The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1878-08-01
The Prosecuting Attorney Explains.

The Prosecuting Attorney Explains
To the Editor of the Standard
In the Jackson Herald of date Of April
11th, 1878, find the following:
can examing committee, appointed by the
soner's Report, made out by the Auditor and
published last fall, a member of which COM
mittee was the Prosecuting Attorney, reported
that the Auditor had received $l,469 80 illegal
fees" etc.
The committee never made any such
report, and the editor Of the Herald must
have known it was false when he so pub
lished, for in the Herald of date of Dec
Goth, 1877, find the following, as a part
of the report of the committee:
"The committee further finds that the only
legal fees to which the Auditor is entitled are
and that the fees allowed the Auditor by the
Commissioners are in excess of the amount he
should receive under said act, and that a part
of said excess is without any authority of law,
and that the balance of said excess has been
ton of said Act which the committee believes
to be erroneous"
This is all that is said in the report of
the committee about the illegal fees of
the Auditor.
The committee reported no certain
amount, and Mr. Gould knew it,
Mr.. Patterson said all the time that he
was willing and would pay back what
ever amount he had overdrawn. No
man could do more.
The Commissioners, as part of their
official duties, have to allow the Auditor
his fees and make it matter of record,
and desiring to know exactly if possible,
how much had been allowed the Auditor
as fees and overdrawn by him, they en-
ployed John L. Moore, Esq, as their at
70 10 thn 101o
and Mr.. Moore did examine all the stat
utes in relation to the subject, and made
an elaborate report to the Commission
ers, which is on file in the Auditor S
Office, and which report showed that the
Auditor had been allowed and had over
drawn as fees the sum of 1916 05. The
Commissioners thereupon made, among
other things, the following entry on their
Journal, towit:
"That the said Auditor be ordered to pay
into the Treasury of the county the sum of
said, taking the TreasureI's receipt therefor,
which receipt he is hereby required to enter in
full upon the Journal of the Commissioners,
and we find said Auditor has returned and
paid into said Treasury and obtained receipt
therefor, said sum of 1916 05.''
The above is entered and can be seen
on pages 292 and 293 of the Commits
sioners' Journal, and on page 293 can be
seen tne treasurer receipt IOf salu sum
of 1916 05.
of this matter, as they had right to do,
and made thorough investigation
The result of that investigation IS given
above.
They told me not to bring suit against
Patterson, as they believed he had paid
back all he had overdrawn. had 20
authority to bring suit, and if 1 had it
was not necessary, as Mr.. Patterson al
ways said he would pay back whatever
was due the county.
I had nothing to do with the matter of
employing Mr.. Moore, Mr. Gould to the
contrary Notwithstanding. The Com
missioners had right to employ whom
they pleased, and they exercised that
right by employing Mr.. Moore. l was
not consulted in regard to the matter.
Mr.. Gould did not, as l am informed,
even published the report of Mr. Moore
correctly, and if he has discovered the
mistakes, he has not had the fairness to
correct them and thus do justice to Mr.
Moore, the Commissioners, Mr.. Patter-
1t is also reported by some that l have
gone beyond the bounds of my duty as
Prosecuting Attorney in certain matters
before the grand Jury. Every grand
juror, as well as myself, is sworn to dis
close nothing as to the counsel of the
State, or of his fellow, Jurors, unless called
on in a court Of justice, and not even in
court can juror disclose any thing in re
gard to how any member voted on any
question: or what opinion was expressed
by any juror in relation to such question
And if any juror has done either OF
these things he has forgotten the bind
ing obligation Of his oath, and has vio
lated the same, and whatever rumors
have been circulated in regard to the
acts of the grand jurors or myself before
the grand jury, is certainly the work OF
some designing person who knows no
thing about the facts, and not the work
of any juror. | deny that | have at any
time exceeded the line of my duty be
fore any grand jury, and further thar
this, my oath will not permit me to say
l ara perfectly willing that all my officia
acts shall have the closest scrutiny, and
be probed to the bottom. From such an
investigation | fear nothing.
also say without fear of successful
contradiction, that | have prosecuted nt
one through malice, hatred or ill-will, no
have l failed to prosecute any on
through fear, favor, or affection, or fo
any reward, or hope thereof, and l defy
any one to prove to the contrary.
do not believe in newspaper contro
versies as rule, but so many false state
ments have been made in regard t.
these matters, that deemed it due, no
only to myself, but also to the people
that the facts should be known,
thought that all should know just wha
had been done in regard to the illega
fees, and that in the charge of white
washing there was no truth.
And now, if Mr.. Gould honestly dt
sires the people to know the facts, a
little as he can do is to publish this art
Gle. G. A. ATKINSON.