The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1885-11-11
ONCE MORE THAT REPORT.

Those who were so positive in their
expressions and whispered dire hints of
public execration, and finally 80 loud in
their foundations of the county offici-
ais alleged to be guilty of criminal
negligence, etc, have retired-to use an
expressive saying-into their holes and
pulled the hole in after them. Instead
of throwing cloud of suspicion over the
alleged offenders they have caused their
acts to be thoroughly investigated with
a result far different from that sanguin-
ETY. expected by those who cheerfully
anticipated the complete humiliation of
Messrs Sloan, Blakely and McKenzie's
reputation. The experts report and
that of the grand jury has been a
boomerang" instead of political boom,
If such it was intended to be.
We have been privileged to look over
Mr.. Blakely's books and find that in the
majority of his accounts with the county
that that gentleman has not charged as
much as the law allowed In one inst
ance nineteen miles of travel is uncol-
IecteG at this date. Another instance
where Expert Wylie asserted that Mr..
Blakely committed grievous crime,
was in the charge of 81 for sending a
man from Bozeman depot "for money"
as Mr.. Wylie is pleased to put it. Ha1
Mr.. Wylie inquired into this case, which
was fully and comprehensively explain
ed To the commissioners at the time. he
would have been saved the display
of a portion of the humiliating ignorance
with which he seemed to be DER shad-
owed, and learned that the charge of 81
against the county was made in the case
where an insane man was found to have
money at different places to the amount
Of $3.50, which Mr.. Blakely collected
through the man he sent from the depot,
while he himself guarded the prisoner,
and that the amount was turned over to
the treasurer, Mr.. Blakely possessing at
this time the treasurer's receipt.
In concluding his report on Mr.. Blake
ly the expert adds that in every inst
ance where he was in doubt as to the
legality of charges and was unable to in
form himself. ne gave Mr.. Blakely the
benefit of the doubt, and that he also
received information from the ex-officers
regarding certain items of which he was
uncertain. Mr.. Blakely brands this latter
statement as wholly untrue, and to the
contrary saws that Mr.. Wylle never once
spoke to him regarding the matter.
We regret exceedingly that the perus-
al of Wylie's report and the gross and
glaring inaccuracies, the Uncalled-for
suggestions and critical comments therein
contained, compel us to doubt the pro-
found knowledge and perspicuity with
which he has long been accredited.
There are few men in Gallatin county
whose ignorance of the Law and the du-
ties of county officials would have be-
trayed them into such errors and mis-
taken ideas as Prof Wylie has had the
misfortune to make.
With McKenzie's official record Mr..
Wylie has made the same mistakes, in
stead of asking Mr.. Mckenzie or the
county commissioners to explain any
apparent discrepancies, he rushed pell
nell to the conclusion that a glar.ng
fraud had been committed and added
another item to the document which was
to shake the very foundations of our
county government.