The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-09-14


Andrews Furniture company, Will ar
rive in the city Monday morning and
will take the stand at the meeting of
the county court in the afternoon.
That Whittemore, the county attor-
ney, considers his case desperate is
evidenced by the fact that Weary is
going to be here too. He passed
through Denver yesterday for Salt
Lake. This means that another $500
may be expended by the county court
for his attendance and perhaps more, !
as it is understood that the man with !
the tired title has been doing some |
+'sleuthing'' in Chicago since his depar-
ture from this city.
1t is possible that there viii be a !
raft Of fun at the investigation Mon !
day. There is liable to be a surprise |
sprung by the furniture people. In |
deed if they should happen to bring |
several reputable Chicago furniture
men, together with all the books and
papers it would occasion no astonish-
ment to those who know all about
matters.
One part of the defense, If that is
the proper term to use In this connec- !
ton, will be the aC'Iing for the re-
ports made by the two experts who
we're employed some time ago, and
whose findings did not suit the county
attorney. These reports were paid for
and ought to be part of the records,
but they are not. In all probability the
attorneys for the furniture company
will call for them and insist upon their
being produced
No Regard For Law.
Passing from the matter of the furni- !
ture investigation, which, if there has
been any crooked work should be
thorough and complete enough TO ex-
pose every act not according to law, /
the following matters are dilated upon
for the benefit of those who are inter
ested.
It is evident from the action taken,
that this court has no regard what
ever for the law. No matter what its
pretensions may be in this direction. it
and its attorney have violated the
statutes from the time they began
their official career to this hour.
Some months ago The Herald called
the attention OF the selectmen to the
fact that their bills were not made out
according to law. The Herald called
attention to the statements made by
the selectmen, in this that they were
not according to law, the answer made
by the member from Farmers ward
was that the county attorney had told
them so to do; that they were not re-
Quired to specify as the statute states.
Why? Why was this short system
adopted? Because this paper was tel
ling the taxpayers where the money
was going; who was walking it out
IN mileage. 1t was done, as many as
Sert, to conceal facts and if the mat |
ter was taken into the district courts
st is claimed those bills would not stand !
for a moment
Instances are noted every day appro-
priations are made. The idea of
court sitting in judgment and allowing
a bill in favor Of a man and team"
and team" with nothing to indicate
who owns that team. or who the man
is. This paper has charged and reiter-
ateS that the major portion of the
business of the county court is done
IN dark lantern session, behind closed
doors, contrary to law. Everything
which can be concealed is concealed.
Mr.. Geddes has presumably filed his
checks on pauper account Yet the
clerk has them not in his possession.
They We're filed by giving the stub
book to the clerk and Immediately
withdrawn by the special auditor. 1t
Is useless to say that he is using them
for such is not the case. 4 reporter
for this paper asked for them yester-
day in order that he might check the
overdraft Of the State bank with the
stubs, and was told that the special
auditor had them. And yet the special
auditor was absent from the building
for four and one-half hours and those
stubs were not left in the custody of
the proper officer, open for inspection
by the public as provided by law.
Bills by the hundreds have been
passed by this court without a mark
on them to show they had been audited.
The Herald called attention to this
state of affairs times without number.
Finally. when it was apparent that the
grand jury would be asked TO investi-
gate when Mr.. WhittemOre anticipated
a citizen by asking that it be done
himself, the special auditor called the
attention of the selectmen to this state
OF affairs Whereupon every one of the
selectmen began Q. King bills. Bills
which have been passed for months
have recently been pronounced correct !
For months the court has employed
an expert as special auditor. He began
on the books of the old county court
and completed the work some weeks |
ago, and since then has been employed
in Strengthening out the crooks and
tangles in the bills and actions of the |
present county court.
Perhaps this was necessary work, |
Int there is no authority for the en-
ployment and the allowance of his
claim is as illegal as any act the court
can perform. There is nothing on the
minutes 10 show that he was author J
ized to do this work; nothing to show
he was employed If the three select |
men can employ a man without action
as d court, then any one of them has
the same privilege. n this act is a
legal one, Martin Christopherson can
ill Salt Lake county with special peace
officers or deputy sheep scab inspectors. !
There is absolutely no limit to the pos
sibilities if this policy is carried out. !
and from appearances this court is ca. |
pable of doing anything.
Cost of Towels.
The Herald takes great pleasure in
demonstrating a piece of economy in
the employment of head janitor, ]. n. |
Scott. Scott is the foreman of four
men (no pun intended) and has what
many a man would call a .fhowling
snap" He was employed by the court
at the beginning Of the year His sal
airy was fixed at $40 per month His
first bill was filed February 2S. for
work in January, and paid the same
day.
But when the ides OF March came
! $50 was not sufficient. Instead of sew
enty plain dollars, Scott received 500
IN addition for extra service" making
$50 in all This same condition nre |