Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-05-25

FVh-Dld not our Auditor" (the
plaintiff meaning) "receive from a
Cleveland company of Bridge builders
engaged upon work i'm this County one
dollar per foot for securing contracts?
,SiHh-Can it be regarded perfectly
honest for a public officer who already
receives five thousand dollars per wear,
salary, &c, to accept compensation of
one dollar per foot, said compensation
to be added to the amount for which
said company would have performed
the work and the whole to be paid by
the County?
"Our" defendants meaning) "col-
umns are open for satisfactory answers
to the above questions. Taxpayers
will be anxious"
The plaintiff AYERS that the defen-
dant thereby then and there meant to
insinuate and have it understood by
the persons who should read said libel
Gus matter, and to whom the same was
published, that the plaintiff had been
guilty of misconduct and dishonesty in
his said office of Auditor; that he had
become a co-partner with bridge archi-
tects in securing contracts at the hands
of the County Commissioners of said
County of Belmont; that he had be-
trayed the confidence of said Commits
sioners in recommending one company
of bridge builders before another, with
out any just or honest cause, merit or
inducements; that he had an arrange
ment with the company so recOmmen-
ded by which it was to give to him a
certain amount per foot, if he would
procure said Commissioners to contract
with it; that said arrangement was
secret and unknown to said Commits
SiOners; that said company paid the
plaintiff a commission for procuring a
contract for bridge building from said
Commissioners; that the plaintiff re-
ceived from the taxpayers of said
County, in addition to his own salary,
an extra sum as commission for secur-
ing to certain companies of bridge bull
ders, contracts with said Commission
ers for building bridges in said County
at the expense of the said County;
that the plaintiff had received from q
Cleveland company of bridge builders,
one dollar per foot for securing contracts
for it with said Commissioners to build
bridges in said County at the expense
of said County; and that the plaintiff,
while receiving five thousand dollars
per year for his services as such Audi
tor was dishonesty accepting a COM
pensation of one dollar per foot on the
contracts aforesaid in addition to the
amonnt for which said Cleveland Com
pany would have performed the work,
tho whole amount to be paid by said
County; and the plaintiff aVers that the
divers persons to whom said libelOus
matter was published by the defendant
so understood said libelOus matter.
THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION.
The plaintiff further says that the
defendant, further contriving and in
tending as aforesaid, to iniure the plain
tiff, about the same goth day of April,
A. D., 1871, at said County of Belmont,
falsely, wickedly and maliciously did
compose and publish, and cause and
procure to be composed and published
in said newspaper, of and concerning
the plaintiff, and of and concerning his
conduct as aforesaid, a certain other
false, scandalOus, malicious and defam-
atGry libel, containing the false, scan
dIlous, malicious and defamatOry mat
ter following, of and concerning the
plaintiff and his conduct in the prem
ises that is to say:
"In our" defendants meaning) "last
issue we" defendant meaning) "charg-
sd II. NJ. Clark" (the plaintiff meaning)
"With covering up and coneealing from
the public, in his" the plaintiff mean
ing) ''last September Statement, large
sums of money" (referring to the L.
belous matter in the first cause of ae-
ton mentione0 "He" (the plaintiff
meaningl threatens to sue US" (de.
fendant meaning) 'tfor SANDER, and
we" defendant meaning) shear has
retained several prominent Republi-
can lawyers here. This certainly
speaks well for the Democratic talent
at this bar. 1t certainly looks dubious
for prominent DemOcratic leader thus
to express his contempt for the legal
ability Of bis own party. IF he" Che
plaintiff meaning) s4is ashamed of hisn
plaintiffs meaning) company, it
might be possible that after repeated
washings he" (the plaintiff meaning)
stcould find a place in Republican
ranks" --.-
The plaintiff ayers that, by means of
the committing Of said grievances by
liiO oCiOliuttiiU 1s tliOl lSStlu, UilG kJltlltlll
has been and is greatly injured in his
said good name, fame and credit, and
brought into public scandal, infamy,
disgrace, contempt and ridicule, and
has been and is suspected and believed
by divers persons to be- guilty of ths
divers dishonest and improper practices
and acts charged published and insinu-
ated against him by the defendant as
aforesaid, and has been and is summed
and avoided by divers persons. To
the damage Of the plaintiff of ten thou
sand dollars. Whereqpon the plaintiff
prays Judgment against the defendant
for ten thousand dollars.
.,. r. E. CHAMBERS,
s.'lr L. DANFORD,
. ST. CLAIR KELLY,
l p. u. =. GoWEN,
Attorneys for Raintif.
BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO.
Robert NJ, Clark, the above named
plaintiff, being sworn, says that he hes
lieves the statement contained in the
petition to be true.
r. NJ. CLARK.
Sworn to before me and subscribed in
my presence by r. NJ. Clark this 24th
day of April, 1871.
&C, PRATT, Deputy Clerk,
VALUABLE TABLE.
Population of the United States,
Hfal0l Loo. IL