Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1891-12-14
BIG SUITS FILED.
Santa Fe County Demands Settle
ment-suits Against the Ex-
Collectors Bondsmen.
Three Suits for $4,000 Each, Two for
$4,000 -sureties in a Stew
Intimation of Possible
Compromise

In compliance with the order of the
board of commissioners, District Attorney
Twitchell has filed batch of highly i'm
portant suits in the district court. They
are five in number and are brought
against the bondsmen of Francisco Cha
vez, ex-sherif and collector of Santa Fe
county, to recover the sum of about $780,
600 due the county as result of that ex-
officials administration" of affairs. The
papers in the cases make voluminous rec
ord. There are some 800 persons involved
and the five suits are brought against the
sureties on the BOMBS of 1885, 1887, 1889,
Nov. |, 1890 and the latest bond of 1891.
The records show the ex-collector's
shortage since January l, last to be over
$4,000. The suits are in the nature OF
an action of debt against all bondsmen.
The amount involved is $4,000 on each
OF the first three bonds and $4,000 on
each of the last two bonds.
The county's action in the matter seems
to have created no little surprise and con-
sternation among the several sureties.
For some unaccountable reason or other
many of them seem to have labored I'M
der the impression that all talk OF taking
decisive legal steps to recover these
moneys was in the nature of bluff; but
such an idea has been dissipated by the
cases going on record, and it is evidently
the intention of the county authorities
to force them to an issue with all possible
haste.
Il 10, oply
a severe hardship upon many misguided
friends of the ex-collector is certain the
principal bondsmen have opened their
eyes to this fact at last, and there are
hints out that conference is to be called
with view to arranging for some sort OF
proposition to settle the lnatter outside Of
the courts.
Indeed several of the bondsmen have
already had talks with eX,Sheriff Chavez
on this subject and they have demanded
of him that he now come forward and do
every thing in his power to prevent dis
aster Detailing those, many of them any.
thing but well-to-do people, who so bind
ly came to his aid in time of need. 1t
is understood that an attempt has been
made to spread in some quarters the idea
that only political persecution is at the
bottom of these suits and that they will
not amount to anything, while in other
quarters it has stated that the ex-
sheriff is prepared to settle with the coun-
ty in full and clear the skirts of all sure
ties whenever the county commissioners
would allow him what he claims
as credits. Until these suits were filed
this sort of talk had a quieting effect
upon the 300 or more persons direct
ly interested, but this is so no longer.
The bondsmen are now pretty well con-
vinced that the county means business !;
means to collect every cent the ex-sheriff
has failed to account for, and to this end
will exercise all its lawful prerogatives.
| 1t is not now too late to act, however, and
money, time and trouble could be saved by
some sort of compromise settlement at
once, and interviews had by the New Mex
ICAN recently with members of the county
board reveal the fact that, in the inter
est of the county first, and second in
behalf of tax payers generally, they are
quite inclined to do all reasonable things
toward bringing about settlement with
out resort to drastic legal remedies.
81 county wants its money; needs
it, and simply must have it," said one Of
the county commissioners. "There is no
politics in this; it is business, and if the
ex-collector is pre- pared to settle when.
ever the county will allow his just and
lawful credits, he and the sureties need
have no fear but that settlement will
be reached at the next meeting of the
board in January. The matter rests
wholly with the ex-colector; the board
stands ready to be as lenient with him
as law and justice permit-no more, no
less"