Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-10-03
THE TRUTH ABOUT TIE $500
GENERAL INDEX IN PHEl
PROBATE JUDGES. OFFICE.

Inc D. ClalrSVlife Gdzet1e OF last
week smarting under the exposure of
the criminally careless management of
the Democratic County officials, the
corruption of one of them, and the ex-
orbitant prices paid said Gazette for
County printing, sends one of its aids
to the Auditors Office, who discovers
that Judge Carroll received $500 for
making the General Index in the Pro-
bate Court. Thereupon. the Gazette
charges that Judge Carroll was an ac-
complice in the work of ,ro66mg the
County Treasury.
To do this it admits virtually that
s16, 900 were stolen by said Democratic
officials; and in order to excuse them,
makes answer that they gave Judge
carroll 5000 it.
The certificate of Judge d. d. T.
Cowen, st. Clair Kelly and Ross j. AL
exander, the last Democrat in good
standing, effectually disposes of the
charge, but the truth in detail is not
given. 1t is as follows:
Some time in 1868 it was madeappar-
ent TO the County Commissioners that
there was necessity for a general in :
dex in the Probate Judges Office. The
records had been carelessly kept, the
indexes mutilated and in some eases
obliteraIed and there was much confu-
sion in the same, and said Commission
ers thereupon employed Judge Carroll
TO make such index, no price being fix
ed for the labor.
Judge Carroll ina short time matured
a plan for such index and <uhiaitted it
to the Commissioners, and they ap-
proved and adopted it.
It is a matter of impoSsibility to give
a complete idea of the amount of labor
necessarily involved in the preparation
of this work, suffice it to say, that it
contains complete and correct histo-
lry OF the estate of every deceased per-
son administered upon in Belmont
County since 1902. The work required
among other things, careful exaIiin-
alton of the records of the Court of
Common Pleas in the case of each eS-
tate administered upon prior to the law
authorizing Probate Court in Belmont
county, and an examination of the
records of the Probate Court in the case
of every estate administered upon since
lit was established. The data from
which the book is made was obtained
from a careful reading and exainina-
Ition OF over fifty thousand pages OF old
records. Itrequired not only a large
amount of clerical labor, but great care
and skill in arranging the facts in con-
venient form. The work was under
taken and carried to completion, with
/ the skill, care and fidelity for which
! Judge Carroll was noted while inoff1ce,
and is to-day of incalculabie value to
the citizens of the county. !.
/ Judge Carroll presented the book
i when it was finished to the Democrat
i ic County Commissioners, one OF whom
was William Armstrong, now q candi-
date for reelection, making no charge,
and fixing no price, but suggesting tc
1.-THE Commissioners the appointment ol
q committee of their own selection tc
examine the work and ascertain the
value of the services rendered. They
J did so. Judge Cowen, st. Clair Kelly
and Ross j. Alexander were appointed
4 such committee, made the examination
!, and reported in writing that the servic
es we're worth 5000. (See their certificate
in another .eolunn.1 This is the plaiI
{ truth, which could have been ascertain
ed by the Gazette if it had desired to de
Justice to Judge Carroll. But in Bel
mont county the cry is f'any thing t
beat. Carroll !'' -, - 'gs..l
This is not the first time that the Ga
zstte has willfully and maliciously
! sought to damage the character of {
fel1oW-clti for partisan purposes.
u = few dave eorn If rnafln fine 6ilu1iliaf