The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-01-16
He WAS ONLY CARELESS
Butts'S City Clerk Did No Intentional
Wrong.
AS THE REPORT PUTS 1T
The Committee Found Many Evil
dences of IrreguIarity and
Their State ment Is
Interesting.


irregularities in connection with the polio.
court receipts and records which were
brought out at the investigation that was
concluded last night were due simply tc
carelessness, and report in accordance
with this finding was ordered drawn up
After this decision was reached one OF
the members of the committee made an
indefinite remark about a "bale of white.
wash brushes" but he was frowned down
upon 30 hard that be withdrew the remark
when tue reporters reached for their
pencils.
The full committee met promptly at 8
O'Clock and spent nearly two hours in a
rather rambling discussion of the case.
Chairman Schatzlein inquired IL it was
the sense of the committee that the public
would be satisfied TO have the present city
clerk retained. Cook and Sherman ex-
pressed the opinion that there were no
facts to justify change in that official.
1t appeared TO them that the discrepancies
shown resulted from clerical errors which
under the old complicated system might
occur even with close watching. Byrne
thought that the trouble was largely due
TO the inattention of the finance commit
tee and general lack of supervision over
the city clerks office.
mittee, of which he is chairman, had al
ways checked up the clerks books and
receipts regularly, but were unable to
check up with the jailer's record because
1t was printed in such form as to
make comparison with the city clerks
records complicated and tedious Job.
which the committee had not the time to
attend TO. On his suggestion it was de-
clded to order new and more convenient
jail record, which will show the full his
tory OF each case at a glance and make
comparisons easy.
IF this investigation had taken place
three weeks ago." said Schatzlein, 1--WE
would have found things IN very bad
shape Every item has been checked over
twice since then and a new cash book nut
IN use. the main question about the CITY
clerk is that he has handled money care
lessly and In manner that don't believe
is satisfactory to the public. Looking at
the matter from a business standpoint
would we II we had an employee who hand
LED money that way continue to employ
him ?n
Byrne believed that city affairs should
he handled even more carefully than a
mans private business, for the reason
that 1t was other peoples money that was
beng handled.
Bowman stated that there were SO manv
people handling the police court receipts
that II was out of the question TO fix ali of
the blame on the clerk. Court Officer
Hallahan, he said, claimed to have turned
money over to the clerk, but he didn't
know whether he had done SO or not
Alter some further discussion the secre-
tary was instructed to draw up a report
concerning the careless method in which
the city clerk has kept the police record.
recommending that all fines in which paw
lnent was alleged and not denied bei paid |
by the clerk, and that all persons owing |
INES be thrown in Jail, and recommend |
ing strict compliance with section 8 of |
ordnance Ito, which covers the matter |
fully and reads as follows: ut shall be |
the duty of the keeper of the city prison |
TO keep record of all persons received bv |
him or committed to his custody; by |
whom arrested and date of arrest, for |
r wnae 0if ems the the person was ar;
of such person, the date of the |
commitment of such person to his Gus.
tody. the amount of the fine and costs
whether or not such person served out
the time required to pay said fine and
costs or paid part thereof, and if so the
amount paid by such person. and the
1lnal disposition of the case. He shall
also report to the police magistrate the
day upon which the term of imprisonment
OF any person confined in the city prison
will expire and the police magistrate shall
forthwith issue an order to the keeper of
make an entry of the issuance of such or
der OF release upon his docket, and no
person shall be released from said prison
by the Keeper thereof until such order of
release is issued by the police magistrate
and signed by the city clerk. He shall
a! make a full report to the city council
a. he first regular meeting in
each month of all persons con-
lined in said prison during the
preceding month, the ofense for which
'uch person was confied in said prison,
he date of the commitment and by
whom issued, the amount of the fine and
'osts, the number of days served. the
amount OF money paid on said fine and
'osts, aud the date or dates of payment
md the number of days served in addition
hereto, the date of the release of such |
person from prison and upon whose order
uch person was released and such other
ma further Information as the council
nay from time to time require of him."
\ strict compliance with this ordinance
VIII make any further Irregularities al
cost impossible. 1t was also decided to
commend that the clerk turn all moneys |
yer 10 the treasurer weekly and that the
Jerk give receipts for all money received
rom officers.
After the matter in hand was disposed
I several partially indefinite complaints ,
I gross irregularities IN other branches
I the police department were talked of.
Ut the committee felt that they had no ;
outside of the separate inyes-
cation Tor which they were appointed. /;
was accordingly decided to simply re- ..
or the matter to the council and lei tho
ouDcil appoint another committee if the
ldermen so desired. The chairman said
c was convinced that what had been dis
overed by the committee was only n
mall part OF the rottenness existing in
ne police department.
Byrne said 1t was a significant fact that
lere we're not two policemen on the force |
no were not constantly trying to get on |
re Galena and Mercury street beats. He
nd the women oil the badlands paid fines
and we're entitled to some con-
Iteration instead of persecution in a
pirit of vengeance, as he understood had
been the case.
The committee then adjourned until
rening 10 sign their report
The committee met again this evening
nd adopted the following report. which
i'll go TO the council tc--r1or-ovr. 49,, |