Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-03-31
TnE REi'oRr ITsEIr.

THE REPORT ITSELF.
The committees report was an ex.
ceedingly lengthy one, AMI covers all
the ground travelled over during tho
four days Investigation. it gives the
names OF all the witnesses examined,
the girt OF their evidence, aud the dis.
closures IN regard TO certain omissions
aud oom( ssions on the part OF Martin
aud Meyer. The Hobbs aud Freed
cases, which came into Martins court,
and the singular circumstances IN con.
neclion with which were set forth Ia
tho columns OF the NEws at the time
OF the inquiry, were Prominently
brought forward. The nrn.dooketing
OF civil suits Ia tho Rau,s 3ouit, with
the understanding that the plaintiffs
were not expected and should not bc
required to pny costs unless and until
the same were collected from the de-
PENDANTS was referred TO, and the fol.
lowing letter, written by the commits.
siOner 10 tho WOraingmen's Co.opera.
tive association, setting forth the
agreement In the cases brought by
Sibley, lite collector, was reproduced In
full. Reed and Crook, collectors, said
the committee had substantially the
Same understanding with Commis.
slDner Martin, aud were permitted 10
bring civil suits before him, with the
understanding that the costs were TO
be paid only whom collected from the
defendant. These collectors brought a
large number OF cases, In which, ne
private process servers, they were
permitted 10 serve the summonses, and
when the costs were collected, 81 were
paid TO them IN a number OF casea, 81
IN about twenty.one cases, aud So Ina
two cases. The evidence did not die.
close what became Of the other dollar
Ia each Of the twouty.one canes. IL
also appeared from the evidence I'm
this case that Commissioners AIoyer
and Martin practiced In each others
courts.
IA to Commissioner Meyer the com.
mittee found that he carried over 10
mia docket from the docket Of his
predecessor about 100 civil cases, and
that during the time that ho had held
office, 956 additional cases were com.
menced before him; that he had
twenty-sevon criminal cases, aud that
at the date when this Inquiry was
ordered, he hRd In his hanus $50 col.
lected and received by him as fees
during the years 1891 and 1892, which
he has since paid over 10 the county,
Special reference was made to tho case
OF the People vs.. William Hammond,
charged with an assault with Intent to
Kill. Alter the hearing and the ex.
animation tho Commissioner adludRed
the defendant guilty OF an assault and
fined him $25 with 5000 costs. The
defendant paid into court S54, 40 and
was released upon his own recogni-
zance, but IL seemed tho remainder OF
line was never paid. In another
criminal case, tho commissivper re.
oeived certified or guaranteed check
for 500 ON account OF bail for the
and passed the same to his
own bank account, anu 20 kent the
money until he finally paid IL over 10
tho owner. IL appeared that he was
generally IN the habit OF mlngliDp
public moneys received as lines
or on account OF bail with his own.
1t also transplred rom the evidence
that Meyer solicited accounts for col.
lection, and In One instance offered 10
buy accounts for collection, II the
price could be- arranged Satisfactorily |
1t did not appear, that the |
Intention was 10 bring the suits ON |
IL, |
but no did bring suits on collections |
and practiced IN the courts OF other
commissioners. In very large mum.
her OF cases before him, process was
served by private individuals, and the
official fees therefore charged 10 and
collected from the defendants. This
found, too, that OF the total
OF 05G civil cases brought be.
fore the commissioner, 1923 were
brought by QUE lTm oflawyers, one Of
whom was also Commissioner Booth
anu before whom Commissioner Meyer
brought ossea ami pfaallced. As "a
general rule no costs have been paid In |
those cases, except Oh collected from
the defeudsnls, aud 800 or more were
yet pending upon the docket Of the
unsettled anu unsatls-
fled, In which the costs have not been
paid The committee deemed II un.
important TO determine wheIher there |