The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1888-04-06
COMMUNICATED. ]
FsRop Gtizsns:

LAKE CHARLES, La, April 4th, 1885.
BeIlOD Citizens:
As there is a great hue and cry raised
against "rings" and dishonesty among office
holders and as there Is no more prominent
instance than in that Of q veritabie Office
holder In your parish, it becomes a necessity
and one of safety to our people, that close
enquiry and investigation of the acts of our
local officers I've had and the people be made
10 know and understand how matters stand.
In our beginning this investigation and in
CURRY We would have yen understand that It
Is not done with any preeOneeived idea that
any great wrong, or malfeassnce In office has
been committed, or that under cover of Office
personal wrongs have been done any one.
The manner In which we propose to go into
this inquiry, is ono of fairness, because 1t Is
upon the basis that the officer can make his
own answer. And, furthermore, being espe-
eially Jealous Of the good name Of our Off
GERS and the reputation of our parish, is the
great motive actuating and impelllRg us In
these premises.
We believe and hope we have no officer
who cannot answer, satisfactorily, any cues
ton touching his official and private acts
which may be pFOpOunded to him. An ans
wer 10 which cannot be a negative and com
plete exhonOratiOn from an implied charge
The time has come when honesty, It seems,
Is about to become necessary qualification
to aid in cleaning out the 'Augean" stables
So let us begie at home.
We hope that all our people of all political
factions and persuasions will read carefully
this letter and the questions, and make it
their individual business TO investigate and
search ont what should be truthful and hon
est answers to the following questions, d.
vesting themselves Of all bias and prejudice
before hand:
To Tbadsls Mayo:
LIST. Did you, or did you not. receive sum
OF money from Able West TO make a land
entry and failed to make the entry, though
you frequently told West you had, and gave
various excuses for not being able to produce
the certificate and that when West upOu
enquiry at the land Office, found the land va
cant, entered It and you were not able to
refund him his money, and eventually settled
by giving him orders on saw mills for lumber,
the PrOprietOrs of which owed you. fee bills
I'd. Did you not make a personal use of
money handed you by Lock, Moore & Co. to
| take up certain notes in New Orleans, and
| eventually, after being threatened with Grim
inal prosecution, secured them by giving a
mortgage on certain landY
3D.. Did you not make personal use, con-
ltrary to law, of money deposited IN the Clerk S
| Office by the B. q o. Tel. Co.
4th. Is it net a fact that you persisted In
| buying at tax sale lands Of Fl. LampOrt when
| ,
| you, and.that the fact OF these lands being
sold in the name of Smith was erroneous,
and that you eXtOrted from Mr.. LampOrt ali
the penalties aceruing to you by law under
such unfair purchase
9Th. Did not Joseph c. Lebleu hand you
money to enter land which you failed to do
and you were forced to return the money
/ years afterwards under threats of pF0seeu-
| ton ?
9th. Have you not gone into the country
and made Homestead proofs, when the law
! positively prohibits this?
18th. Did not John Crowley give you three
hundred dollars fOrthe entry Of certain lands
and afterwards was compelled to take so cts
on the dollar for same
Sth. Did not Marion Eealy give you $500
for the entry Of certain lands, and did you
not write him that you had forwarded his
papers to PynehbuTg and compel him to ride
some Is or 20 miles to find out that you had
never sent the papers, and furthermore upon
his enquiry at the land Office that you had
never entered the land, and afterwards was
compelled to give an agent Is per cent. on
the dollar to collect the amount from Won :
9th. Did not w. E.sRIeteher give You $3.50
in gold about six years ago for the entry OF
certain lands and did you not delay the entry
until he lost his land, and have you retained
but so Of the money? #&&