South Bend news-times., 1919-11-07
70 INVESTIGATE
ESTATE Of LATE
c. ". FAIRBANKS
Inquiry Reveals Fact That He
Owned Large Part of the
Indianapolis News.

Neus- Times Bureau:
INDIANAPOLIs. Nov. T. Did
The executors Of the estate OF
Charles Warren Fairbanks know.
three months after the death OF
Mr.. Fairbanks, that ne was the own
or OF "A three-fourths interest in the
Indianapolis News?
Did these executors list the prop
crty Of the estate for inheritance
tax purposes without referring TO
the interest in the News during the
period when the estate was actual
ly participating i'm the earnings OF
the News2
Did the executors Of the Fair
banks estate receive payment from
Delavan Smith, out Of the earnings
of the Indianapolis News i'm Septem-
ber. 1918, and delay admitting own
crship OF three-fOurths OF the News
until September 3. 1919?
Government Seeks Answer.
These are questions which it has
become known government agents
are now seeking TO answer.
The questions have been raised
by the falling into the hands of gov
erHTnent officials of evidence tending
90 snow that Delavan Smith made
payments 10 the Fairbanks executors
out OF the earnings OF the Indiana
polls News within three months
after the death OF Charles Warren
Fairbanks. on June 4, 1918, and con
unued making such payments in the
form OF government bonds and per
sonal checks until as recently as
August. 1919.
Substantiation Of the evidence
now in the hands of government Of
nciais concerning these payments
might result in further criminal
proceedings in the matter Of the
News ownership and the injection
OF criminal proceedings into the
night now on between heirs of the
Fairbanks estate. For the executors
of the Fairbanks estate first filed an
inventory Of the estate in which
they did not list the share in the
Indianapolis News. They also filed
statement as the basis for inheri-
tance tax assessment in which the
News property was omitted Nearly
a year after they are alleged 10
have received the first payment from
DelaYan Smith out Of the earnings
of the News. Warren G. Fairbanks
and Richard NJ. Fairbanks, execu-
tors. filed a supplementary inven-
tory admitting ownership OF three
fourths interests in the News. An
attempt was made to show that the
executors had not previously known
OF the ownership of this property
Alleges Payments.
In direct refutation of this lack
Of knowledge of ownership OF the
News is the evidence which has
Just come to light 70 the effect that
payments were made by Delavan
smith out of the earnings OF the
News 10 the executors of the estate
as early as September, 1918.
In this connection it is also de-
Clared that their is in existence
letter from one or the attorneys
of the executors touching on the in
heritance tax matter which will
make interesting reading in this
community when its text is revealed.
That this evidence tending TO re-
fute the public explanations made
OF the concealment OF the Fair
banks interests in the News after
his death has been i'm the hands OF
federal officials for some time, and
that certain federal agents are still
engaged in Investigation OF the affair
has come to light recently. II is
ment Of Delavan Smith for causing
e. false statement OF ownership man
aeement and circulation TO be iled