The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-10-21
MUTILATIoN OF TIE COUNTY RECORDS
BY THE RADICAL COUNTY sUkVEfOE'
The County Clerk CensurAble for Permitting
the ReeordS TO be Taken Away from the
Office.

Al the September session Of the board OF
supervisors, Sup'r sickles, of Moline, at
tempted to get the following adopted by the
board, viz:
WHEREAS, The employment of local survey
or to do the official work Of the county tends
directly to injure the business Of the county sur
| yeyOr, therefore
Resolrcd, by this board that all work done
under the direction Of the board, of surveying,
| plating and transcribing the survey records,
| shall be given 10 the official surveyor, unless
sufficient cause shall exist.
The proposition received only four votes,
viz; Supr Sckles, Ovens, Forster aud
Thornton, and was lost.
In order to understand the matter fully,
| it should be remembered that Surveyor Stod.
dard has been authorized by the board to do
such work and that his records were made
as valid in our courts as those Of Gould, the
regularly elected county surveyor The oh.
ect of Sickles, who is Goulds particular
friend, was to monopolise the work for Gould
but he could find ouly three supervisors, be.
sides himself, who would vote with him.
Jim Beardsley, the county clerk, did not
furnish this record Of the proceedings of the
board for publication, but suppressed it in
order to prevent injury to Sickles and Gould,
in the estimation of tho people.
Now for the mutiation Of the record
Shortly after this failure of Sickles to get
the board to snub Stoddard, aud after the
board had adjourned, Gould went to Jim
Beardsley, the county clerk, and got the
large record book known as the "Survey.
ors Record" and took it home with him. -
This book contains the official surveys made
Of farms, lots, lands, &C., &c, from Sept.
10, 1898 to the pre- sent time, and il Is of the
first Importance, to real estate owners, that
the book should be carefully and safely kept,
and no one permitted to take it away from
the Office or mutlate it. But what are the
facts2 Wby,Jim Beardsley permitted Gould
to carry off this record book and keep it as
long as he pleased, and when be returned it
all that part Of the record contained between
pages $40 and 1863 had been cut out and, we
presume, destroyed. 1t is missing, anyhow.
Twenty-Five pages Of our public records
distracted by county official, and Boards.
ley gave him q chance to do it.
Upon examining the book, which was in
the office on Monday, we found written at
tho ton Of pay. gEp IL C.Il...:,,..
NorE.-From page 342 to 1862 inclusive were
occupied for the unofficial records Of G. H. StOd-
dhrd, and were displaced by me Oct. !, 1868.
NJ A. GOULD, Co. Surveyor.
Here is radical county officer who is
permitted by the radical county clerk to
carry away valuable and important record
book belonging to the people, and he brings
it back with y pages Of it surreptitously
cut out and suppressed. 1t is the most
high.handed affair we have lately heard of
and it subjects him to removal from office
and from one to fourteen years in the peni.
Tertiary if prosecuted. These radical office.
holders seem to act upon the idea that th G
public records belong to them, when the fact
Is they belong to the people, and severe
penalties have been enacted to punish those
who mutilate or destroy them. Where does
Jim Beardsley find any law permitting him
to scatter the peoples books about the couu.
ty? The people have provided n place for
are open to the inspection of all. But here
IS man who is permitted to carry off one
OF the most valuable books in the Office and
brings it back in a condition which subjects
him to the pentendary.
We are informed that the next grand jury
will have to examine into this matter,