The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-04-22
BUCKLED UP.
DELAWARE'S AUDITOR COMES TO
JUDGMENT

L.
THE EYES OF LITTLE DELAWARE ON Arnrro1
BUCKLEs-HE RAISED ACCOUNTS. ANn NOW
THE COMMISSIONERS ARE RAISING HIM.
Day before yesterday q defalcation of
somewhat huge dimensions was made
public In Muncie, which threw the town
In an excitement that has not as vet sub-
sided in the least. The defaulter is the
retiring auditor of Delaware county. Abram
j. Buckles, and the amount defsulted fonts
up to the popular sum of Sl5OoO. The
history OF the case is in general terms.
as follows: Last summer while Ruckles
was working hard for renominatiop. ION the
republican ticket, of course, as Delaware
county has for years been one of the renub-
lican strongholds,l and in the heat of the
canvas there were rumors ahoas that his
accounts were
NOT JUST As THEY SHOULD BE.
Eshel, the editor of the Muncie News.
took hold of the case. and bv
frequent reference, which were of very
pointed character, 10 the auditors accounts
brought the dispute, to lighting point.
buckles met him on the Strest one dav and
GREW cowhlde on him but was fopcibly
persuaded not 20 use it. Buckles was not
dominated al the convention. and
MS opponent who did get the nomination
NAcSN~os DO<GpSclOn
of the Office. Ethel kept numerically harm
inS on the alleged peculations, until public
sentiment demanded OF the county copmis-
sioners that an investigation should be had.
Accordingly, about six weeks ago MIR.
W2chtel, citizen OF Muncle, and the
bookkeeper OF Baldwin & Co, the pork
packers, were appointed as
A COMMITTEE OF INVESTIGATION.
The Inquiries and examination of the books
was conducted in such quiet manner that
the public were hardly aware OF what was
going on, and was first apprised of
the condition of things when the
committee got through and made their re-
port to the effect that Mr.. Buckles was a de-
fsulter to the tune of $4,000 JJp to this
time Buckles showed q very defiant DISPOSE
ton in regard 10 the charges but when an
preached with the demand that ne shouid
make good the $4,000 he completely wilted.
and ofieredto give up all his possessions. An
inventory of this showed that he owned a
residence, property in which be lived, some
land in California and Kansas, besides some
other minor interests in all making about
$4,000. This was not satisfactory and
Messrs. March 81 Brctberton were employed
by the county TO bring suit, which was done
on Wednesday.
THE NoDUs oPERANDI
of the populations laid principally in rails
ing vouchers. When bill was presented
he would advance the money, and :hen after
raising the voucher present il to the treas
urer. He of course kept his records in ac-
cordance with the vouchers, which was
bard-hearted in him, il caused the
committee considerable inconvenience
IN unearthing the steals. He
bad another manner of stealing from the
honest taxpayer, which was quite a favorite
with him. he resolved himself into num-
erous patriots who served their country
during the last war and signed about thirty
receipts, vouchers and her necessary papers
which procured him the local bounty.
If the majority of republican Office holders
would do the service of as many soldiers as
be signed tor in case war broke out, the
honest taxpayer could remain at home and
attend TO his business while the vast army
did the fighting. One might even say thew
could attend to the Office holders business.
and thereby making the benefit
to the country all the greater.
A number of the raised accounts are on sta
tionery bills and unless he bought them
from the dealer the latter can not help being
mixed in the stealing. OF course ne has
done some Little things IN the way of for
gerry, etc, that would be of interest totwelve
honest men. Whether the matter will
get into their hands or not is
not known. II is understood the stationery
was bought in this city. The stsalings date
ofhce. Buckles,
THE MODEL AUDITOR,
is comparatively young man, and has for
a wife the daughter of one of the
prominent men of Muncie. When
first elected he had many friends. He was
rs said before, young man, and it was
thought strictly honest. He was poor and
seemsd to want to do what was right. He
was not drinking man, out on
Inc contrary, very temperate in all his
habits, which goes TO show that he
was strictly In earnest in his desire TO put
money in his purse. 1t is often the case that
R public man becomes diSsipated
through his position and by his
dissipation gets behind in his ac-
counts, thereby necessitating either
exposure or theft. But Buckles was not
hat Kind of man. He wanted to be rich.
and if the people of Delaware county had
elected him TO another term OF office he
would, in all probability. have reached at
east comparatively high round in the
al -r.FF la. !.