Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-05-25
HU M0R0US andLITERARY
BELMONT COUNTY, COURT OF
- COA1NON PLEAS.
First Canse Of Action.
Robert NJ. Clark, plaintiff,

PETITION.
First Canse Of Action.
Robert NJ. Clark, plaintiff,
VS..
Clark Wilkinson, defendant.
Robert NJ. Clark, plaintiff, says that
before and at the time of the commit
ting by the defendant of the grievances
hereinafter mentioned, he was a per-
son of good name, fame, credit and
reputation, and deservedly enjoyed the
good opinion of divers persons, and that
the plaintiff then was and for several
years before that time had been and
still is Auditor of the County of Bel
mont in the State of Ohio. Yet the
defendant, Clark Wilkinson, well know
ing the premises, but contriving and
wickedly intending to injure the plain
tiff in his good name, fame, credit and
reputation, and to bring him into pub
lie scandal, infamy and disgrace, and
to hold him up to public contumely,
scorn and ridicu lie, and to cause it to
be suspected and believed that he, the
plaintiff, was a person of bad character,
about the 18th 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 print
ed newspaper, called the Belmont
Chronicle, of and concerning the plain
tiff, and of and concerning his conduct
as such Auditor, certain false, scam
dalOus, malicious and denmatory libel,
containing the false, scandalous, ma
licious and defamatory matter follow
ing, Of and concerning the plaintiff and
his conduct in the premises, that is to
say: "R. NJ. Clark, (the plaintiff mean
ing) "How he," the plaintiff meaning)
''has deceived the people. The follow
ing statements of facts will turn leaf,
unfold chapter that has thus far been
kept in the dark concerning the above
officer" (the plaintiff meaning) "we"
(the defendant meaning) twill not
name the act, we" the defendant
meaning) twill let the taxpayers of
the County christen the deed and stamp
it with that shade of infamy it de-
serves. In his" (the plaintiffs mean
ing) "last September statement Mr., r..
NJ. Clark" Cthe plaintiff meaning)
"Auditor of Belmont County, certifies
that the amount paid him" (the plain
tiff meaning) "by the County, for the
year ending Sept. 1, 1870, was the sum
of twenty1nine hundred and eighty
dollars. Many doubted this at the
time, and a few days since WEB (the
defendant meaning) "took the trouble
of examining the orders granted to
that gentleman" (the plaintiff mean
ing) ssby himself (the plaintiff mean
as found recorded in the Register kept
by himself' (the plaintiff meaning)
"and find instead of the above amount,
the modest sum of five thousand seven
hundred and sixty-nine dollars and
thirty-one cents-the aggregate of Or
ders within the time named. What
does this mean? Do, or do not the
people of the County care for such slight
variations from truth ON the part of this
officer" (the plaintiff meaning) "Here
is difference of nearly three thousand
dollars, which r. NJ. Clark" (the plain
tiff meaning) "has pocketed AMI then
certifies that only twenty-nine hundred
and eighty dollars was paid him." (the
plaintiff meaning. "How did he"
1.-THE plaintiff meaning) "get the bal
ance? Why was 1t not accounted for
in his' the PLAINTIFF S meaning) Estate
ment? Are the taxpayers Of the Coun-
ty to be blinded and hoodwinked by
such false statements as these? Will
our citizens with taxes gradually grow
ing upon them until they have become
oppressive, with the annual sale of
hundreds Of homesteads over the heads
of mechanics and farmers, bear this
deception? Our Auditor" (the plaintiff
meaning) "has neglected to account for
the sum of two thousand seven hun
dred and eighty-nine dollars and thirty
one cents, ip his" (the plaintiffs IS mean.
ing) "annql statement. This small
sum we" defendant meanfng) 'ssqp=
pose is covered up under the head of
fees and allowances, and the public was
to be kept in entire ignorance of it,
We" defendant meaning) "regret the
necessity of raking up and exposing
this life long officer" lplaintiff mean
ing) "and wei ldefeffdant meanlHg)
"would gladly sethim" (plaintiff meane
ing) "adrift with his" (plaintifR's mean
ing y'fspOils did not Justice to tax-rid-
den laborers. demand it. How much
of the hard earned money has he" (the
plaintiff .meaaingl "pocketed during
of the Office together with what is ne
SIctUSu Will COo0 lOb ONcE SA,oUUs J. 1lo
would leave over $1,000 uselessly paid
to r. M. Clark" .(the plaintiff meaning)
''for what? This is a text for taX-pay-
Iers. The long services of this gentle
man" (the plaintiff Weanigg} ;.ald the
supposed accuracy Of hisp (tbe plaintiffs
meaning) accounts will render this
damaging charge of serious import. If
an officer has a right to hide from the
public twenty-eight hundred dollars he
has equal right to make it thousands.
What matters it if a man is robbed
with the right hand or the left? Does
it affect the taxpayer Jess that the
money for which no account is given
belongs to salaryn or fees and alleW-
ances?" Of course the Ring will raise
a howl over this expose Of its leading
MEMBER" (the plaintiff meaning) "and
the two cent paper will answer us" (de-
fendant meaning) sin the usual style
by calling US" defendant meaning)
''names, but the whole subject we" (de-
fendant meaning) 'fleave With the citi-
zen whose duty it is to look into these
things"
SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION,
The plaintiff further says that the
defendant, further. contriving and in
tending as aforesaid, to injure the plain
tiff, afterwards, to-wit: on the Goth day
of April, A. D., 1871, at said County of
Belmont, falsely, wickedly and ma
1icious,. = did compose and publish, and
cause and procure to be composed and
published in said newspaper ofand con-
corning his conduct as Auditor as afQte-
said, certain other false, scandalous,
malicious and defamatory libel, con-
tanning the false, scandaloiis, malicious
and defamatory matter following, of