The herald., 1893-01-25
WH||TEWAsH W||I|EEWHAAsSH|| TIH|CnY APPLIED,
The Herald's Charges Against
Banbnry Verified.
The Grand Jury's Most Peculiar Re-
port on the County Treasurer.
1t Says MT. Banbury Made Charges
Against the County for Moneys
Not Paid Out and Orders
Suit to Recover.

The report of the grand jury will
be found treated at some length
elsewhere. That part OF the document
which refers to County Treasurer Ban
bury is so rich in verbal whitewashing,
and beats the devil around the stump 80
vigorously that it is unique, but the
cold fact rises up through all the mass
ofillogical reasoning; that as the HERALD
stated during the past campaign that
Mr.. Banbury charged the county for
money which he claimed to have ex-
pended and which he did not expend;
that he collected money from the county
on such demands, and that such charges
are expressly forbidden by the statutes
and punishment provided on convlc-
ton of making such demands.
The portion of the report referred to
reads as follows:
Tue examination of the books and ac-
counts of this Office covered the period
ttom November l, 1891, to November 1,
1892, and as there are about 400 war
rants per mouth, and school superin-
tendent's orders which number 5000 to
1000 per year, as also other orders,
acquisitions, bonds, etc., the work occu-
pied considerable time.
The examination was thorough and
exhaustive, and after concluding the
same orr experts reported that consider
ing the volume of work in this office,
everything was well performed, and the
books neatly and correctly kept. The
special committee of the jury having
this in charge, soon after the organiza-
tion of the jury, having ascertained the
amount of money that should be in the
treasury, called on the treasurer, with
out notice, counted the cash, then
amounting to $220,312 80, and found it
correct, with due allowance for out
standing warrants.
As the treasurer's vault is not fur
niehed with modern burglar-proof
safe, we think the treasurer was justi-
fed in not keeping a large amount OF
state and county funds in the court
house vault.
The plan adopted by him of dividing
the funds for special deposit among six
of the principal banks of the city, and
OF requiring of each Of said banks SUE
cient bonds to cover said deposits (thus
making double bonds), and of appoint
ing the cashiers of said banks deputy
treasurers, appears to us more secure
than If the money was locked up in the
present insecure court house vault. The
division of the deposits with a large
number of banks, instead of turning
them all over to one bank, is far better
for the financial interests of our county.
The monetary strain at tax-paying sea-
consistent with the security of the state
ov,I oh h.. tr
Lessen said monetary stringencv.
We made thorough and careful ex-
animation of all the facts in regard to
certain charges for exchange, made by
Mr.. Banbury against the county, and
the allowance of bills for same by the
board of supervisors of this county. We
! find that these charges were made and
bills presented to Mr.. Banbury only
alter consulting with the state treasurer,
bankers and attorneys, all OF whom were
of the opinion that the treasurer was
entitled to receive the regular charge for
exchange between Los Angeles and Sac
ramento as collected by former treasur-
ers, and as collected by other county
treasurera throughout the state. The
money had to be forwarded Mr.. Banbury
could not carry it himself on the railroad,
as the officers of the road will
not allow funds to be carried that way.
For all transfers for the county, regular
rates are charged by the banks and by
express. So far as the county was con-
cerned, there was no saving. While it
does not eeem proper to the grand jury
that any bills should be rendered against
the county for moneys not actually paid
out, we believe that said charges for ex-
change were made by Mr.. Banbury
without criminal intent and under the
belief that be was entitled to receive the
same. We therefore instructed the dis
trlct attorney to make test case and
bring suit against Mr.. Bsnbury to re-
cover all the moneys paid to him by the
county for exchange wherein he did not
actually pay the charges himself.