The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1873-12-25

would not only involve him deeper, bu'
cause further and very undesirable entang.
lement of the difficulty. We make this State.
ment On the authority of the person who
talked directly With Mr.. Smith and but
put it in Just here in order that it may be
compared with other statements of Mr..
Smith which will appear further in
sEssIoN OF THE Comfy BOARD
The gathering Of this perplexed body Wa
the event of the day and the ngna for
trouble to commence. Rumors had been
circulated during the forenoon that the
Board were disposed to depart from the
strict path of duty and make . compromise
with the dishonest Treasurer or his bonds
men. These rumon (happily inbound
ed had the effect of drawing to-
gether q crowd which packed the room
where the Board were to meet until mot .
foot of space was left for the hundreds Of
curious who stood upon the stairs and "eter-
nally damned their luck" and the contracted
quarters of the rooms above. But those
within the room were not as fortunate or
even a. comfortable a. those without.
So crowded was the apartments that even
the counter and desks were used for standing
room, and close upon the railing the crowd
surged like an angry sea. A perfect lawn of
barefooted heads was exposed to view when
the impatient rap Of the chairman's gavel
called the members to order, and the look
Of agony which fitted in beautiful profusion
over dozens Of faces as some grangers boot
pressed down on tender, trembling ''corns"
made up picture which was interesting to
contemplate. But We are departing from .
strict transcribe of the proceedings. To re-
turn. When the members of the Board had
taken Their places they seemed
AT Loss WHAT TO DO.
No business was before them and after an
interval of supreme silence the chairman
called upon any citizen present to
make suggestions to the Board
or ask any reasonable questions, in
relation to the present condition of affairs.
1t being generally understood that Col. Cof-
fin has called upon Mr.. Smith during the
forenoon for the purpose of consultation he
was requested to make statement of what
he knew. He did 90 in very few words.
The substance of his remarks was but.a reit.
Grafton of the statemant Of the counsel for
the bondsmen made the day before. That
is that Mr.. Smith absolutely suffered to ten
der his resignation to the Board unless his
bondsmen 90 dictated. That the docu-
ment was in their hands and that they could
see with it as they saw fit to further their
own interests. Col. Coffin further stated that
Mr.. Smith was unable or unwilling to make
any statement "a to what he had done with
the money known to be missing.
This intimates that the bondsmen of
Smith were evidently leag ued with him in
an attempt to cover up or conceal certain
information which it was evidently in their
power to give wrought up the people present
to
THE HIGHEST PITCH OF EXCITEMENT
and evaporation. At least dozen speakers
claimed the floor at the same time, and
pitched into the County Board for not in
stantly removing Smith and appointing an
honest man in his place. To have an &C
knowledged defaulter or his bondsmen hold
the Office yver their heads for the next two
years or until he should be removed by the
courts was more than their sense of Justice
or right could bear.
If they couldn't preve it these bondsmen
should never gain the ''tide swing'' of power
and rule them with the hand of oppression.
They did not relish the idea of having the
Board dictated to by a clique of moneyed
men. Loud, fierce and vehement grew the
clamor. Several excited individuals crowded
their way up to the table where the members
we're sitting and, with wild gesticulations and
incoherent words, demanded that Smith
BE MADE To TELL
where the peoples money was. In vain the
chairman pounded with his gavel and strug-
gled with vain endeavor to allay the rapidly
increasing excitement. 1t was not to lie
thwarted or put aside. The thermometer of
the taxpayers indignation had reached fever
heat. Nothing would pacify them but full,
complete and satisfactory explanation from
Smith and his bondsmen. County-Attorney
Goddard made statement that be had insti-
tuted both civil and criminal proceedings
against the deiaulter, but this did not have
the least effect. The Commissioners assured
the people that they would not appoint one
Of the bondsmen, or any one in sympathy
with them, to the Office in case it was de-
clared vacant. Judge Sherry appeared for
Messrs. Insley & Mckay, two of the bonds
men, and st1ted that they did not ask any
concessions at the hands of the Board.
But Notwithstanding all these e1plana-
tions, the
SHOUTS OF DERIsIoN AND IMPAIIENCE
still continued. Loud calls for Smith to be
brought before.:the Board were heard from
all parts of the room. In the midst of the
excitement Owen Duffy came forward with
documents purporting to show the. irresponsi- |
bility:of the bondsmen. The reading of these |
papers. was objected to by members ::of the |
Board on the grounds that they would in no
wise expedite the settlement of Affairs. The |
irrepressible Ummethum wildly shrieked for |
justice. Confusion reigned supreme. The
chairman threatened to adjourn the meeting.
Several crazy individuals advocated taking |
the law into their own hands and forcing the |
obstinate Treasurer to tell what he knew. Col.
Moonlight made . proposition to go after
Smith with..a carriage and bring him down
10 face the people. Other: speeches were
made of the same character, and for time
it looked as though the life Of the defaulter
was in danger. Finally the cooler heads in
the tumultuous throng managed to bring
about . certain degree of order, and the
County Attorney managed to read . resolu-
ton requiring Smith to give an additional
bond of 500, 900. But - this proposition
did not have even the appearance Of practic-
ability it did not meet with an iota of favor.
A movement was 1t made to raise . .orce
and 60 after the offending Smith. This met
with decided oppositisn from the Board and
they declared their intention Of adjourning
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