Delta chief., 1885-05-20

OS Monday and Tuesday of this week an
examination was held in the town of Delta,
before the Honorable Board of County Com
missioners, for the purpose of investigating
the complaints made by some of our citizens
in regard to false returns of taxable property
being given in by some of our cattle men and
by the county assessor, George ii. Duke.
Witnesses were summoned, composed of
cattle men and herders, who have been and
are now riding the ranges, whose testimony
canno, be questioned, and which testimony
confirms without doubt that the statements
Of the persons making the complaints are
not without foundation. 1t has for some
been known by the citizens OF Delta county
of the existence of q court house ring, now
having the handling of the affairs of the
county in their hands, and which ring has
ever been foremost in lending helping
shoulder in allowing the county to be de-
frauded and swindled in an unmerciful man
ner. In view of these facts the citizehs are
rising up in honest Indignation, and are de-
mandng that the wrongs be righted. This
first step is only n forerunner of what is to
follow. Although County Attorney Ans
barry, did no, prosecute the case with the vim
ereised and who summoned numbers of i'm.
portant(y) witnessesiY) who claimed to know
absolutely nothing regarding the case, facts
enough were CLEANED from those who did
know to make the case n strong one indeed.
When it was proven by witnesses that the
defendants made statements themselves to
the effect that their herds were largely in ex-
cess of what they or their agents iad given
in on their schedules, they endcavorcd to
cover the matter by the v9y lame assertion
that in was customary among them to exag-
Eerate their herds when speaking of them,
and when Nr. Downing swore TO and pro-
duced a memorandum of statements he had
overheard them make, they gave this excuse
rs the occasion for making this so-called eI.
argcration Of their herds. When County
Assessor Duke was placed on the stand. al.
though he has been Mr. Hotchkiss', one of
the dcfendents. book-keepcr for some two
years past. he claimed TO know absolutely
nothing regarding the affairs OF Mr.. IIotch.
kiss, and did not know whether the enumer-
alton given him by Mr. Hotchkis. wa. erron-
eous or not. But il was proven by eompc-
tent witnesses that his herds were far in ex-
cess Of his enumeration IL was also proven
that a valuable gray stallion that was re-
ported by Mr.. Hotchkiss to have died, was
living. and was on the ranch at the time the
enumeration was made, and of which Mr..
Duke WAS certainly cognizant. II was also
claimed by the defendants that heavy losses
had swept OFF a greater portion of their herds
and tina, there had been no increase in them
since placing them in this county. Now,
would any cattle man keep his stock upon
ranges for four or iye years knowing that
they were continually dying of, and had in
creased but very little since placing them
there? He certainly would not greatly eS-
aggeratc his herds, and cause reports to be
circulated that there were more cattle on the
them with an ever jealous eye.
In taking the stand we have, while We will
say that we do not blame the cattle men for
making the best use they can of some of the
county officials, their creatures, we deem it
our bounden duty to ever be foremost in the
support Of the affairs of the county, and will
ever take stand in its defense. To the
will ever be hand and fist with them in the
suppression of fraud. We fear none, and arc
able to take the consequences, knowing that
the honest. upright and better element of our
citizens will give us their support il called
upon to do SO.