The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-10-31
THAT a11e.Aa1.ss STEAL.
The proseenllon up.e, ~ II. own =.

The Prosecution Upset by lis Own Tes-
timony.
In Angus last, as soon as the com
plant was on record. aud in advance OF |
any other paper, THE NEWS published
the charges against ID. S. Gilmore, l. a.
Taylor and L. A. Wood. county commits
sioners in 1873, alleging that they had
conspired together TO steal $116,431 SO
from the county treasury, viz: $S3,5s5.12
in the sale of the 5000 900 of A. T. & S. F.
stock then owned by the-couniy, $12,OS0
in the purchasing of county bonds and
Sl0,570 in accrued interest-total, 106,-
23S.12, and adding interest $116s431,sS
in all And we demanded that in view
of the seriousness of these charges that
the case be brought 20 trial and either the
accused be proven guilty and justly pun
ished for so enormous fraud, or the ac-
cusers and their hackers be found guilty
and justly held up to public scorn as
malignant slanderers.
Last Saturday we learned that evil
dence taken in Boston by the prosecu-
ton in regard to the matter had beenre-
ceived by the clerk of our county court
for record, and at once asked for and OBJ
tanned copy for publication, and pub
lished the same on Monday. That day
the evidence taken in New York was
received for record, and we at once pro
cured a copy Of that for publication.
This we published on Wednesday. To
day in an extra for the WEEKLY NEWS we
give the entire testimony, verbatim, and
1t is all the evidence so far on record in
regard to the case. Our readers have
therefore been kept as well informed in
regard to the case as was possible, and in
this as in other public matters The
NEWS has been a newspaper. Last win
ter we published the official report of the
chairman of the board of commission
ers in regard TO the sale of the stock, and
the purchase of the bonds, and have
therefore given all the official informa-
ton or evidence there is on the subject
1t seems TO US that this evidence taken
by the prosecution upsets their case. 1t
shows there was no profit in the transac-
ton to cause "ring" On the other
hand, we are reliably informed that two
of the leading parties who are backing
the prosecution went before the same old
county commissioners and urged the
board to sell them the 100000 of county
railroad stock mt 80 cents on the dollar
and take county bonds at par in pay
ment Had the board given way to their
urging, they would have made 100000
out of the operation. Here was glori
Gus chance to form Il ring" had the
commissioners been willing. Yet it is
such parties who persuade unwilling
tools to bring this suit. And the opposi-
ton ask that the present Republican can
didates, none of whom are charged with
having had the remotest connection with
the railroad stock and bond question be all
defeated because of these charges against
Messrs. Gilmore, Taylor and Wood, two
of whom are out of Office, neither ofwhom
is candidate, and all of whom, when
elected commissioners, ran as indepeud-
ent and not as Republican candidates.
Were they guilty, the Republican party,
or present Republican candidates, could
not be held responsible; and being inno-
cent, how can any sane man ask that the
suit be considered a reason for defeating
the Republican ticket:
What will the prosecution now do with
their case! Their own testimony entire
ly disprovcs the nam charge of fraud in
the case of the stock, and of the item al
so of accrued interest, and TO the extent
that ii bears on the matter, disposes OF
the charge of fraud in the purchase of
the bonds. The evidence fails to state
the cost to or the names of the parties
who furnished them, of 81 of the 151
bonds bought up and Cancelled by the
commissioners, and until the cost of
these 81 bonds is known, no man can say
| from the evidence whether or not the ag-
gregate amount paid by the commission
ers for the Isl bonds they bought was
greater, less the usual commits
sion, than the amount that they cost
tho parties who furnished them to the
county. The county got them at a con-
fessedly low price, and the evidence ut
terly fails to show that any of the com
missioners had any knowledge or sus-
piciOn that the parties from whom they
bought made any undue profit, If there
was any more than a fair commission
made The entire failure to prove any
of the alleged $50, 5sS.12 fraud, and of the
alleged $10,570 fraud, and the small part
of the alleged $12,0SO fraud that the evi
dence leaves undisproved, forces every
candid mind to the conclusion that when
the evidence is all in, and both sides
heard from, there VIII not be dollar
not properly accounted for. The failure
therefore, of the prosecution even on it,
own evidence, to prove its enormous
charges, shows simply how false, malici
Gus and unfounded they are.
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