The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-10-21
DURING the pendency of the pros

ecutions-or rather persecution-of
the Poor Directors and County Au-
ditors, we deemed it neither decent
nor right to discuss the question or
attempt to create public sentiment
among citizens of the county, from
whom the jurors to pass upon the
cases were to be selected. Now that
the cases have been passed upon by
the proper judicial tribunal, it is
due the fair fame of the county, the
good name of the parties prosecuted,
and the requirements of common
honesty and fairness that the truth,
together with the results following,
should be laid before the citizen tax
payers of the county.
For year or two the Meyersdale
Commercial has been venomously
pursuing the Directors of the Poor,
and labpring to impair public con-
fidence in the honesty of their Off
cial conduct. Some months since
it procured a petition to be present.
ed to the Court praying the appoint
ment of committee of investiga-
ton. The prayer of the petitioner
Is. P. Snyder was granted, and a
committee appointed, who made an
exhaustive and laborious investiga-
tion, and filed a report that was pub
lished in all the papers of the coun-
ty. On its face, this report set forth
that about $1,000 had within the
last four years been improperly ex.
pended, or not accounted for. I'm
mediately the Commercial launched
forth charges of corruption, embez-
element and theft against the Di-
rectors, and by its clamor not only
got the impression abroad through
out the State that they were thieves,
but labored to create that impression
on the minds of the citizens of the
county. Nay, it went further, and in
sinuated that the other journals of
the county we're Standing in" with
the wrong-doers, because they would
not join in the crusade against men
who, for integrity, and morality and
every manly virtue, stand a head
and shoulders higher in the COM
muuity than does the editor of the
Commercial.
But this was not sufficient to glut
the simulated zeal of this self-con-
stituted custodian of the honor as
we'll as the funds of the county, and
in hot haste he employed COUNSEL
and despite the remonstrance of one
or more of the investigating commit
tee, who assured him they we're sat-
isfied that the Directors were entire
ly honest, but mistaken in their con-
struction of the law-caused fifteen
criminal prosecutions to be brought
against the Directors and two against
the County Auditors, and still threat
en- to institute further proceedings.
The cases came on for trial at the
last term of court. Five against the
Directors for taking illegal fees were
tried, and in each of them the juries
rendered verdicts of mot guilty."
Two others against Directors An
keny and Ko rms for being concerned
in public contracts were also tried,
and verdicts of "not guilty" were
also rendered by the juries. Under
directions of the Court. and with
consent of counsel, verdicts of mol
guilty" were entered without the for
mality Of jury trials: as to the re-
manning eight cases against the Di-
rectors, and the two cases against
the Auditors, were summarily
kicked out of Court at the cost of the
county, no criminal offense being
alleged in the bill of Indictment.
Thus ended the great criminal cases
which were to put money into the
Golfers of the Commercial through
the medium of a subscription large
ly swollen by grateful taxpayers
whom it had saved from being rob-
bed, and over which that paper has
kept up . deafening rub-a-dub-dub
for several months past.
Now, let the taxpayers look at the
other side of the Question, and see
what the action of this MALIGNANT