The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1893-11-02
Complaining to Gov. Nelson that He
ls6uilty of MalfeasdnCe.
Charges Him With Having Knowing.
ly Compounded a Felony.
Drunkenness In Office also CHARGED
Against the Official
Mr.. Madigan Replies, Using Very
peppery Language,
And Declaring Each Specification
to Be a FalsehoOd.

F. w. Philbrick, James Arnold,
Frank Ellington, E. A. Pease and
Frank Schandera, as county commits
sionersof Redwoo0county have COM
planned to Gov. Nelson, against Mi
chael NJ. Madigan, county attorney of
Redwood county, charging him with
malfeasance and drunkenness during
bis present term of office and asks for
his removal from the same.
The action has been hanging fire for
some time, the county commissioners
contemplating such action as far back
as the specialterm held last May, when
Mr.. Madigan and County Auditor An
derson came into an official collision.
The commissioners absorbed consid-
erable' time in securing an attorney,
and finally after an executive session
held with Gov. Nelson, at the Hotel
Francois, during the officials visit
here inaSeptember, it was agreed to
ask Mr.. 81. Pierce, of st. Paul, to act
as counsel for the commission in the
case. Mr.. Pierce accepted the post of
duty, arrived here from St. Paul last
Tuesday week, and Immediately en-
tered into conference with the COM
missioners, resulting in three specific
charges against the present county at
torney.
Specification first states that on or
about Sept. 9th, 1880, an action was
commenced in the district court in
and for the county of Redwood, where
in Phillip Goodman was plaintiff, and
R. Bum was defendant, to quiet title
to over 32O acres of land in the town
of Three Lakes, Goodman claiming to
be the owner in fee, and Bum contest
ing on the ground that he owned them
by reason of a tax purchase made at a
tax judgment sale for the years 1868
to 1874 inclusive, and that the lands
were never redeemed. These taxes
amounted to more than 500. The
Court declared that the tax judgment
and sales were void, the decision being
handed down on July 11th, 1887, and
entered in June, 1889, Bum receiving
from the county the money he paid
for the tax certificates with interest
on the same, amounting in all to
$732.59. The commissioners proceed
to charge that Mr.. Madigan knew that
the validity of the said taxes we're in
dispute, and that as county attorney,
it was and would be his duty to act
on behalf of the county in maintaining
the validity of and enforcing the pay
ment of the said taxes, and with a
knowledge of these facts, Mr.. Madigan,
Gin utter disregard of his duties, pres
ent and prospective, in relation to the
maintenance of said tax lien, and of
the collection of said taxes, entered in
| to contract with the said Goodman
while the subject of the validity of the
said taxes remained undecided, for the
purchase of said lands, and purchased
the same of the said Goodman, and
took and received from him the deed
of conveyance thereof, in the name of
his-wife. M. M. Madigan, and after re-
ceiving the said deed the said county
attorney presented the same to An
drew IL. Anderson, county auditor, at
his Office, and demanded of him as
such auditor, he endorse upon such
deed his official certificate Taxes paid