The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1877-06-29
CITY AFFAIRS.
AUDTToRIAL INVESTIGATION.

j chairman; Representatives Leeds aud Aldige.
and quito number Of Witnesses In fact oil but
one OF those summoned.
Senator Steven called the committee TO order
and requested all the Witnesses present but one
to take seats In the hall.
oHAs. CLINTON CALLED,
and testified as to the division Of warrants dur
ing his administration, particularly those pertain
ing TO licenses In the case OK the First District Of
this city, and that IL was done after pledge by
himself and others to members OF the Legisla-
ture that their mileage and per diem for the ses-
sion should be paid.
To Mr.. Aldige--No oath was necessary from
the tax collectors In such settlements, as they
were advances really upon the orders. II was
really an effort to get money into the treasury for
tho members OF the Legislature who were really
the worst enemies that the State had. 1 fought
hard to keep the appropriation down when
some OF the prominent members seemed
to press the matter. The tax
collector was not compelled to make o sworn
statement In settlements made In cash. but he
was compelled to make statement when he
paid into the treasury any warrants. In this case
the collectors paid into the treasury only money.
The members Of the Legislature would stay In
my flee day after day importuniDg me for money.
AT this junoture Mr. Clinton was served with
an attachment for his presence ~ q witness In
cHAs GOODWIN SWORN.
MIR. Hholis Ia my son-in.aw; he went into the
Auditors office under Mr.. Clinton. Have not
seen him since April; he is now In Vienna; ex.
pect nc will return during next month: / have
letter from him dated May IL. which will read.
Ths witness then read the letter. in which Mr.
Sholtz discaimed all knowledge OF books, ctc.,
and stated that he would have made the trip
even though Mr.. johnson had remained as tho
Auditor.
JNo. O. BACH, CALLED.
Kasw Mr.. Shollz. Hc was in the Au litor's
offise up to the time that Capt. Jumel took pos
session Of the Office, Saw MIR. sholtz last in
Have heard II stated that he worid be here on
the fifteenth Of next month and would give oil
the Information the committee desired from him.
L. A. HARRANG CALLED.
Was clerk for A. X. johnson, tax collector of
Jefferson parish, from October 2, 1874, until
bank collections. Mr.. Glaudin had charge of the
left bank collections. Don't know that he
settled In full. Made money settlements
with him, sometimes daily. as bis chief
clerk. Mr. Walsh, the one who kept the distil-
lery on the other side, was one Of his bondsmen.
D. not know the other bondsmen. Do not know
whether his bond was Cancelled or not. was ap-
pointed collector on the 2Sth OF March, 1876, by
MT. Kellogg. Have AL OF the records for the
!, 80 collector, have the books, from which
can make balance. When my successor osme,
l kept my own books, advising him TO commence
anew. The old books and record rolls. eto. are
80 dilnpidated and destroyed that nothing can be
made from them They must have been torn
when Mr.. Monthieu had them. Will turn tho
old books over to the committee.
p. o. FAzENDE CALLED.
The witness presented statement relative to |
The purchase and sale of bonds and warrants for |
Fl. q: Dibble Chat mentioned some days ago in |
tha ny vi bnu,n a. tno
sale OF the Mobile Railroad bonds was made /
upon the order Of Mrs. Dbble.
1t was then slated that perhaps some OF the wit
nesses might testify in executive session, when |
the committee went into executive session, and |
called Mr.. Rothenblder as the FIRST witness.
Mr.. Rothenbelder testified 10 substance that he |
was in the Au ,itors office from December l6. |
OF by the militia, and that business |
was transacted up TO that day. He could not an |
swer as TO the other departments, but only as to
his own. In and during 1877 various persons |
received warrants made out for 1876, but none |
were ante-dated, and none were issued in 1877 /
and dated 1876. II was customary for the Auditor
at the end of every year to commence business in /
n new set Of books. The last time he used the |
appropriation book OF 1870 was during the first |
Had nothing to do with the
CONSOLIDATED BOND BOOK,
and never heard any conversation In the office
relative to the abstraction OF books or papers;
heard only through public reports that the
records were missing. Think he met Mr.. o OBrien
on the day after the office was surrendered; he
did not say then that they might hammer away at
The vault until they were tired, nor did he say
then that he had the keys He said nothing then
about the books and papers being abstracted:
Had no conversation with Mr.. johnson about
rants being issued when there was no appropria.
lion, nor against an exhausted appropriation,
and every warrant that passed through the Office
was countersigned by him. Had no personal
knowledge OF the legal status OF
THE PRINTING CLAIMS
audited by Mr.. johnson, save what was said in
the papers; believe they were legal claims and
upon vouchers regularly certified to, and that
the ola ms or matter was regularly measured by
the State Prin or, and certified t.. They sent
samples OF the printing along with the claim.
The next witness called. and examined with
closed doors, was
MALONE wHEELEss,
who testified in substance that he was studying
law In Judge Dibble's office. though was never
officially his private secretary. Being short
hand writer he did most OF the correspondence,
and living near MIR. Dbble, he would IN the even.
Ing dictate to him (the witness) letters which he
would write out the next morning aud mail. He
Dibble with the Auditor, sheriff, Treasurer or I
tax collectors. Never handled any Of the money
in the office, except to get his salary at the end
OF the month, and even then did not handle all
Of that.
The doors were then opened. aud MIR. Clinton,
who had returned from the court again took the
stand.
Mr.. Aldige questioned him as to the issue of
orders in March for s1l ,s62, which were changed
ln December, the orders being paid first in war
rants |
The wtness-I don't know how the tax collec-
tor could make such sworn statement as that
There may have been an exec ption, bv which,
under the law, the warrants could have been re-
ceived for taxes. In such cases the collector
must, in paying into the treasury such warrants,
make the sworn statement as required by law.
In making statement to him, the Auditor re-
aures no sworn statement. II In this case the
were paid in, the Treasurer would know
of 1t and would not The licenss aud four mill
TAX went to the same fund. II q tax collector
presented such warrants and swore to them in
paving them into the treasury, he perjured him
self u ne made such statement and had not re-
,eived them for licenses and taxes.
(The expert was directed to obtain from the
Treasurer's Office the warrs pto ooao;Gadl | 4