Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-04-15
SPURRIER NOT ON HAND.
CONFINED TO HIS HOUSE By ILLNESS

CONFINED TO HIS HOUSE By ILLNESS.
The Jury Commissioners aud Alderman
Patrick DonnelIy Investigated BY the
County Auditors Yesterday.
The county auditors had set their hearts
yesterday on an investigation of Alder
man Spurrier, relative to his bills for dis
missed cases, which during tho past year
numbered hundreds, and the cost of them
to the county footed up thousands of dol
lars. Alderman Spurrier being i'll the in
vestigation could not 60 on, and the au-
ditors to economize time sent for the jury
commissioners and Alderman Patrick
Donnelly of the Eighth ward.
The jury commissioners, John I. Hart
man and A. z. Ringwalt, were first inter.
viewed.
The amount paid by the county to these
gentlemen during the past year, for max
ing out lists of jurors with which to fill
the jury wheel, and for drawing the same
from time to time, was 4S55-or a427. 80
for each of them. The number of names
selected and placed in the wheel is about
1,500-say 500 by each jury commissioner,
and 500 by Judge Livingston. The judge
receives no pay for assisting in filling tho
jury wheel or in drawing the juries.
but the jury commissioners charge
$3.50 per day each, for III days for their
services that is, they charge three days
pay for each of the 81 districts into which
the county is sub-divided. The average
number of jurors allotted to each district
is between 26 and q. As these are ap-
pOrtiOned equally between the commits
sioners and the judge, each has the selec-
tion on an average of little less than 8
say each per day, if III days are re
quired to do the work.
The auditors, after having sworn the
jury commissioners, asked them whether
their bills were not little exorbitant, and
both of them answered that they thought
not.
MIR. Reed said he thought go days would
be quite enough time in which to do all
the work enjoined upon the commission
erS.
Mr.. Hartman replied that the work
might be done for $500, but not in the
careful way in which it was done by the
present commissioners. For his own part
he would not accept the position at the
compensation paid.
Mr.. Greider read statement showing
that the Pittsburgh commissioners get but
$3.50 for selecting $500 names, while Lam
caster pays 1856 for 800 names. Dau-
phin pays its board of commissioners only
$174 for their work. Berks and Mont
gomery pay each commissioner $1O0 and
Bucks. each commissioner cts. York pays
$2.2O per day and mileage. He asked Mr..
Ringwals whether 600 would not be a
fair compensation for the work done by
the Lancaster commissioners
Mr.. .RiDgwalt answered that it would not !;
that $427. so was not too much.
The auditors looked up the record of
payments in former years, from which it
appeared that the commissioners in 1872
received $255, and $2S3SO, respectively.
In 1873, $247; in 1874, 1875 and 1877,
$3.50 each, and since 1877, $427.50 each
per annum, the same as the present COM
missioners received.
Auditor Reed couldn't for the life of
him see how it was possible for Judge
Livingston to hold so many courts of quar-
ter sessions, and common pleas, and or
phans' courts, and habeas corpuses and
other matters of judicial character, and
yet find time to devote III days in assist
ing the jury commissioners to make out
the jury lists and draw the jurors. Either
the jury commissioners must be very slow
or the judge ono Of the most remarkable
workers in the county.
Examination OF Alderman DonnelIy.
Alderman Patrick Donnelly of the
Eighth ward was next called and sworn.
He was asked the same five questions that
were propounded to Alderman Samson a
few days ago and published in the INTEL
LIGENCER relative to taking illegal fees and
cases, and he answered them
all negatively.
Mr.. Greider informed the alderman that
he noticed in his bills several cases in
which lie had not charged for hearing
and an oath, and asked whether there had
been hearings in these cases.
Examine the docket" said the alder
man cit speaks for itself; if there were
had and no charges made for
them in my bills, the loss is niue, not tho
The docket was examined and it appear
ed that quite number of cases had been
because the prosecutor had
failed to appear.
Q.-How long does it usually take the
county solicitor to examine your bills ?
it takes him good while.
He is a competent and careful man, and /
believe wanted to see that everything was
right.
Q.-But he never struck any items from
your bills, did he ?A.-Yes, he has cut out
items from my bills and from the ccnsta-
bles too, in cases of drunkness and disor-
derly conduct.
Q.-How does it come that you hear
and dismiss SO many cases? Alt often
happens that complaints are made under
that tho complainants after
wards regret it and refuse to prosecute.
Q.-Would it not be we'll to tell CON-
plainants that unless they sustain their
they will be held for the costs
A.-There is no law permitting such
course.
OIL see here that David Cooper makes
Two complaints on the same day against
Elizabeth Tompson. Would not one com.
plaint and one warrant have answered for
both cases A.-That is for me to say
have right to make two cases where
here are two complaints if deem it ad-
visable.
Q.-How many cases did you return to
,ourt in the year 1881? A.-Not many
;he grand jury generally ignores the bills
anyhow. They ignored the bill returned
against McMellen.
Mr.. Greider-1t appears that you heard |
'26 cases, and that your fees for them paid |
,y the county were $916.1 The consta- |
oles' cases number 318, of which 307 were |
at cost to the county of $601,-
10. Of all these cases only 10 were thought |
% be important enough to send to court. |
Alderman Donnelly answered that it
vas astonishing how many cases from all
orts of people, many Of them from the
country, were brought before him, of
which he would know nothing until they