Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-28
CLERK WARD AND THE RECORDS,
Mr.. Botiller's Experience in
Looking for a Judgment.
Envelopes Paid for By the County
Used in Electioneering.
Money Not Entered Properly and Also
Mislaid Turns up Easily in the
Clerks Office When an Ex-
ecution is Got out.

HERALD and by other Offices that the
records in the county clerks Office. under
the custodianship of Trowbridge H..
Ward, now candidate for reelection,
were not free from mutilation. alteration
or DETACHMENT. In proof of this fact
the Pirtle- Taylor false and fraudulent
naturalization case is to be cited, not
to speak Of the missing records of the
constabularly period of John g. Cline,
the present Republican candidate for
sheriff. The only thing that the records
in Mr.. Cline's case would have shown,
was the fact that while township con-
stable he took high rank as free
grabber.
But to turn again to the case of Mr..
Ward, the present county clerk. Some
time ago A. &. Botiller entered suit
against G. V. de Lorenzana. 1t was an
action to quiet title. The court gave a
judgment to the plaintiff, Botiller, and
his costs were assessed to the defendant.
WHERE WAS THE MONEY.
After judgment had been entered for
a number OF days, Botiller went to the
clerks Office, but there he could find no
record of any costs having been paid in
by the defendant as the court had de-
creed should be the case. There was
nothing on the register of actions, moth
ing on the judgment book, nothing on
the judgment docket, and nothing on
the judgment roll. There was not sim
gle scratch of the pen to show that an
entry had ever been made of any money
paid by the defendant to satisfy the
judgment that had been decreed against
him.
This being the case, Mf. Botiller was
forced to 60 to the expense OF looking
up, the property of the defendant. with
the aid of an abstract of title company.
This he did. Finding that the defen-
dant did have property, he got out an
execution upon him, first having to
leave the fees for the service with the
sheriff.
THE MONEY STRANGELY FOUND.
Now here is the funny part. While the
execution was still in the sheriff's Office,
some of Mr.. Wards deputies OF sud-
den found out Mr.. de Lorenzana had
paid the judgment in question long be-
fore the execution had been issued.
That execution must be secured at
once. So deputy clerk was sent tear
ing down the hall to the sheriff's office
after the document. 1t was found, and
as soon as the clerk secured it he tore it
up. It was an official record, and he
had about as much right to destroy it as
had "Jo-Jo."
DID THE RECORDS LIE?
Here is one more point. The records
in the county clerks Office show that
the money in the case was turned in
September 18th. The date of the execu-
ton was August 28th. Why should the
county clerks Office be so anxious to de-
stroy public record that, unless the
date of September 18th were not correct,
could in no way interfere with that
office2
Owing to the fact that the money Mr..
de Lorenzana paid in to satisfy the
judgment which had been decreed
against him, and in favor of A. G.. Bo-
tiller, was misplaced, the latter was put
to great cost, great, because it was un-
necessary, had it not been for the care
less methods in the county clerks Office.
SOME MORE ON THAT REGISTER CONTRACT.
In defense of his indefensible course
in letting the contract for printing the
great register of this county at % cents
per name, the county clerk, T. HI. Ward,
is now sending out thousands of circu-
lars through the mails. Each circular
is in county envelope, and
bears a 2-cent stamp paid for by
this county. The statement itself only
juggles with facts in vain endeavor to
justify Mr.. Ward in giving out that coz
tract for printing the great register at
$4,000 more than it could have been done
for here in Los Angeles, had the work
been open to competition instead of
having been given to the organ Of the
COURT house ring, the EveAing Express.
In brief, the facts in regard to the
printing of the great register are: Mr..
Ward gave the contract out at % cents
per name. Almost any firm in the
printing business in Les Angeles would
gladly have done the work for ID cents
per name, had the opportunity been
afforded them.