Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-12-06
CL0UST0N'S CASE.
HOw WOOD COUNTS DEPUTY CLERK WORKED
THE RACKET
Ia Cheating the State Gu! Of MOnsy-Ths State
Auditor Was IN no Wise to Blame for the
Stsal-What Led TO thr Dstee-
hon Of the Crime.
sn.cinl T.l.nrnnl % Me Rsnlster.

Special Telegram 70 The Register.
PARKERSBURG, W. VA, December 4.
There are no recent developments OF
Importance regarding the defalcations
in the office of the Circuit Cours-not for
the reason that the end has been reached,
but because there is no special reason for
pursuing the investigation farther, as
there are already sufficient number Of
indictments against Clerk Clouston, and
there is no use in ferrcting out any
larger amount OF frauds, as the bond OF
ClOuston is but 50, 900, and there Is no
earthly reason TO expect that a copper
beyond that sum could ever be recovered.
About SIS, 900 has already been traced
up, but there is no telling what the gross
sum lost by the State would amount to.
There has been a good deal OF SurmiSe
as 70 the methods pursued by Clouston,
and some enquiry as 10 why the excess
Sive amounts sent in on fee bills from
this county did not excite suspicion in
the Auditors Office, and a word of eX-
PLANTATION in those regards will not, per-
hapS, be devoid of interest TO the gener-
al reader. When a criminal case IS
called in Court, the sums due witnesses
for attendance and mileage are made
out on fee bills, by the Clerk or his dep
uty, and these bills are payable out OF
the State Treasury. The usual meth
cd in vogue throughout West Virginia
is for the persons in whose favor
the warrants are drawn to en-
dOrSe them and present them TO the
Sheriff. who caSheS the bills, and in his
settlements with the Auditor counts
them as so much cash. That is the
usual method, but witness Is not con-
I fined 70 il, for he may send the bills di-
rect 70 the Auditor, and receive a check
upon the State Treasury, or he may de-
post them in the most convenient
bank for collection. This latter mode
seems 10 have been the way in which
ClouStOn obtained the money. lie would
select some case, either real or imagi-
nary. make out number of fee bills
for attendance and mileage, using
either fictitious names or those of per-
sons living in parts of the county re-
mote from this city, and after arrang-
inga number of such bills, properly
daSed so as TO conform with the times
OF holding Court, he would endorse
them and deposit them in bank
for collection. The bank would forward
the bills to Charleston, where a local
bank would present them TO the Audi
tor. In the meantime ClouSton would
make out a list of witnesses, as pre-
Scribed by law, to be forwarded to the
auditor, aS 4 check upon the fee bills of
witnesses, and would include in this list
the names of the persons endorsed upon
the bogus fee bills. When the Auditor
received the batch of bills through the
bank. drawn in varying sums from 81
up TO $40. $50, $50, or even more, he
would compare the names in the bills. and
endorsements upon them, with the list
sent under seal of the Court, and find
ing them there, would pay the amounts
called for. Money thus obtained would
be RENTED back to ClOuston, at this
place. he having represented to the
bank, when he deposited the bills, that
he had cashed them at first, TO accom-
modate the persons in whose favor they
were drawn, as matter of accommoda-
ton.
II will thus be seen that the bills being
regular in every way, and proving cor
rect when compared by the Auditor
with the official list sent on by the Clerk
OF the Court, they would naturally be
paid. and no suspicion would be aroused.
In point of fact, your correspondent
is informed that suspicion was first ex-
cited in this Auditors office. not by rea-
son of the amounts of the fee bills, but
from the fact that bill sent in At one
time endorsed with a This mark" APP
pendage. was discovered to differ de-
cidedly from another bill, drawn In IA
vOr OF the same man but short time
before, but upon which he was able TO
write his endorsement in good shape.
An investigation on this line showed
that a series of bills drawn TO the same
person. would bear his endorsement in
several different hands, showing that
something was wrong. y patient fol-
lowing up of the suspicion thus aroused.
led TO the gradual development of the
truth rs we find 10 at present.