South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-07-23
FIRE FLIES STARTED
STORY Of BURIED
TREASURE SHE SAYS
Was the Only Reason People
Thought She Had Money
Says Woman Fighting Tax
Assessment.

A superstitious belief prevailing
among the peasantry OF Europe that
where firefies swarm there is buried
treasure is responsible for what she
terms "a most unmerited persecu-
ton" by tax ferrets. according to Mrs.
Frances Howe, of Willis, Porter coun-
ty, Ind.
Mrs. Howe's suit to enjoin the
treasurer of Porter county from coll
lecting an assessment of $15,447.05
was recently venued to the St. Joseph
circuit court. She is represented by
Atty. +. II. WurZer. of this city. Il
feel absolutely certain that / Will re-
ceive justice, impartial justice, in
South Bend, and that is all / ask q"
writes Mrs. Howe
The woman says the "ferrets" are
trying TO make her pay taxes on sum
of money which is absolutely nom
existent"
so colossal is the fraud that has
been ATTEMPTED against me that I
shall not wonder if your mind finds
to grasp the magnitude thereof" she
writes.
Here is the letter to the News-T1mes
which Frances Howe has written to
explain her side of the case which will
be tried in the local court:
THE origin of the affair comes from
the superstition of the Irish and
scandinavian peasantry. who firmly
believe that the presence of firefiies
in any locality indicates buried treas
ure. In a meadow east of our old
family home in Westchester township
in Porter county. there seems TO be
something peculiarly attractive TO
fireflies; they swarm there by the
hundreds. not to say thousands. Our
old Swedish neighbOrs believed. Of
course that much treasure lay hidden
there. When they discovered that
the superstitiOus part of their state
ments about this buried treasure met
with ridicule they suppressed that
part of their tale, but said that they
knew treasure lay hidden in that
meadow.
Story Was Believed.
Such statements passing from
mouth to mouth get varied. After
few years the scene of action was
transferred by neighborhood gossip
to the Chicago board OF trade, and
from there to Wall street. and it was
declared that 1 rivaled the Goulds and
Vanderbilts in financial transactions
OF every description.
This being the state of the public
mind when the tax ferrets invaded
Porter county, I, of course. was Sc
lected as their principal Nlctim. As
they could not discover what did not
exist they concluded TO assume that
it did exist. whether they could dis
cover any trace of IL or not
$50 they selected an amount in the
of 100000 as a basis
of calculation and made an irregular
entry Of SIS, 5,447.05 on the tax dupli-
cate against me. this amount being
the full value Of all langs owned by
me in Porter county. Before this as
sessment could be collected the court
in Porter county issued a temporary
injunction against the collection
thereof More than three years have
elapsed since this injunction was is
sued, I have been seeking 10 have IL
made permanent. Ny efforts have
met with fierce opposition. so fierce
that a change OF venue became neces-
sary and / feel as II / were nearing
the end OF most unmerited perse-
cution.
Il will not detail the pretexts, the
clumsy cleWs brought forward to sup
port the false accusation made against
me for that would be forestalling in
formation reserved for the courtroom.
I feel absolutely certain that 1 will re-
ceive justice. impartial justice. in
South Bend, and that is all I ask.
Yours very truly
FRANCES r. HOWE"