Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-10-02
THE 1915 STEAL
OFrHELATEC co. TREASURER

ILL., WIZ 64GAA
OF THE LATE co. TREASURER
On June %, 1871 dividend of 1915
was payable to Belmont County from
the C. O. r. r. This money Mr..
Irwin, drew and placed in his own
pocket instead of the Treasury. In
June 1873 the Auditor discovered that
this money was in Mr.. Irwin hands
and it was then paid in to the Treasury.
Mr.. Irwin claimed that he must have
forgotten the matter at the time and
also that he must have been overcharg-
ed in something else that year.
The facts are as follows;
Mr.. Irwin knew that the only way
money other than taxes could get into
the Treasury wss on the draft OF the
Auditor. He knew too that he had no
right to draw this draft until he had
returned it to the Auditor and received
a draft to pay it in to the Treasury.
Yet he did on the first 1st of August
signed his name to the draft and de-
ptrsited it In Bank to his credit. He is also
required to keep a record or register
of all moneys received or paid out by
him as Treasurer. He had two books
upon which this collection should have
appesred on that date. 1t did not
appear on either of them. On the 2lst
OF August he placed it on one Of these
books. the record of drafts--but not on
his balance book. Either did he
then 90 to the Auditor and get a war
rant 10 pay it into the Treasury-On
the 31st day of August, the day of set
tlement between the Auditor and
Treasurer, the Auditor or his book
keeper checked item by item with the
Treasurer all money collected in this
way-the Treasurer checking his re-
cord of drafts, and the Auditor the
general register. This item was not
checked, The Auditor did not have it
on his books; evidently knew nothing
about it. The Treasurer knew all
about it, had dealt with it before twice
at least and it was then right before his
ewes and he couldn't help seeing it
still he forgot to tell the Auditor by
his side that he had this money. Can
any man believe such thing possible.
This is not all. He never put it on his
balance book or ledger, and that book
shows that at this settlement he did
have the amount of money he was
charged with without this 1910 so that
according to that book made and kept
by himself he was not overcharged a
cent. In word both of his own books
show that he purposly kept the Audi
tor Clark from knowing anything
about this money for the purpose of
putting it in his pocket, when it went
and stayed two years until recovered
by the Auditor.
When he claimed that he was over
charged in something else that year
the Commissioners gave him permis-
sion to examine the books of that year
and see if he could find balance in his
favor. He accordingly received and
took away all the duplicates of that
year and also those of the former years
of his term. Mr.. Gressinger examined
them, probably three months to the
% day of September, when he and Mr..
Irwin brought to the Commissioners an
offsetting bill in the amount of $500 90.
This bill upon examination, however,
was found TO be upon different years
$500 was on his first year and only $500
was on this year, so that his claim of
oyercharge on this year which was his
only defense was not subs.antiated by
this offsetting bill. But he failed to
bring the books then or since. He did
not show the Commissioners any of
these errors. He just presented this
trumped up bill and asked them to pay
it on his word-they declined to do it
until they had time to have all these
books xamined-whereupO that
very day, Mr.. Gressinger wrote the
National Glass Works asking if they
had receipt for $256 40 taxes for that
year. They replied they had and thus
the offsetting bill dwindled to less than
$3.50 90 instead of 1915 90. Thus the
very bill which was to prove his limo.
cense only corrOborated the already un-
impeachable evidence of his own books,
that he took the money knowing all
about it and kept it for his own pur-
poses. Here is the fact which shows
the rotten character of this bill most
plainly. The @256 40 aDoS referred to
was originally marked paid in ink,
was then scratched out and afterward,
when, we don't know, marked paid i'm
lead pencil. Yet Notwithstanding, the
fact that it was thus marked paid, he
had the audacity to put it in this bill
and ask the Commissioners to pay it.
If he had any doubts in the matter he
could have written to the firm and as
certained the fact positively and this he
was advised to do by The Deputy Au-
ditor two months before he presented
the bill. But he was in distress, he
must find something to Offset this 1915
90 or the people would believe he had
stolen it and as he could find no balance
in his favor that year of any account,
he had to put on this $3.50 90 and then
go back two years, behind two annual
settlements to find something else, and
then when the board declined to paw
without seeing whether the bill was
correct, he was forced by the fear of
another detection, to come up volun-
tarily and acknowledge that he had in
this manner tried to impose upon the
Commissioners, by asking them to pay
his $3.50 90, which his books showed
was paid and which in fact was paid.
In view of the above facts, which
are demonstrated beyond quibble or
doubt by Mr.. Irwin's own books, and
of the more magnificent robbery of
$4,000, from the people of this
County. with which he stands charged
and for the recovery of which suit is |
pow pending, how can the honest