Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-01-21
SUE BANKS FOR
BIG SUM PAID
ON CITY CHECKS
Claim Payroll Was Padded
When Dennis j. Bush Was
Street Commissioner.
ASK $4,000 IN ACTION

ASK $4,000 IN ACTION
Seven suits, asking judgments aggre-
eating $4,000 for payments made to al
legged fictitious persons on the pay roll
Of the street commissioners department
under the administration Of former Mayor
Joseph E. Bell were filed by Attorney
General Ele Stansbury against seven banks
and trust companies OF indianapolis be-
fore Judge Linn Hay of superior court,
Room q
The city Of Indianapolis is the plain
tiff in each case and the alleged state of
facts set up are based upon the findings
of James D. Smith and Tracy W Whit
aker, state field examiners.
1t is alleged the seven Indianapolis
hanks paid out on checks properly made
out by the city officials a total of Sill
935 on alleged fraudulent claims pre-
sented by Dennis J. PUSH former street
commissioner under Mayor Bell.
BANKS NAMED
IN PETITION.
The following Indianapolis banks were
made defendants in the seven SUITS
The Merchants National bank, iudg
ment of 50 800 asked on checks totaliDg
$1,742O6.
The Indiana National bank of Indian
apolis, judgment of 5000 on checks
totallng s3,4749S
The Aetna Trust and Savings Com
pany, Judgment of $1,000 on checks to-
falling $Tos.
The Continental National bank. judg-
ment for S1,T00 on payments of checks
totaling S1,25785.
The Fletcher Savings and Trust Com
pany, judgment OF S7o0 on payment Of
checks totaling $49190.
The Fletcher American National bank,
judgment of $4,000 on payment of checks
totaling S2,265.36
The National City bank of indianapolis
Judgment Of $1,000 on payments of checks
totaling S1359.2O
The banks are in no way accused of
fraud and there are no accusations made
against the banks.
The one who is charged with the al
legged fraud is Dennis J. Bush. former
street commissioner.
CLAIM BUSH
DEFRAUDED CITY.
It is alleged that Bush during 1914
and 1915, as street commissioner in the
Mayor Bell administration, practiced a
fraud ON the city Nof Indianapolis, the
the city treasurer, by fling With, and
presenting to, the board Of works Of
the city of indianapolis, false and frau.
dulent claims, in the names Of fictitious
OF non existing persons for work al
legged to have been done for the city
Of Indianapolis"
The board OF works relied upon the
certificate Of the street commissioner, ii
is alleged, and did not know that the
claims were filed for people who never
existed or who never did any work for
the city.
The claims were then presented to ia
cob P. Dunn, the city controller, who
approved the claims and drew warrants
on the city treasurer
Carl Won Hake, city treasurer. couu-
tersigned the warrants and then deliv-
cred the checks to the city controller,
who in turn delivered them to the street
department.
All of the suits alIege that city Con-
trolier Dunn and City Treasurer Won
Hake did not know that the checks were
in payment to persons who were fictitious
or nonexisting
OFFICIALS IGNORANT
OF ANY FRAUD.
After the checks were delivered to the
street department. 1t is alleged that
"some person or persons unknown to
the city of Indianapolis wrote the name
of the payee named in each check across
the back and that each check was pre-
sented to the seven banks, that the
checks were paid and charged to the
city of Indianapolis.
1t Is also alleged that the board Of
works, the city controller and the city
treasurer had no knowledge of the
forged Endorsements of the names of the
alleged fictitious or non-existing persons
on the pay roll Of the city street de-
partment at that time.
A large number of alleged false and
fictitious names aud those of persons
who are said to have never existed, were
recorded in the various suits.
Among the alleged fictitious persons to
whom the checks were made payable on
pay rolls alleged to have been submitted
by Bush are:
Leo Anderson, John Beach, Frank Can
ton, Ernest Davis, Ernest o. Davis Frank
Dickson, William GILL; Roy C. Gates,
Harry Graves William Henry, John
Harris, John Hendricks, Harvey Jones,
George Jones, Sherman Jackson, Roy u.
Kimhall, Afford Knott William Lenord,
Louis Myers, James Smiley, Charles Self,
e. B. Tolan Ed Wren, Mark Williams,
Jones, w. j. Robinson. and many others.
CITY OFFICIALS
FREED OF LIABILITY.
Some months ago Judge Louis Ew-
bank Of the circuit court held that city
officials were not liable for payments
made to persons who actually performed
no work for the city, but gave judg-
ment against Bush for $500.
The present suits against the seven
banks are based upon the theory that
the city warrants which were cashed were
forged.
BY agreements all of the seven cases
filed against the banks today were filed
before Judge Linn Hay of superior court,
room 2, instead of being scattered around
to the other four superior courts.
As the seven cases are similar, one
ruling probably will affect all of the
cases.
The question involved at this time is
whether the banks who cashed the vouch-
ers or checks are liable.
r 0Lo CHR - Too