The herald., 1894-06-22
HE PUT MONEY IN HIS PURSE,
Deputy District Attorney Utley
Assumes a New Role.
He SLAVES the Claim of q Poverty
Struck Witness.
he Takes $3.50 for tho Use of 5000
for -Four Dsys to Save Mrs. Com
stock from the Clutches ola
Money Lender.

BY one little act, which came TO light
yesterday. A. ]. Utley. deputy district
attorney, and shining light in the
ranks of Populist leaders, has fallen
from the high pedestal upon which he
had reared his crest and become as of
the earth. earthly.
He developed certain Shylock tsnden.
cies which caused his chief District At
torney Dillon, to say to him that he had
run his neck into a halter, by which he
did not mean that Judge Utley had COM
mitted any capital offense, but it wae
Mr.. Dillon's way OF expressing his dis
appreciation OF certain transactions OF
his watchdog Of the treasury.
1t all came about through the trial OF
the Roscoe train robbery suspects, which
closed laet week. Nearly every one of
the witnesses in this case was as poor
as the proverbial church mouse, and
many of them applied for their expenses
under the poverty act.
During the progress OF the trial the
district attorneys Office was obliged to
provide for the expenses of numerous
witnesses, and this part vi the work ieii
largely to Judge Utley, who has become
thoroughly identified with demands
against the county through his duties as
legal adviser OF the board oil supervisors.
As q matter of fact, the demands pre-
sented to the supervisors are all cent up
to Judge Utley for examination, and
many are the curses, loud and deep,
which have followed his rigid cenBor-
chip of claims.
1t WAS with no little surprise that yes
terday Judge Utley was found to have
been caught mapping and to have de-
ecended from his lofty and earnest dis
cuseion of the curses OF monopoly and
determinations by the rich against the
poor TO taking discount on the claim of
Mrs. n. l.. Comsrock, one of the most
poverty stricken OF all the witnesses for
the defense in the Roscoe case.
The way the matter came to light was
through Mrs. Comstock herself who
was in the city yesterday, mentioned the
fact, and IL finally reached the ears OF
the newspaper men.
II will be- remembered that this de-
voted woman displayed all the affection
for her husband in his trouble that
marks her sex. Left without money, or
bread with which to feed their children,
she hauled wood to the city with her
own hands to ecrape together few pen
niee. She was obliged to camp out ON
vacant lot with the children. having no
NE ms to go to q lodging house.
The most sbjsct poverty was the for
tune OF thii woman, but she was equal
10 the occasion. Her circumstances
we're known to the district attorneys
Office SO well as her heroic struggle to
help her husband
When she stated yesterday that her
Df L.
was all the claim she put in, of which
50 As was for feed of horses for seven
days and $40 Tor food for herself and
children for seven days, had been shaved
by Judge Utley, it was not at first
credited. But che insisted that he gave
her a check for $40. SO for her claim, thus
making the enm of 81 So from her.
Mrs. Comstock's assertion was found
10 be correct, and it was ascertained
that Judge Utley cashed the demand in
four days.
1t Was also found that the county
auditors books showed claims OF wit
nesses to the amount OF $103 so trans
ferred to Deputy District Attorney Ut
o. and he had receipted for the de-
mands, after first passing upon them
when submitted to him by tbs super
visors.
Inc uenHnue lor Wnlcn ne recelpted
are as follows o. d. Buck, $l2.55;
Mrs. N. l.. Comstock, sl1.S5; Peter
Feliz, $l2.55; MARITIME Feliz $40. O5;
Henry Kegel, $1255; +. Rsvivis, $l2.55;
i. Rodrigues, 81 70; W. d. Stiles, SIP. 55;
VIM. Walters, $l4 40.
There we're some Is other demands by
Witnesses, which were collected bv them
personally. Out of these some IA had
been reduced by Judge Utley, while
neither one of the nine mentioned above
were cut down.
The eeverest condemnation of the
practice in which Mr.. Utley hasfn-
dulced is set forth in the lave of the
state, and the following section, appli-
cable to it, shows just where he stands:
Section 923 OF article of the political
code OF California reads THE state
treasurer and controller, the several
county, city or town off GERS OF this
state, their deputies and ce.ks, are pro-
hibited from purchasing or selling, or in
any manner receiving TO their own use
or benefit or to the use or benefit of any
person or persone whatever, any state,
county or city warrants, scrip, orders.