Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-02-03
TAX PAYERS
FILE SUIT
Annulment OF Warrants For
Index System
Sought
Especial to IT, Herald

N1RCNAds W IL 6CIdlQ
McALLEN, Feb. s. A suit has
been filed in 93rd district court in
Edinburg by q party Of Hidalgo
county taxpayers in which the
commissioners court OF Hidalgo
county and various county officials
were defendants and which seeks
TO prevent the payment OF any Hi
dalgo county warrants issued as
compensation for the installation
OF the Colt Index system now in
use in the Hidalgo county court
house in Edinburg.
The county commissioners court,
including commissioners w. L..
Lipscomb, Robert Henderson, w. d.
Chadick and S. NJ. Hargroves,
county auditor 7. O.. Lilies, former
county auditor L. K. Tinker, coun-
ty treasurer Geo. w. Walton, coun-
ty judge A. w. Cameron and Clar-
ence (. Jones, party with whom
contract was made for installation
OF the index system, and the county
OF Hidal8o are named as defen-
dants.
Plaintiffs are E. L. Rothrock OF
Mercedes, Amos L. Litton OF Edin-
burg, ]. d. kennady Of Mercedes,
*. w. Bonham OF Hargill and A.
T. Hendrick.
The petition alleges that the de-
PENDANTS "convined and schemed to
swindle and defraud the said coun-
~ OF Hidalgo and the citizens and
taxpayers thereof and 10 that end
f~raudulently and corruptly provid-
ed in said contract for a gross. X
ceSSive. unreasonable and uncon-
scionable amount 10 be paid for in
scallation of said index system.
About ten times in excess OF the
actual and reasonable value and
for contract price for such services,
all OF which facts were known 10
said named defendants at the time
of and prior to said transaction
and said contract was entered into
corruptly, fraudulently and collusi-
vely between the said defendant
parties, with the intent TO thereby
wrongfully and unlawfully and
without consideration, take away,
keep and convert the moneys and
property OF s id defendant county
nAI1 Vic CAOAL[AAo 1A40 S66k1sNA9
thereof. The petition declares hat
in truth and in fact the true and
actual cost and expense OF said in
stallation did not exceed said sum
OF thirty thousand dollars includ-
ing reasonable profits to the said
defendant Clarence Z. Jones, there
fore"
The petition further alleges that
IN truth and in fact all Of said coun-
ty warrants and the proceeds there
OF in excess OF said sum OF thirty
thousand dollars were not used o.
expended In the installation OF said
index system Or any other lawful
purpose but were taken and used
for the private benefit and adj
vantage OF the said conspirlng de-
PENDANTS and individuals associat-
ed with them whose names are
unknown 10 the plaintiffs herein"
The petition declares that more
than S220.500 in county warrants
were delivered 70 Clarence 4. Jones
in excess OF the actual cost and
expense Of installing the index sys-
tenn and asks that the defendants
be absolutely and p~erpetually en-
joined and restrained from taking.
accepting. paying. or satisfying the
said fraudulent and Illegal county
warrants. The plaintiffs pray judy
ment that sl.i county warrants
and each and all thereof be ad-
Judged and declared fraudulent. IL
1esal. null, and void and that the
same and all thereof be delivered
up and cancelled"
Attorneys for plaintiffs are II. y.
Dunn and A. G. Haigh OF Edin-
burg.