Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-09-28
MALFEAsANols IN OFFICE
PoCKETING COUNTY FUNDS.

Two weeks ago we asked the people
of Belmont County to ask Mr.. Geo. III.
Un1stead when asked by him for their
suffrages, "what he did with their mon
ey," which the law made it his duty to
collect and which he did collect while
actirg as Sheriff Of Belmont County.
Mr.. Geo. III. Umstead was Sheriff of
Belmont County for four years from
January, 1868 until January, 1867. The
law provides, by the act of April II,
1858, Sec. A., Swan & Critchfeld's
Statutes, page $40:
'iThat there shall be paid by the party
in whose. .favora yerdietm be render
ed and in case of a non suit by the party
calling said Jury and taxed in the Bill
of Costs, in any civil cause tried in the
Court of Common Pleas or Supreme
Court, the sum of Sir Dollars, which
sum shall be paid on the rendition of
the verdict or judgement of non suit as
aforesaid, and before the same is re-
corded, into the hands of the Sheriff of
the proper County, and by him paid
over to the County Treasurer under the
direction of the Court"
Byan amendment to that act, passed
April Is, and took effect May 1st, 1852,
Sec. IL, page All; Swan & Sayler's
Statutes. The law provides:
ssThat it shall be the duty of the Clerk
! of each Court in this State, to furnish
the Auditor of his County within TWEEN
ty days after the adjournment OF each
term of said Court, correct statement
of the number of Civil Jury Cases tried
at that term, which statement small be
J filed in the office of such Auditor and
who shall charge the Sheriff in book
( to be provided for that purpose, Sta
dollars for each case so tried, and shall
credit such Sheriff with the Jury fees
when paid into the Treasury, or when
he may have paid the same"
| The law furthers provides that the
4 Sheriff shall keep cash Book in which
these jury fees shall berecorded and that
itshall be passed to his successor under
penalty of fine of one hundred dollars.
The intention of this law was thai
tax payers of the County should be re
levied to the amount of six dollars II
every case of civil nature which should
, be tried in Court, and before a verdic
should be recorded the winning part.
should pay that sum to the Sheriff, ant
,, he should be compelled to collect tn
: same. A committee from the Repub
{ lican Executive committee called upol
the Auditor of the County and aske'
to see the book in which the said Aud
itor is required by law to keep the &C
A count ofjury fees received by the Sher
|, if, and was informed that no sue
i book had been kept.
& The Auditor examined the Ledge
: accounts of the County fund from jar
y uary 1868 to August Goth, 1871 an
! found that during all this time MI
i Umstead had not paid dollar Of jur
It fees to the Treasurer, and so stated
u said committee.
o When Mr.. Umstead found out ths
e a committee had been examining tn
+ matter he paid $50 upon the day of tf
= Democratic Mass Meeting in st. Clair
" Vile, which was the I'd day of Septen
Of Der, 1871, little over two weeks az
y which sum would be eight cases G'
70 one-third Qfa case.
We charged Mr.. Umstead in sl
s. stance over two weeks ago Wi
a. being responsible for the collection al
N N with the collection Of jury fee of s
1e dollars in nearly fifty civil cases tri'
nd during his Sheriffality which he nev
he reported to, nor paid to the Coun
~. ~ Treasury.
We This law was intended to be sor
k relief to the tax payers, but instead
that every six dollar jury fee whi
was paid by the winning party "
ty simply transferred to the pocket Of n
he Umstead while Sheriff of Belmc
,ut County, and the tax payers paid I
.he jury besides.
the For the single year 1855, the last "
of his term, we find the following ca