The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-09-21
A card from Maier Roh,ngou.


Editors Journal
| notice u few errors in the article
on the first page of your paper of Sat
urday last, ia reference to the re-
ports of the Soldiers Relief Fund,
and OF the Soldiers Bounty Fund,
which | desire TO correct through
your columns
First. The reports to which you re-
fer are not the resaltof an investiga-
ton into the affairs Of the County
Auditors office in its general man
agement, as your article would indi-
cate, but they refer only to the man
agement Of those JiasdS-notMng more
or less.
Second My connection with this in =
vestigation occurred as follows: In
December, 1868, the Board of Com
missioners of this County, without my
solicitation, appointed me to examine
the records OF the various county Of
fees, with directions and authority to
collect by suit or otherwise, any pub
lie money In the hands of any County
officer, which he had neglected to pay
into the County Treasury, and also
to collect any money an the hands Of
any such officer. which had been ille-
gally paid out Of The Treasury [ &C :
cepted that appointm ent, and immed :
ately began my Investigation. In eX-
aiming the records Of the County
Commissioners found that a large
sum of money, Stated In one of those
reports to be So, 965,) had passed un-
der the control of MIR Bisch, aChich
had neuer been teetfy accounted for.
/ found also that a much larger
sum Stated in the other report to be
$156,6S2), had gone into the hands of
MIR. Bisch, Of the Sold ers' Bounty
Fupd, and Of which no report had
ever been made by him to any one,
although nearly four gears had elapsed
Siaee he had recetrsd the Bounty tuRd
raised IN 1865, which amounted IN
round numbers to ($126, 000). The
aggregate Of these funds as shown
by those reports, is (S214, 667).
In January, 1869, [ recommend
ed to the Board Of Commissions
ers that Mr.. Bisch.shouid be required
to report to them In full his receipts
and disbursements of the same The
Board accordingly entered up an or
der requiring him to make such re-
ports. They have been made and
published l had no interest what
ever In those funds, nor in their dis
bursement, other than as one of the
citizens of the county. The Commits
sioners agreed with me as to the
necessity of having those funds faith
fully accounted tor.
Again, you are in error IN regard to
| the origin of the suits which have
| been commenced against Mr.. Bisch.
| The first of those suits were three
indictments found by the Grand Jury
in October, 1861. charging him with
| extortion, in obtaining from the
county the sum of 50, 600, by virtue Of
/ his Office, which he had no right to
receive. Mr.. Bisch took a change of
venue Gas it is called, from Judge
/ Parrett, who was then on the bench,
and the cases were set down for trial
! at special January term, 1868, be-
fore udge Gregory, one of the Judges
/ of the Supreme Court of this State.
/ Those indictments were not tried
/ but on the motion of Biseh' ATTORNEYS
i they were qudShed for informalitv.
and Judge Gregory required Mr..
/ Bisch to give bail for his appearance
at the next term OF the Circuit Court
to answer the State on the same charge.
/ At the April term, 1868, different
Grand Jury rebound indictments in
faoo of the above three cases. Mr.. Hem
ming. in the mean time, having been
/ elected Prosecuting Attorney in place
( Of Capt. Hargraye, L was appointed to
assist him In the prosecution Of those
eases, which | did most cheerfally.
Vboco indictments were e0Dtinuo5
from time TO time. mainly from the
difficulty in procuring Judge from
another Circuit to try them.