The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-12-26
ROLES ROBBERY EXPOSED,
County Auditor RI Wall Makes a
Clear Statement Of tie
Case.
He is Exercising the Authority of
His Office to affect the Tax
Pave

A TRIBUNE reporter interviewed
County Auditor Ringwald yesterday in
regard to the sore, in the Leader of the
evening before, rejecting upon Off
cial, and received from him the following
explicit statement of facts that led to
the Leaders malicious attack upon him.
1t will be seen Il. once that the animus
of Roles onslaught is the fact that Mr..
Ringwald has interviewed to prevent one
of the boldest raids on the county
treasury ever attempted in this state.
But we let Mr.. Ringwald speak for him
self:
in my capacity as a private individual,
or as a citizen, | would not degrade my
self OF stoop SO low as to reply in any
manner to the slurs of this man Role in
Friday evenings Leader. Rolfe's past
history in this community warrants me
in saying that any attempted slurs on
his part are generally considered the
highest communication that a reputable
citizen can have. Ain = every honor
able citizen of this city and county has
at one time or another, in some way,
been maligncd and falsitied by that in
dividual, and have in all cases treated
him, and any remark that he made, with
the utmost contempt. ! would treat
him and the arti lie in Friday nights
paper in the same manner but for the
fact that as a public o al and one
whom he admits occupies a responsible
position of trust and acting in a quasi
judicial capacity with reference to all
bills and claims against Cascade county,
and whose duty it is t. Stigatc fully
as to the legality and ius. Of all claims
that may be presented against said
county, and who tries to discharge that
duty honestly and to the best of his
ability, | deem it but just to the tax
payers. who are the real parties in in,
terest. that the fact, q laid before them.
and that they be the judges of my con
duct"
The situation briefly is this: Since
Oct. IL. 1889. the Leader Publishing
company had "A contract for the pH6ijsh-
ira and printing in TINS county. When
that contract was made it was thorough
~ undcrstoon by Rolfe that the neces-
sary books for the county offices should
be obtained outside and at the cheapest
figures possible, there being no estab-
lishment in this county .,hich could do
this work. This has been done; all the
=, county officials have purchased such
books as were necC7 sary for their offices
! from Geo. ID. Barnard * Co., the Pioneer
> Press compan and other concerns IT
the cheapest prices the sbOOks could l.
, obtained for. This arrangement was
carried out until the regular june 1871
meeting Of the board Of county conlnis
%sioncrs, when Rolfe submitted to me for
my approval a bill in favor Of the Lead
err Publishing company for Sl.3iI.26. OF
:, the amount Of the bill | approved SS37.,
ID and disapproved SjlO.11. The latter
for the reason that the items included in
that sum were for books that had never
been pur chased from Rolfe or through
him, but on the contrary had been pur-
chased from Geo. ID. BARNARD d Co. at
a discount from the amount RUlfe
r claimed of from 10 TO 100 per cent. This
action was subsequently at the same
. meeting ratified by the board of county
i commissioners. At that time Rplfe at
e tempted to slur me through the medium
: of his paper, but | paid no attention 10
it,"
another cause Of trouble between
b Rolfc and myself was with reference tc
the Mckay bill. which ! 'isapproved, sc
r far as it p%crtained to an item Of SiS1,
W HUI LltINdN blbN. tihliIl't 90 ilNNoi'
upon a warrant due them from the cOun
ty. | disapproved that claim, believing
then, as ] do now, that persons dealing
with the county are presumed to have
t knowledge of the manner in which the
( law authorizes payment viz. by county
warrants and that Notwithstanding
Dan Mcifay's being a prominent worker
I in the republican party he was no more
entitled to a . per cent discount on his
n bills thar any other person. | did not
believe then in favoritism, nor do | Sc
u believe now
: 81 have before me 10Y bills of Geo. ID
Barnard IL Co.. aggregating the sum OF
c 81 400: also bill! of he Leader Publish
ing company. filed with me Nov. %, fol
81. l66" ~. The two bills are for county
:. books and blanks and embrace the same
y items verbatim. The goods were pur
!, chased not from the Leader Publishing
!, company. but direct from Geo. ID. Bar
nard a. Co. by various vounty officers
and the sums in conflict are as follows
The books the officials purchased from
= Geo. ID. Barnard IL Co. amounted to the
sum of S6O1. 90. For the same identical
books mot d~uplicates) Rolfe claims
S1,O0S.35. For blanks purchased from
Barnard e. CO.. there is a total of $500.
NOllt = Dlll IOT tnc SAINT 'ttulo II pire'
-. a difference on the books of Siy1.3J
and on the blanks of S875.70. Rolfe
e never prior to Sept. %. 1891. had any
| contract TO furnish the county with
books or blanks"
Rolre importuncd me to ignore the
@ Barnard bill. allow his bill. and submit
s 10 what ] consider an outrageous steal
e and robbery Of the public treasury of
sl.31INJ. lie never filed IA assignment
of the Barnard claim to him. You and
any taxpayer may have access to these
records and make your " comparisons.
The differences in the bills amount in
I some cases to the following ratio: Barn
u ard Il Co. charge - cents. Rolfe charges
q $40: Barnard 4 CO., Sl.25. Rolfc SD;
q Rnrn,rd 4 Co. ~ cents: Rulfc SG; Barn
a ard 4 Go. 40 cents; Rolfc 81. and so on
through the whole bill. The commits
]sioners passed an order directing the
h clerk to advertise and notify all persons
holding claims against the county to file
i, tho cam. with the autitOr two weeks