The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-08-24
LOCAL MATTERS.
ALLEGED MALFEASANCE ~ OFFICE.
TWO HENRTCO JUSTICES PRESENTED FOR
lTSDENEANOR.

Inc grant jury OF tne llenrlco Souh' )
Court, on the last day Of the term just
closed, presented Justices William II. leat
Ian and John Ncttlcs for corruptly and
fradulently conspiring and combining IL
cheat and defraud the county Of Henrict
and L. II. Huffman, late sheriff Of the
county, thereby being guilty Of malfeasanct
in office and of a high misdemeanor.
The prescntment sets forth that on tht
9TH day of October, 1866, the County Cour;
al the acting justices of the county having
been daily summoned for the purpose, and =
majority of them being present, determined
that the courthouse which had been de-
.troyel by fire should be rebuilt upon the
old site, and did adopt plan of specifica
tions offered by William H. Ieatman fol
rebuilding the same, and authorized con
tract to be made with the said Ieatman fol
doing the work, ne giving bond and ap'
proved security for the faithful construction
Of the same. At the salle time the court
appointed John Ncttles the supcrin,
tcndent Of the snid work, and George d
Pleasants and James l.. Marsh an advisory
committee to act with him. This committee
were to cause the contract to be properly
prepared and executed, and to approve tho
security Of Ieatman'S bond at intervals du
ring the construction Of the work, and a:
its advancement might justify, the superin
tendent and committee were authorized t.
pay to Yeatman IS per cent. upon the
amount of work actually done, the payment
being made By the sheriff upon order:
drawn by the committee. On the 10th O.
October the contract was made with Ieat
nan and hi- bond approved, in conformity
with the order, Justices Ieatnan and Net
ties being on the bench when Tie order wa:
made.
1t is claimed in the prcsentmcnt that du
ring the progress Of the work, under tht
contract referred to, several orders were
drawn By the committee in favor Of Ieat
man, which we're delivered TO Sheriff Huff.
man, upon whom they were drawn, and by
him duly paid. But Huffman made other
payments to Yeatman on account OF The
building, ont of funds of the county in hi:
hands in advance of his having obtained
orders from the advisory committee for the
sums so paid, upon the special engagement
Of Yeatman that he ouldafterwards procure
orders from the committee and Immediately ly
lelivcr them to the sheriff rs vouchers tOl
the money paid in advance. In this man
ncr it is said that Ycatman obtained tho
whole amount due him for the work (ab0u
1900, and instead OF delivering the or
!ers, trauiulentiy withheld them anJ
transferred them for his own benefit to other
persons, and among those others to John
Nettles, the other party indicted.
Justice Nettles is presented as the active
agent in issuing all the aforesaid orders IL
Yeatman, as his name is signed TO them all
1t is also said that he drew the four las
orders knowing that Yeatman had been in
..tct paid the whole amount due him BY
Huffman, and that these orders were in fact
and in law the property Of Huffman as
sheriff, and should have been delivered W
to him.
1t is thus claimed that Nettles, we'll
knowing all the premises, unlawtully and
fraudulently cOnspired with leatman &c
enable the latter to pass off and sell sundry
of the said orders to other persons than
himself, instead Of surrendcring them tc
the sheriff: and that he induced other per
sons to purchase and receive the orders
from the said Ieatman, among others, Il
). Sanxay and John Ginnochio.
Finally, it is alleged that Ncttles and
Yeatman, acting Justices of the county and
members of the county court during the
time of the laying of the levy AT the last
term august y, 1868, attempted to pro
cure, and advocated, and that Nettles voted
for the payment by the county Of all the
said orders, including those held BY him,
thereby corruptly and fraudulently abusing
the powers and functions of their offices as
justices and members Of the court for their
private ends and interests.
The presentment is made on the testl-
mony of Justices George D. and Thomas L.
Peasants, Petherbridge and Wade, and F.
H. Huffman, James L. Marsh, and William