Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-10-02
The Suit Against tho Democratic
fSS.Treaslrer.

appropriated to his own use. We hav,
heretofore taken this course that publi
opinion for or against the defenden
might be moulded by the evidence ad
duced upon the witness stand, and o
record; that the minds of the people
might not be biased and that justice
should be meted out even handed to al
concerned, regardless of political diff
ference or party prejudice.
Weregret exceedingly that recen'
developments compel US now, to depar'
in some degree from the course which
we had desired to take. 1t will be re
collected that in addition 10 Mr.. jaime:
Irwin, there are nearly thirty defen
dants in the suit pending, who were
bondsmen of Mr.. Irwin's and who are
made parties to the same. The most
of these men are prominent democrats
in various parts of the County, and ii
is not strange that by positive assertion
they declared at first that no suit had
been instituted, and later, after they
had been convinced thoroughly by a
visit from an officer of the Court that
they were to be held jointly responsible
for the torts of the Treasurer, that the
proceeding was a political trick, insti-
tuted for political capital and was to be
dismissed after the election. 1t is this
attempt upon the part of the victimized
bondsmen, taken up by the fuglemen
of the corrupt and dishonest democrat
ic party managers of this County, to
throw discredit upon the action Of the
Commissioners, to impugn their mo-
tives, and to create public distrust of
their honesty of purpose in carefully
guarding the interests of the tax-pay-
ers, that induces us to publish anything
touching the cause in litigation.
That our readers may know the ex-
act action of the Commissioners on the
deficiency account of Mr.. Irwin, we
present true copy of the entry upon
the Commissioners Journal, which is
as follows:
COMMISSIONERS OFFICE, BEL. GO.
ST. CLAIRsvILLE, July 10th, 1878.
1t is moved that the following entry
be placed upon the journal. The yeas
and nays being called thereon resulted:
Yeas Messrs. Kinney, DUNCAN, Alex
aDder,
In the matter of the account OF James
Irwin, late County Treasurer:
The Commissioners having had under
consideration the account OF James
Irwin. as County Treasurer, beiIeVe
and find. from the examinations Whicn
have been made, that, at the close Oh
the first term of said Irwin as Treasurer,
there was in the Treasury, OF publlc
moneys for County road, and other
purposes, a balance of so, ,4S9 ~ after
allowing the Treasurer full credit for
all money by him paid, and for Which
he was entitled to credit; that OF thls
balance in his hands the said IRWIN mas
accounted for and paid only the sum
of S6.767 81, leaving in his hands at
the time aforesaid the sum OF ssia, "A
45. which he has not paid over, ac-
cording to law; that the books ana ac-
counts Of the Treasurer and Auditor
were not, in this respect, accurately
and faithfully kept, but SAID irwin Wa aaSs
improperly and wrongfuily creul.eu
with sums together making saiu sum ii
of si3, 721 As, actich ,ee''e not al Jacc ac
paid, 6iG sseTe concerted 10 mas o,on ttse.
Its therefore ordered that said ipWln YIN
stand charged with said sum OF Slo, ~
As (errors SO far diseovered), ana ihat
the County Auditor be instructed 70
cause suit to be instituted against salu
Irwin and his sureties for said sum,
with the interest thereon, and tne
penalty according to the Statue. II Is
further ordered that ID. ID. Il. Co"eh,
and st. Clair Kelley be retained as
counsel for County to commence ana
prosecute said suit.
Signed.
JAMES KINNEY, Commis-
b. E. DUNCAN, sl0nerS OF
WM. ALEXANDER, Bel. Co.
Here is the official record. Does any
one ask what the Commissioners based
this order upon? If so we will tell
them; upon thorough and careful
of the accounts in the
Auditors Office, by the Auditor and
his deputy-upon a re-examInatlon,
and scrutinizing, by the
Board of Commissioners aided by the
Engineer of the Pixies. Chalkly Daw-
son, Esq. Upon report ofa commits
sion appointed by Democratic Judge
with majority composed of the pres
ent Democratic candidate for Prose
cutting Attorney, L. M. Riley, and al
Ex-Treasnrer, 1. III. Patter-
son, both astute managers and apostles
of the Democratic party, assisted by al
Republican Prosecuting Attorney, that
there was deficiency of S12,64 S6.
Upon Democratic evidence adduced
before this Committee that there was
wanton, and criminal carelessness in
the transaction of public business
during the Democratic regime. Yea,
upon the Cash Book OF Mr.. James Ir-
win himself, now in the vaults of the
Treasury, which stands out the climax
of convincing proof, the uttima-thule of
testimony more damaging and damn
ing than all other evidence together.
We will not enter into a minute eX-
of the state of this Cash Book
about the time of the annual settle |
ment between Auditor Clark and
Treasurer Irwin, Sept. 1st, 1870.
Suffice it to say that it is double
dated, and shows balance Sept. 1st, of
about $20,335 in safe-a week later
utter the settlement Sept. /, comes
again, and this time balance of S6,S00l
in safe. The Book is defaced very
much, and looks like a sorry case of
mall practice. With this statement we
dismiss the evidence which bore upon
the Commissioners minds in bringing
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