Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-11-01
CLERK OF COURT.

Ddcenport's Ans,cer to the Charges of Cor
Tu0tio" Made 5G0iNst Him -Ecathino
Rcjoinder bV I'D. A. Stevens.
| For the last three weeks Ed. J. Davennor.
Republican candidate for clerk of court. has
been publicly branded in these columns az O
defaulter to the city of Minneapolis, and for
| the same length of time similar charges. with
dates and specifications, have been published
from week to week in the Rennepin county
| Mirror. edited by Ed. A. Stevens. Both ma.
pers have announced that Mr. Davenport conld
have all the space he desired for reioinder or
explanation, coupled with the statement
that he dared not reply in either for the rca-
son that the facts were too well known in
Minneapolis. but that he might attempt de-
Tense in the townships on the eve of election
when it was too late to respond. The result
shows thatwe were correct. He has ATTEMPTED no
defence in the city but caused circular to be
distrlbuted in the townships Yesterday head
ed 'Davenport's answer to charges of corrun-
ton made by Ed. A. Stevns." Mr. Stevens
was Oh the lookout and secured one of the first
copies issued, wherefore the following:
MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 81, 1880.
Editor Giobe:-For three weeks past have
asserted from week to week in the Hennepin
county ~ sfror that the city records of Mime
apolis show that when Ed. J. D.vennort
ceased to be clerk of the municipal court. he
was defaulter to the city and remained a de-
faulter until his accounts were overhsuled
by an expert nearly eighteen months after
wards. At the same time / offered to pub
Iish any explanation he dared Rfix his name
to. week ago he assured me that he had
written an answer but was advised by his
friends not to publish it; that he would write
another and send il in at once. He failed
to do go, but now that the last issue of the
MTror previous 10 election has
been published, be has issued q
circular headed 'Davenport's answer" prob.
ably for use in the townships only. Please al-
low me space for reply, and in reply ing, let
me fairly state what he claims as 60 along.
First-He claims that state that he Heuey
paid over to the city the money collected by
him during his last months service. What /
did assert Was thst he never made any report.
as the law requires, aud did not pay any por-
ton OF the money to the treasurer until an ex-
pert examined MS books to find out how much
was missing, sixteen months afterwards. and
that he did not pay it all even then. IL I am
wrong, then the expert and the city council
committee he'd In the official report they
made to the city council in September.
1878, or nearly eighteen months after
be went out OF Office when they certi-
fed that there was from $500 to 81, 900 still
outstanding, which should be paid to his sue
cessor, l.. A. Dunn, who now says he has not
even yet received one cent of the amount. lie
l am wrong then the city records lie, and
City Clerk Matthews, Comptroller Hill and
Treasurer Buxton do not know how to keep
their books.
Second-He declines to deny anything in
person, save and except to deny the charge
that Chez ever converted any money belong.
ing to the city to my (his) own use." never
said he did. ! do not know what he did
with the money, but the official records show
that he kept it until tho expert found where
it was, and then paid over less than one.half
of the balance in his hands as clerk.
Third-He claims to have receipts from the
city treasurer of every cent of money which
became due to the city, Including the fines
and fees collected during the last month" The
last payment made by him Gf Comptroller
Hill knows how to keep his books) during his
term was in March, 1877. he served one
month longer, and can produce no receipt
dated between that time and August, 1875
when the expert was on his tracks.
Fourth-He claims that each and every of my
other charges are malicious lies" Let us see
about 1t. Did lie in saying that the commit
tee reported that they "found the municipal
court had been running very loosely? Did l
lie IL saying they claimed to have "placed |
some five hundred dollars in the city treasury" |
which wouldn't have got there had it not been |