton was the result of the investigation
which was in progress at the early
session of the grand jury and the
probe was made into the alleged cleo
tiOn frauds at the instance of Judge
Robert l.. Stout. who instructed the
body to conduct an investigation along
these lines with a view of uneerthing
an alleged scandal referred to in the
speech of Hon. j. Campbell Cantrill in
his speech here several weeks ago in
the interest of his candidacy for Con-
gross.
The indictment of Mayor Hinton
grew out Of alleged frauds which were
said to have been perpetrated in the
Third Ward in this city during the
election last November when, it is
said, Mayor Hinton received from the
First National Bank of Paris. the sum
of S700 to be used to influence the
voters Of this ward and bring about
the election of Harry Baldwin,
Democrat, over j. w. Laikin, a Re-
publican.
By the terms of the alleged deal
entered into by James Mcclure,
Of Eirct of Ro,ok
and others and Mayor Hinton, the lat
ter it is claimed agreed to vote his
stock IN the Agricultural Bank Of
two institutions. and consolidate under
the First National. According to the
rumor which was circulated Mayor
Hinton failed to comply with his part
of the agreement.
weeks ago the investigation Of the
alleged frauds referred to by Judge
Stout were overlooked and the matter
of probing into the Third Ward cleo
ton was assumed. James Mcclure,
Jacoby, Roy Clendenin, Thos. FL.
Clay. Jr., Stamps Moore, G. c. Clarke
and others were summoned before the
| DUUy IL Is Sdlu anu CcSlluSu III IuS CASE
before that body, as being witnesses
to the deal made with Mayor Hinton,
and upon this evidence the indictment
Was-returned. ssTsi ssss -
The evidence given before the grand
| jury. it is claimed, was sufficient tc
indict all parties to the alleged trans
action, but from the fact that only
one indictment was returned the mat
te- reflects upon the integrity Of the
grand jury and from an unabised point
of view shows clearly upon the face OF
the situation that Mayor Hinton was
the victim of conspiracy.
According to the statement Of May
or Hinton made yesterday the only
agreement made with the official:
Of the First National Bank was
that he would favor a merger CT hi:
stock in the Agricultural Bank provid
ed the men from the First Nationa
could show him as they claimed they
could that the Agricultural STOCK
would be worth more under suct
merger than at present, but up to thi:
time this has never been shown mol
any attempt made to do go, and tina
he did not receive the campaign con
tribution of seven hundred dollars Il!
stated