Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-03-19
THE WARRANT CASES.
A. A. Montana, County Audi
tor, on Trial.
LAUTERIo ON THE STAND.
The Deputy Tells How His Chief
Drew Warrants and How He
Signed His Chiefs Name.

The trial of A. A. Montafio, ex-County
Auditor, was begun yesterday NOR ming
in Department / of the Superior Court.
1t was discovered by the last Grand Jury
that by apparent collusion between some
person or persons in the Auditors Office,
and others in the County Clerks office,
the county had been robbed to the extent
of about $S. 500. Frank Lauterio, Dap.
uty Auditor, was arrested for some of
these frauds, and ran away. Subse-
quently, on his return, he charged that
his chief, A. A. Montafao, was connected
with these steals, and on Lauterio's evi-
dence the Grand Jury indicted Montana.
The matter has dragged along for one
reason or another until yesterday, when
the trial was actually begun.
and a.. II. Appel, Eco, appeared as
District Attorney McComas acted for
| the State.
The indictment sets forth that Mon.
|
sented to the Deputy County Treasurer a
the county school fund for the sum of
school districts during the school year
ending June 80, 1888.
The case began at 10 o'clock, and at
| IL 80 the last man had been sworn to
try the cause. Their names are as fol-
lows: G. III. Buckingham, J. B. Haynes,
j. M. Armour, j. W. Robinson, A. Bod.
die, H. 7. Bingham, William Smith, II.
L. Bissell, G. w. Robinson, H. G.
Horine, J. A. Burns and John d. Gywn.
| County Clerk Dunsmoor was the first
witness called and certified TO the elect.
ion of Montafio as County Auditor and
John w. Broaded as County Treasurer.
| Frank Lauterio was then sworn and
testified substantially: am acquainted
with A. A. Montana; have known him
for eight years; be was County Auditor
in 1888; l was Deputy County Auditor
under him; knew about the warrant
in question drawn upon the general
school fund; about the month of June,
before the Republican county conven.
ton was held in 1888, the warrant was
drawn; it was late, about the closing of
/
the desk and saw him draw a warrant !;
could not see the name, but did sea
the amount it was for So $40; l did not
see the number; by subsequent search !
learned that it was drawn upon the gen
eral school fund. S
l spoke to the defendant and said :
"It is pretty late to draw such large
warrant" He replied that it was his
business, and put the warrant in his
pocket. do not know what he did with
it; this was about O'Clock; there was
no other person present except Mr.. Mon.
taflo and myself. was appointed dep
uty in 1886. | have never seen the war.
rant since; l was familiar with the busi-
ness of the Office in 1888; my duty was
to draw warrants and attend to any busi-
ness arising in the Office; the bookkeep-
ing was in charge of Montafo; I contin.
ued as deputy after this warrant was
drawn until the expiration of Montaflo's
term, January l, 1889; had a conver-
sation with the defendant last summer
on Main street, near the Cathedral; il
was at the time the Board of Supervisors
called upon him to settle this affair. He
said: II am in fix about this business
and l want you to 60 with me to Mr.
Mascarel." Isaid: ''They will give you
time to fix it,"
He said: "No, they will not; if they
would l could fix it,"
replied that it was bad; that the
warrant was either made out by him or
me. and | did not make it out. He re-
piled; 81 want you to understand that
[ am not saying that you know anything
about it," He said he wanted to see
Mescarel in order to turn some properly
over to him; nay wife was standing near
it was about or O'Clock in the even
ing; l never had any other conversation
with Montsflo relative to this warrant.
In answer to question by the court
he said 81 saw the warrant dra wn we
continued to make out warrants from the
same book until it was exhausted"
When the amount was drawn there
was no entry made on the stub.
On cross-examination by Mr.. White
Lauterio said:
The warrant was drawn near the close
OF the Office during Office hours. 1t
might have been after Office hours. /
am not sure. l guess we did not do any
other business. 1 went right away tina,
night. l do not know if any other
amount was drawn after that. Montafic
and | went out. I do not know who
closed the door. Both of US had KEYS
Do not recollect where we parted. We
put the books away before we went out
| think the stub book was left on the
desk. 1t might have been put inside the
desk. Do not know where the janitor
was at that time.
As Deputy Auditor was in the habit
of signing the Auditor name to warrants.
l did so because considered it my duty
| to do it.
Owing to the absence of the District At.
torney from the city, some papers in his
possession could not be had. So the case
went over until today.
1t is somewhat contradictory of what
Lauterio says that the warrant book from
which this warrant was taken shows that
this afternoon later than the making OF
this warrant one was drawn in favor oi
Harper & Reynolds Company for about
$133. Some one drew a warrant after
that one this day.
Enil Harris All Right.
Emil Harris was out of the CITY on