Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1846-09-11
Prom the .U0rgaa Herald.

tohs had salary OF 5000. In the month OF A.
PIil, l842, there appears in his exhibit the charge
OF s2l for expense aud deposits. Now, the law
makes It part Of the collectors duty to deposit
the money he receives 10 the credit ofthe Treas.
urer Of State al such convenient points as the Au-
olior shall direct He is entitled to NO compensa.
ton for this. The allowance of anu thing to the
collector for this beyond his salary is a fragrant
wrong. 1t is taking from the Treasury money
triihOW LIC and against lac. Let us see how
thiswas continued. Mr.. Kingconlinued to charge
and the Auditor (Brough) TO allow him S2I per
month up TO December of thatyear for deposifing
money The December allowances is hirly dol.
taTs, and also there is a grand lump allowance of
EIGHTY'sEvEN dollars for depostng, making an
allowance eTird for that year Of TWO HUNDRED
AND EIGHTY-FIvE DOLLARS.
The next year Mr. King charged and was al.
lowed by the snug liue sum of THREE HUNDRED
and SEVENTY DOLLARS for depositing, and in 1914
he received the sum Of FOUR HUNDRED AND THIR-
TY DOLLARS for this duty. This be it remember
ed was in addition to his regular salary as colec-
tor; IN other words it was a part of The PLUMBER
part of the business. Thus in three years this
collector PiUndcred the sum of ONE THOUSAND AND
EIGHTY DOLLARS over and above his salary.
ecollectorat Defiance also charged, and was
allowed the sum of Sir dollars per reek or S3l2
per year for making his deposits. These things
are TO be found on the 36rh page of the report.
The committee had examined only three colec.
tor offices. Whether the same plumber was prac.
rced and allowed at the other offices yetremains to
be seen. The practice was no doubt general
II the parent board could plunder their thousands
and tens of thousands, surely il would not be too
much toexPectthat collectors should plunder their
hundreds. ltway the order of the day. Ii was
fat picking in Ohio during those times. But it
has left apreciousegacy to the people in the shape
of t1centy millions Of debt, and we are now taxed
10 pay the interest on that debt. 1t will general
ly be observed that the very men who run their
arms the deepest into the public treasury are the
men who complain the most of the present tax
law, and demand the loudest for its repeal.
The national RoAD.-We have now entered
upon rich field Of plumber 1t is probable that
more open, barclaced, unmitigatcd vilIainy and
fraud was committed on the National Road un-
der John lontz, than can be found in any other
Part OF Ohio. We shall have to make a number
OF chapters Of this to give its full beauties.
In September, l8I2, John Yontz was appointed
by the LocOioco Board of Public Works, Super
intendent on the National Road. He remained
in that place I'LL removed by the Wing board in
April, 1915 William Murine Il stripping of a.
bout twenty-five years of age was appointed his |
assistant. Those persons had the sole manage |
ment OF matters for two years and half. When |
they were appointed, the debt of the National
Road dwas $3.50 IS. twill be remembered that
this road was made in the most substantial man.
ner by the United States, and then given to Ohio
on condition that we would keep it in good repair
This we agreed to do. The tolls on the road are
assessed for this purpose. The proceeds are mp
piled TO repairs, and under proper management
will keep 1t in good order. But after 2! years un-
der the control Of Yonlz it is feared that this debt
has Increased 10 the enormous sum Of Sirty- fve
thousand nine hundred and tDenty-one dollars and
.Jyteen cents. This too, be it remembered after
cxpendng thesum of S86,0 ,082 % the revenue re-
celved from the road during the time-(page A.
In squandering this sum of money the most
outrageous system of taUoritiSm was adopted
Six men, viz; james Taggar Martin Mcclure,
Neal Crossan, Bernard O'Neal, Daniel M'Donald
and Thomas J. Davis appear to have secured all
the contracts on the road, and at prices erorbitan
~ high. It's but justice to Mr.. Taggart to say
he merely permitted his name to be used by that
young scamp Murine, whoput in his bids for him;
sub-let the contracts and pocketed the profts.-
proilts-(pagc 4l.) Bernard ONeal is an Irish
man, was "A stone breaker, ill acknowledgements
ed the largest contractor onthcroad. The board
were not able to fndhim. Daniel M'Donald was
also a stone breaker unable to write hsownname.
lie suddenly became great contractor, and that
100, without attending any of the eltings-(page
42') lie also disappeared. Mr.. Davispcrmittcd
Yontz and Murine to use his name, to sub.et his
~ md i,Fil a..
Neal Crossan wasonolhertool Hodidnot attend
thcletungs, but ulhadsome oncto iorhim. When
asked whether Gonlz or Murine were either of
them The ones, he refused to answcr-(page I2.)
-Four miles Of the road were let for 81 10 and
two at S2 per rod for gravel These Murine
Suo-let Tor Sl SO per rod and pockclcd the differ
ence, being the pretty little sum Of four hundred
ana ti00 dollars. This same Murine FORGED a
letter IN the name of James Taggart to one Baker
VINO wished tosub-Ietsome of Taggarl's contracts
and got twenty dollars of Baker in the name of
Iaggart as the price Of his bargain. OF all this
Iaggart knew nothing. as he swears-(page 43.)
John Moore tesliiies that Murine asked him TO
sign blank proposal for bid. = Murine agreed
TO get him contract, and when Moore told him
not to do any hngwrong he replied that lie COULD
FIX THE BOOKS so THAT NEITHER THE BOARD OF
PUBLIC WORKS NOR THE LEGISLATURE WOULD FIND
IT OUT. He also told Moore at another time, he
would make up low price by measuring the me-
tai for more than there was of it--(pagc I4.) A.
gain Murine pretended that certain tract was
bid off to Davis but he'suble it to one Pope, and
pocketed one hundred and ftiy-sir dollars by the
oPeration-(page Az On anothersixm miles pur.
porting to be let to Davis, Murine sub.let it, and
pocketed ticO hundred and sirty dollars and eigh.
" cents by it. Again on the 1l9th mile he sub
let ii at profit of one dollar and ninety cents per
rod, and made by the operation eighy-three dol.
lars and sirty cents-(page 45.)
Several contracts were rescinded by these pre-
clous villains for the purpose of letting them to
tavontes al a higher rate. One p. Comvn had
two miles at SO 75per rod. These were taken