Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-01-21
COUNTY AFFAIRS,

The Pioneer Press Using Henry M. Rice's
Name AS Authority for u Malicious At
tack Upon Chairman Dawson and Audi
tor Davis.
The st. Paul editors of the Minneapolis
paper printed in this city have endeavOred
to involve County Treasurer Rice in more
trouble than he can well afford to back up,
by representing him as fathering or endors-
ing statements put forth in pretentious
article in that pretentious journal yesterday
morning, concerning transact ions connected
with the financial affairs of the Fort Smell
ing bridge commission.
MIR. Rice is represented as saying
that he discovered that fifty one bonds
were filled up, signed and deposited
with Dawson & Co., instead of the fifty
bonds authorized. But, Inconsistency
enough, immediately afterward MIR. Rice is
made to say that he "discovered the extra
bond while still in possession of Mr.. Oliver,
clerk of Auditor Davis. and while he was in
Dawson's bank l secured the extra bond and
cancelled it,
Mr.. Rice is further represented as setting
forth as second irregularity that the bonds
were illegally dated on Sunday, and that
blunder cost the county $184.33.
A third irreguarity, as alleged in the name
of Mr.. Rice, is that, although members of
the commission are forbidden by law to have
any interest in the bridge fund and Mr..
Dawson is q commissioner, yet several bills
have been presented by and allowed to Daw-
son & Co.
MIR. Rice is further made responsible for
an assertion to the effect that Messrs. Daw-
son and Davis officially authorized him
(Rice) to deposit county funds in certain
bank. not named, in excess of Its assessed
capital stock contrary to the law limiting
| county deposits with any bank by its assess
ed capital stock.
Finally, Mr.. Rice is credited with reas-
serting that MIR. Cochran's name does not
appear on the certificate accompanying Daw-
SONS d Coz bill for $18433 and some other
like certificates.
Possibly MIR. Rice may persuade the p. p.
to relieve Tim this morning from RESPONSE
bility for what it yesterday quoted as COM
ing from him. He certainly ought to have
| required it of the p. p. for his own credit.
MAYOR DAWSON
said yesterday in answer to questions from a
GLOBE representative that he would only say
at that time that the facts we're misrepre-
| sented as if to give erroneous conclusions, in
the publication referre1 to, but ne hoped a
proper correction would be made.
AUDITOR DAVIS
said he was surprised at the manner in
| which the matters referred to were grouped
and stated, as if by personal enemy intend
ing to do personal harm. As to one addi-
tional bond being signed, Mr.. Davis stated
that Mr. Dawson first signed the bonds when
he, Davis, was absent, he being
at the time much interested in
the State fair; that he came in
| afterwards, signed the bonds and filled out
| the coupons, and left them with Mr.. Oliver,
| his clerk, with instructions to take them, in
company with Treasurer Rice, to the bank shat
| at the bank Mr.. Oliver counted the bonds
| and withdrew the extra one which MIR. Rice
| marked cancelled and which Mr.. Davis sub
sequently procured and destroyed in MIR.
! Rice's office; and that, on mentioning the
extra bond to MIR. Dawson that gentleman
| explained that he had signed one extra in
| case one should be spoiled in the fine writ
| ing of filing up the small coupons.
The illegal dating of the bonds resulted
from the original order, the county board
| fixing the date used, the error not being
noticed until after the bonds were issued.
| Mr.. Davis did not speak of the third and
| fourth alleged irregularities except to re-
| mark that if these matters were as stated,
Mr.. RICE was certainly IS much responsible
for them as anybody else.
| As to the last of the several statements at
tributed to MIR. Rice-concernipg Mr.. Coch-
rams name and the bill for $184.33 referred
| to-a reporter eff the GLOBE was shown the
original bill, and thereupon, with the
names of the other commissioners, appears
the plain, unmistakable signature of Thomas
Cochran, Jr. 1t was upon this bill that Au-
| ditor Davis issued his warrant.
The alleged errors or irregularities, even
as stated in Mr.. Rice's name, have none of
| them, at worst, resulted in any loss to the
| bridge fund, except the error of date which
made the first bonds void, and required their
being reprinted. The grouping them to-
gether and charging them rpon Messrs. Daw-
| son and Davis is malicious or assuming
according as Mr.. Rice or the Third street
blunderbuss is to be credited with the au-
| thorship-if not both. The Third street af
| fair may have the exc7se of wanting sensa-
ton, and being compelled to manufacture it,
In that case Mr.. Rice may disown RESPONSE :
btlity for it.