Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-04-22

proved of it. When the $4,000 bonds
were sold, that money was also deposit
ed in the First National bank.
Soon after the court house site was
selected by Powell aud Write, the
question as to whether it was within
the boundaries OF the county seat arose,
and further question regarding my IL
ability upon paying warrants drawn
upon tue county treasury. In order to
acquaint myself with my duties in re-
lation thereto, | took counsel with some
of the bestattorneys Of the Black Hills,
and was advised not to pay out any
money until commanded by the court
of last resort in the state of South
Dakota. t%hereupon requested Fred
L. Evans not to commence building the
present court house until this site
could be fully Investigated and its ;e.
gality determined, but all the salts
faction 1 got was that the court house
would be built and he would have his
pay. AT the commencement of the
fight | had most Of the county money
in the First National bank, but as IN
the injunction proceedings before the
late Judge Nowlan at Rapid City,
Eben w. Martin, Evans attorney
who has taken a prominent part in the
litigation observation-disclosures proper
to impress upon the court that the First
National bank was largely instrument
tai in resisting the payment of these
warrants in order that they might
keep the money. l thought it best to
transfer a part of the money TO the
Minnekahta State bank, of which
Evans was president and a large stock
holder. To show that [ was not work.
ing in the interest of any bank, j drew
out Of the First National bank $4,000
which, with a little had (about $270),
! deposited in Evans bank, where it
has been ever since.
Soon Fred r. Evans undertook to
have me fined 81, 900 and have me i'm
prisoned in the county Jail until L
would pay one of the warrants drawn
in payment for the court house, which
was being erected by HIM upon the site
still in litigation. Seeing that he was
determined to draw me into the fight
and put me to all the trouble ne could,
| decided to draw out the money / had
in his bank and replace it in the First
National, and so drew my check upou
his bank, which, when presented, the
cashier refused to pay, and allowed it
to be dishoncred. That money I have
not seen to this day. nor can l get it
out of Evans bank. A. A. Powell,
the chairman of the board of county
commissioners, disposed of$9.O00 worth
of the county bonds, and taking the
money deposited that IN Evans bank
also, in defiance of the law, which is
emphatic in stating that the money
should be placed in the county treasur-
er's hands to be paid out only upon
warrants drawn upon the treasury.
and | am reliably informed that Powell
is now under indictment for embezzle-
ment of that $4,000.
l will not take time and space to
give a history of all the cases that have
been commenced and disposed of since,
but suffice it to say that about twelve
eases have hesn commenced; four or
five Will be taken to the supreme court,
and what the outcome will be remains
to be seen.
Passing down to the meeting of the
board of county commissioners at this
April session and to their acts thereat.
The law makes it the duty of the board
to examine the books and accounts OF
the county treasurer at their january
and July meetings, and provides that
these shall be open for inspection at
al times. So upon Tuesday of last
week the board made a demand upon
me to submit the accounts and moneys
of the county for inspection. which
they had a right to do. l Informed
them that the moneys were IN the First
National and M~innekahta ba. ks, and
| gave them the amounts in each.
They then requested me to go with
them for the purpose $50 they said) OF
inspection. This l did, and upon the
way | requested them to call upon the
Minnekahta bank and inspect what
, was there on deposit. This they re-
!, fused to do. We then went to the
/. First National bank and asked for the
. money there deposited. The cashier
/ informed us that they kept on hand
: only enough to do their daily bushes;
and that the balance was kept in Sioux
City, New York and other banks chosen
by theft for that purpose, but that the
bank would give a certified statement
t for the amount that claimed to have
t there. that a check for that amount
j would be good at any time, and as soor
n as the money could be expressed her,
would be open for inspection. These
statements appeared at the time to b.
e satisfactory to the board.
Z That the commissioners did not pro
pose to he satisfied is evident, for or
$ Saturday they passed a resolution de
o claring me a defaulter. and commenc
e ing suit against me and my bondsmer
for all the money in my possession a
d county treasurer, and declared M
. ousted from my Office and appointe,
: +. L. Peirce in my stead.
h | wish further to state that l DON,
r own one dollars worth Of the Firs
National bank stock. and have no in
: terest, direct or indirect, in that insti