Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-05-10


agement of the office, and found nothing
to condemn. In the course Of three or
four days they finished their work, and
asked to be discharged, but they were in
structed by Page that Mr.. Ingmundson
had been guilty Of malfeasance, and that
was their duty to indict him. The jury
retired for further considera-
ton, and soon presented themselves again
to be discharged, but their request was
refused, and they were thereafter refused
repeatedly, but after holding
them several days, and finding that he
could not force them 10 do his bidding,
he gave them an abusive lecture and dis
charged them; at the same time instruct
ing the County Attorney to prepare a
complaint against Mr.. 1ngmundson, to
cmbody in it certain statemcnts,-to
swear to their t%ruthfulness, and file the
same with the Clerk Of the court. The
County Attorney made a statement and
upon that, S. Page ordered the arrest of
Mr.. Ingmundson, brought that officer in-
to his wi august presence and put him
under bonds for his appearance in case a
grand jury can be found to indict him.
The County Attorney in obedience t" the
order Of s. Page, made some kind of II
statement which, in law, Is known rs a
complaint" but which, we arc informed,
states no sufficient cause of action, what
ever. The same facts contained in the
County Attorneys affidavit, were presented
time after time to the grand jury, and by
them disregarded AS wholly unworthy OF
notice. The following We believe to be 4
truthful and complete narrative of the
transaction, for which S. Page has put
Mr.. Ingmunuson under bonds: The
former Treasurer Of the town Of Clayton
came to Mr.. Ingmudson for funds be-
longing to his town, sufficient to pay to
Que u. 3. Coleman, a town order for $114.
80, and Mr.. Ingmundson let him have
that amount and took the order and held
it as = voucher against the town. Sub.
s%coucntly it became known that the
Treasurer of Clayton, was 4 dclaulter,-
that he had drawn from the County Treas.
urcr and used..as his own, a large amount
Of money, and in settling with him the
supervisors found that he had not credited
himself with the S114.52 used in payment
Of the town order given to Coleman, al.
though the Indebtedness OF the town had
been discharged to that extent. The town
board therefore credited the dcfaultcr
with s114.52, and sought to collect that
sum a second time from the County Treas
urer, claiming that the last named officer
had no authority. to pay to town TIeasurcrs
any apportionment, except at the regular
time for settlement, and then only upon
the Auditors warrant. Or, TO put the CASE
IN a different form, it is the same as
though the County Treasurer had, from
time TO time whenever requested to do so,
let the several town Treasurcrs have ad.
vanccs upon their respective town appor-
tionmcnts, and as vouchers for such pay
ments, taken the outstanding orGcrs of
the several towns, which, upon final set
Element, would be turned over as cash,
with any balance remaining unpaid. This
practice has been generally adopted
throughout the State, and is regarded as
legal, and it is certainly a great
accommodation TO the respective towns.
Such action of the Treasurer cannot be
it being optional with himself
whether he will advance money or not
but It is done Tor the reason that the towns
often need some part Of their money be-
fore the whole IS collected, and the Treas
feels it his duty to turn it over to
them whenever they call for il, if he has
any belonging to them. 1t should be
borne in mind that this entire transaction
between Mr.. 1ngmundson and the Treas
urer Of Clayton occurred six months be-
fore there was any suspicion that the lat.
ter was a defaulter and that It was for the
sole purpose Of accommodating the town
MI. Ingmundson advanced the money.
1t should also be stated definitely that the
order for $114.52 was not paid twice by
MI. Ingmundson, nor was it held as Sc
curity by him for any purpose, nor did
he buy it, or own it, or in any manner be-
interested in il, except TO hold il as
a voucher for so much of the towns
money as he had paid to the Treasurer.
1t is supposed that Guam, the defaulting
town Treasurer, had used town money for
purposes, which money he should
have applied in payment Of the order to
Coleman, but having embezzlcd it, he
went to Mr.. 1%ngmundson and exchanged
the towns order for the towns money,
but he did not credit himself with the
amount so received, for. the reason that
he had nothing to show that he had paid
order, which should be his voucher,
being with Mr.. 1rgmundson to be turned
to the town in lieu of so much money;
when Qualn's successor came to MIR. Ing.
mundson for the face of the order, lie did
not get it but got the order instead. The.
officers Of the towi of Clayton,-fnding
hat Guam was a defaulter and his bond
irresponsible, sought, by a shrcwd trick,
o ave the sum Of $11450, by getting it
out Of Mr.. Ingmundson. The plan was
=. .aaT ~ -
his, viz: To credit Guam with the
of the Coleman order, which the
County Treasurer had paid, and thus re.
luce the amount due from Guam. This
hey had no legal Q moral right to do,
md when he was called upon for the
money, Mr.. 1ngmundson very properly
presented the order instead, and refused,
be aecced ~ them. Tie towns Of Clay
no! doubt lost &tl4,5a and.much more
}tt II issJf: