Editor, Times-Union: I like the term "Bogeyman" in reference to our so-called local police officers. I'm sure we have some good police officers, but watch out for the Bogeymen.
In October 1997, my stepdaughter and her friend were in the house. My friend and myself were outside in the garage. Around 6 p.m., we heard an ambulance outside, so I walked through the house and opened the front door to see what was going on. Seeing the ambulance down the street we thought nothing of it, because an elderly couple lives there and they have been there before. I came back inside and told my stepdaughter and her friend who were leaving, it was nothing. I returned to the garage and noticed search lights going through the neighborhood. Our dog, who is chained up and inside a 6-foot double privacy fence with two padlocked gates, was barking like crazy at these lights. My friend left at 6:30 p.m. and the Bogeymen were still searching for someone, we thought. I returned to the house and called my wife at work and told her the Bogeymen were searching the neighborhood with spotlights. My wife headed home and stopped at the gas station first. She was approached by the Bogeymen, who told her our dog had bitten a child down the street. She knew this to be totally false because the dog is chained and fenced in but was detained for 20 minutes. They also told her I wouldn't answer the door. (Our garage is unattached from the house and it is impossible to hear anyone at the front door.)
She came home and told me what the Bogeymen had told her and I went through the roof. I was P.I. knowing very well our dog had done nothing along with the three witnesses. One of the Bogeymen, Steve Brown, came to our door and the very first thing he said was
"I'm going to confiscate your dog." I went off and admit I did call them some things I shouldn't have, but that doesn't give them, the Bogeymen, the right to do what they did.
I wouldn't talk to them because we knew they were here just to harass us. My wife talked to them and thought everything was straightened out, because they left and continued to search the neighborhood until 8:30 p.m. We found out two weeks later it wasn't. The Bogeymen had trumped up two charges (one a criminal charge) allowing a dog to stray and harboring a non-immunized dog.
My wife told the Bogeymen we had purchased the dog six months ago and the previous owners had told us the dog was immunized and they also told the Bogeymen this. The Bogeymen wouldn't quit until they got me for some trumped up charges. The went to the vet and found out the dog hadn't had its shots.
Indiana Law concerning harboring non-immunized dog states - a person knowingly or intentionally harbors a non-immunized dog. But the previous owners told us and the Bogeymen the dog had all its shots.
In Kangaroo Court they dismissed allowing dog to stray because of the three witnesses and myself who verified the dog was chained and fenced in and totally impossible to run astray. However, they found me guilty of harboring a non-immunized dog. The judge and the Bogeymen went against Indiana law and violated my civil rights again.
But that wasn't the end. The Bogeymen told the parents whose child was bitten that our dog was the responsible one. Even though the Court found no grounds for allowing dog to stray and dismissed the charge. they went and hired one of these ambulance chasing attorneys and filed suit against our homeowners policy. The insurance company paid this without our knowledge. We found out three months later when they dropped our coverage. To us, this is malicious slander and insurance fraud. To go along with this, my younger stepdaughter and myself took our dog to the people and the child said this wasn't the dog that bit her. So the Bogeymen slandered us. We had to get another homeowners policy with higher rates - because the Bogeymen have a vindictive attitude toward me.
Don't get me wrong, I do respect a uniform, but it's the ones who wear the uniform I can't respect, because they are the "Bogeymen."
Bart Aker, Warsaw
Front Page
Editor, Times-Union: I have seen your two headlines on Saturday. I think that a man that shot his parents and digging up a four-year-old girl are bad press! There are other things happening in Warsaw that deserve more attention.
I feel that printing a 17-year-old's bad luck and pullin' somebody from the ground is very gruesome. I think that somebody from the Times-Union should have a little more respect for families and readers of the paper. The need to send Gary Nieter out grave hunting is in very poor taste and interviewing that Ousley boy puts poor taste on the whole town.
Ron Long, Warsaw
EDIT
Editor, Times-Union: EDIT Tax, Anyone who works and draws a weekly paycheck knows that this tax like all taxes will be coming out of their check, if not directly, indirectly. Also people who are for this tax haven't set down at the end of the year and figured up their gross income, or they would know that State, Federal and local governments are taking 60 to 70 percent of our wages now (this includes property, sales, income, etc.) So Hell-o, do we really need another tax or do we need to start cutting government and reduce our taxes now? Enough is enough!
Michael L Stevens, Pierceton
Gospel Sing
Editor, Times-Union: We would like to express our thanks to all who helped with the recent gospel sing benefit on my behalf. I would like to thank Randy Miller for organizing the benefit. Also thank you to Clyde Arnett and the Steer Inn Restaurant for the use of their facility, area churches for the good gospel singing, all the people who helped with the bake sale and those who donated. Words cannot express our thanks. God bless all of you!
