The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1874-12-11
NEBRASKA s.snREwDNEss. /"
How Certain Rascals Have Been Issuing
County Bonds.

OOMMty bOAAua
The Lincoln {Neb.) Spy writes up
what it asserts to be discovery of
grand frauds in the matter Of organ
izing counties in that State. The
circumstances, according to the Spy,
are these: A number of men in Ne
braska formed company for the
purpose of organizing new counties.
They were merchants, bankers, men
in various reputable walks, and os-
tensibly honest enough. They en-
ployed several other and less upright
parties to do for them that portion OF
the business too turgid for their
liking and set to work. Says the
Spy:
"They would find a county that
was not organized, when they would
get together and get up q petition,
signing the required number Of
names Fictitious, of course), and file
the same at the Governors Office,
asking that certain persons therein
named be appointed judges and
clerks of election. The Governor
issues the proclamation calling an
election for certain day; the COM
pany take possession Of this, and
have their election on the day named !;
elect their county officers from among
their own number, and send into the
Secretary Of State their returns with
false names attached, receive their
papers and 60 to work issuing gen
eral fund, jail, school, bridge, and
other bonds Of the county, which,
being duly signed, some smart man
is sent East to sell The same. Hun
dreds Of thousands Of dollars of
these bonds are to-day in the Eastern
market and held by Eastern capital
lists, and are not worth the paper
they are written on" h4 .u.a.N
Holt county is instanced. At the
time this county was organized" it
had, according to the Spy, but thir-
teen inhabitants, aud none Of these
ever heard Of an election being held
there, aside from what has been told
them by parties not resident then.
The petition for the organization of
the county was filed at the Governors
office in April, 1873, signed by forty
three persons. On the Oath day of
April the Governor issued his proc
lamation that an election would take
place for county officers on the 17th
day of May, 1878, which election
took place, according to the papers
on file in the Secretary of States
office. The judges and clerks of
election certified to the returns.
Speaking Of these gentlemen, the
account goes on to say;
"By inquiry we find that no such
men ever lived in the county, and
were never heard of there; but we do
find that party Of prominent men,
residents Of Lincoln, Omaha, and
other towns, did organize Holt coun-
ty. They got together, went part of
the way by railroad, and then took
teams, and drove into Holt county,
just across the linej and held their
election, and undoubtedly drove out,
staying over night south Of the coun-
ty line. They at once proceeded to
the work of issuing county bonds on
the different funds. 1t is claimed
that over 100000 Of these bonds
were issued. These bonds were
signed by some Of the party, under
fictitious names, and certain lawyers
and other parties went East and dis
posed of them. Twenty-Five thou
sand dollars worth Of them were
placed in Boston, and other sums
were placed in Chicago, New York,
Buffalo, Philadelphia, Cincinnati,
and other cities. and large amounts
of money realized upon them. Some
of the holders have discovered that
their bonds are forged and fraudu-
lent, and are sending them back to
lawyers here, with Instructions to
make it hot for the parties engaged
in the work" .D'