Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-11-23
Is he oRoOKED2
Sensational Report Concerning Forgeriss
Alleged to Have Been Made by
Ex-Co. Clerk d. 8. Jones.

vas tuTHed over Jc Piss TXper, IN JAN,
1892 ;he retiring county clerk, ID r.
Jones. Mas not present Ia person, hav-
ing LETT The office In charge OF hiS dep
uty- George McGinBis, and beng him
self in Colorado. The books and papers
III the office were found 10 5e in a bad
condition, and afr. jones was written
| IL 10y the commissioners, and promised
TO ccnle down in short tine and
siraiehten things Up. We do not know
that he has ever been III the city since
that time. except 10 pass through on
the train.
Later when the commissioners made
final settlement with MIR. Krause. the
retiring county treasurer, 1t was found
that the books IN the clerks Office were
in a bad condition and that no satis-
factory settlement cnuld be made. The
question of procuring an expert to go
over the clerks books and the treas
urer's books and try and straighten up
the discrepancy. was discussed and par
tial measures taken TO that end. The
made an effort in a cowardly, partizan
spirit, to have the public believe that it
WAS the treasuTer's books that were at
fault. and that all the blame of the
muddie lay with Treasurer-El
Miller. That such effort fell fat is
evidenced by The verdict OF the people
at the polls
The commissioners, after the cleo
ton. when the matter could not be
used for political effect, employed Mr..
c. NJ. Wickwire, late cashier of the
First National Bank, to go to work on
| the books. In short time he diScov-
ered that The amount paid out on
county warrants. or script, was greater
than the amount of warrants issued,
and following up the investigation dis
covered that warrants had been
raised" before presentment for pay
menJ, and the indications pointed to
the forgeries having Deen done in the
office of the county clerk.
The methcd apparently pursued was
titis, as near as We can ascertain: Il
biz Tor say. 5 :, 0uld be f>sesentei I.y
| ropeha fiim Ton sia;IvneIy- The com
thIsSionerS would allow the oiil in tire
sum a. IS. aud ali tue records wo;ild
snow tiiat Only tbat amount Nas
.liowed. The scripi would be written
fer - -. Three do;ia.rs' the word
Three belng put al zoe latter eaa u
lnz line, atsd tas fSgrs. S.. 3 60
a tbe latter eBd % t!ie iiDv iefJ fvf lie
hgures The srript would pr signed Ip
Uy tue cuaiTmaD rf tte bustrd asiti the
county cieIa. a;id v4s Geads foT deliv-
cry. " hen IL reached the county Treas
uer. however, a Ninety" would bs
found written Ia front OF TIE Three"
ana. IA g III front oi the figure 3
making 1t cali for S93 90. The total
| amount thus far discovered as having
| been raised Is 500. All is on script
| going To Parties outside of the county.
and which vas collected bN the county
clerk and the amodnt Of the bills re-
mitted TO such parties.
| Upon these discoveries being made d
| SaIrart was sworn out for the arrest
of ID. II. Jones. He was located at
Oklahoma City. and arrested by the
sheriff there. Sheriff Spencer of this
county went to Topeka and secured
reQuisitIon papers. bur returned Satur
day evening last without his man.
Arriving at Oklahoma City he found
the bird bad flown" The sheriff
there had let him get away. The story
told by the Oklahoma sheriff is that
Jones prOfessed utter ignorance of
| what be was arrested for; that Boston
| Wilson, DR.. McIlvane and other PROM
| inent business men who knew Jones
here interceded in Jones behalf and
pursuaded him, the sheriff, not to put
Jones in Jail, but to let him remain
IN charge of Dr. McIlvane, who was
attending Mrs. Jones. who was sick.
Jones went to his home with DIR. McIl-
vane and-he never came back. This
is the report that sheriff Spencer made
| when he returned last Saturday night.
Tie case has an ugly appearance.
If Mr. Jones is innocent of any crook
edness in Office he is certainly taking
peculiar course to prove his innocence.
There is no question but what the
forgeTies have been committed and the
county robbed of near $1,000, and possi-
bly, more, and the guilty party or par
ties should be punished 20 the extreme
penalty OF the law. Possibly the wrong
man is suspected; but if SO he should
be the first man 10 come toward and
aid in the detection of the criminal.