Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1890-09-05
rHE GRAND Jury REPORT.

HAANN -
thoroughly ~ Il ssAl1 during ths linitsd
time Tie Law AllsWS Il to 10 in session.
satufaay il nads Z ySlaninous report
Whish wsild ssVoF silent tive pages Of ths
LIBNkAL il vt in Vie sanS sized type ~
this article, Gnd consequently the rsVsrt
sannOt bs BFSssntsd in fall 70 eur readers.
IAdietnshG we're TfSughtAEainSt shSr-
IL WhitshiIl. Probate Clerk Morsksd Aad
CoaAissiOnsrs cAFPsltsE. obbS, fer
SsHtbiFAsy aha snbszElsasnt.
The ssmnittsS appointed 10 iavsstikats
the bojkS n the treasurer Aud assssOr fouHd
the trsasursr'S BS6ks all right. II ssuld
lSAtA but little kbSat the asSsssst's sfiss
ewing 70 the Gbishcs VI Dsputy Assessor
Slime. Mr.. Stins has charge Of the as
s%ssSSr's Saies in the eOurt kouSs and lad
nest Of the papers in the sfiss locked ~
in his private dssk.
The sonnittss 10 Examine TIE Supsrin-
tSndsAt Sf schSsls found his S@Os in gosd
shape.
The somAittsS appointed 10 e.
anins The ShsEiH's Ofies fsund that tho
shsriR had failed 10 turn over any nonsy
10 the territorial treasurer since January
Oath, although the Law requires him 10 Do
20 every nOnth. The books Showed
WhItshill sWSd the tsrritory $19,S57. %.
Whitshill claimed a. Of set Of s6, 42l .S5,
Leaving 4 net balanoS dus the tsuitery OF
812, 9S6. SO. At the sans date there was
a balance due the eSunty Of 4, 220. 98, max
ing a act balance Of o17, 1881. He had
oh hand in cash, soUnty warrants, And
cath items. IOno, Of which we're Of cues
tienAbls value, SIS. 9S9 81, leaving a bal
aBcs unaseOuntsd for Of 81, 224,14.
The sheriff was very Lax in selecting
licenses, the books ShOWisEA large nun-
Der uncellsOtsd, and sOms Of the msn eat
Of business.
The system Of beck keeping was pre-
nOunSsd superior to that prAetieed By any
preceding sheriff.
The committee appointed TO Investigate
the probate clerk and county eOmniSSion-
Srs found that the county bad been, to use
the jury language financially, wsRtouly
and systematically pluehod. ~plundersd and
robbed"
During 1889 funding and refundinE
bonds we're Issued to the amount Of $780,
900. The law provided that these bonds
should be recorded on a spesial beck, and
opposite the record Of the bond should be
registered a description Of the warrant or
bond taken up or cancelled By issuing SAID
bend.
The bends we're Issued all right, and the
warrents were taken up. and registered
opposite the bond, aud then the funny
wSrk was managed by registering the
warrant opposite another bond, thus get
ting the warrant paid twice.
Again a warrezt weuld be issued for
one amount and paid for another.
The sommitte gives the record Of forty
three warrants which were croOked Of
which the following two are but exam
pies.
Warrant Ne. 470 Issued December II,
1888. To Ii. Amber, for $l08.75 register
ed the Same Ia the treasursr's register,
and appears twice on the bond record
6rst opposite bond No. 20 on page l, as
having been issued for S10s. Is, and again
on sarne page, opposite bond No. Is, as
issued for S108.75
Warrant No, $40, issued March Is,
1899, to Clark & Courts. for $3.50, ap.
pears on tho bond record, page l, opposite
bend Nc. 40, as having been issued for
SI23 80. The amount is scratched en- the
warrants stab. Appears en- page So Of
eonmissionsrs' record No. 2. as having
been allowed for $780,
The comBitteo says: The excess o
bends Issued over The amount of warrsnti
cancelled Is over 800, 1000"
Az to who got away with this menOl
the Jury says: "Unless the tfisers sign
ing and Issuing these warrents were bsns
6oianss and participants in the illiei
gains, no other person could profit BY tn,
frauds"
The bonded indebtedness as shewn b,
the clerks books is 1925, 800, according t
the t~reasuror's books it is S2l9,600. Tn.
limit Of bonded in dsbtedRsss ander til,
4 per cent act is 1872, 054 40. There i
in the treasur's hands 10 the credit Of th
bond fund $1s, 1873 10, but allowing thi
the limit has been over drawn.
In December 1888 The clerk was iAitruC
ted to clear cut the Rubbish from tn
vault, and a large numbsr Of bills Al
cancelled wSrreats wsrs destroyed.
The jury recommended that experts b
employed BY the county to 90 ever tn
books and investigate the AFFAIRS fron 1873
up to the present time.
WhsH the report was read in open seur
Lawyer Bantz made = vigorous kie
GEaiRst allowing it 10 stand bat JudR
MOFis relied that il was the report 81 ii
jury and thsrs WasnO power 10 compel th
jury 10 change it.
The Sentinel slAinI that nany if ne
all the facts Of ~ehGaziHE and double 81
trisS Of warrsnts are clerical errors.
SER CarnauIar :. .. oIas-. - L