The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-01-28
BOODLERS MAKE A SETTLEMENT,
How an Iowa Community
Was Swindled.
Supervisors Plundered Their county
Treasury.
LitIr.tiou end Arrests Succeeded by
settlement OF Suits and Repay
msnt of Money.

sHIcAeo. Jan. ga special to the Herald
from Sioux City, Ia, says: settlement with
the county board of supervisors OF this (Wood-
bury) county has just been effected with the
Woodbury. county citizens and taxpayers
committee and others, of number oil suits
pending in the courts, and marks the end OF
some of the most bitterly contested litigation
ever instituted in court
About year ago newspapers succeeded in
getting an abstract of county warrants issued
to the board of supervisors. and to divers per-
sons but all of which were receipted for by
some one or another OF the members of the
board, and it was published. 1t showed that
members of the board in three years time had
drawn something like 100000 OF funds from
the county road, bridge, insane and poor funds
and there was little to show for it in the way
of work done to the county roads, etc
The upshot of it was that the committee re-
ferred to was organized, and experts were en-
gagged to go over the county books. The reve-
lations were startling. 1t was alleged that the
county had been systemati cally robbed OF
thousands Of dollars and that fictitious bllls
had been rendered. Affidavits were prepared
showing the extent of the Irregularities and
presented to the court in support OF appica-
ton for temporary injunction to restrain
the supervisors from placing the debt beyond
reputation by the sale OF BOND issue
to fund $225,O00 of the warrants,
among which were those in question. AS
soon as this injunction was secured some OF
the county officers became frightened. Deputy
Auditor Roberts suddenly left the country ana
was finally located in Virginia He was prom
ised immunity if he would come back ana ne
did so. He was put on trial and in support OF
the application OF the committee to make the
injunction permanent and told startling
ole cd 4 a rtia system
by which 1t Is claimed the padded bills were
got through the board.
Suits were instituted against members of the
board to impeach and remove them from
Office. Supervisor Strange was found guilty
and removed. Supervisor Hunting, when he
heard the result of the Strange suit, resigned.
Supervisors Adams and Eppes were also made
defendants, but weakened and gave the at
torneys of the prosecution valuable informa-
ton to be used in prosecuting the other cases
and recovering the stolen money. In the
meantime the supervisors started to retaliate
and announced that Treasurer Kiefer had lille
gally withheld large sums of money in the
shape Of fees OF his office. The board COM
menced suit to recover $4,000 from him
and his bondsmen, who were members OF
the citizens committee. OF the warrants
enjoined nearly 5000, 900 were bought by
the Farmers Loan and Trust company of this
city, which had an arrangement with the
board to carry them at time when the county
treasurer had no funds to pay them. Finally
a sitting committee went over the warrants
and by consent all but about 100000 OF them
were released for the reason that the county
had no defense against them. The rest of the
warrants were held by the sitting committee
and the trust company commenced two suits
against the county, one for 100000 and one
for $780, 900 to put the warrants sold in judg-
ment This made the county anxious for {
settlement, as the cases promised to amass
great amount of costs, and for week pas
efforts to bring about one have been II
Saturday the Farmers Loan and Trust com
pany, the citizens committee and the county
board got together and agreed to a stipulation
by which the trust company released the
county of $4,000 of warrants, pay the costs
in the suits and in turn has released from the
injunction all the warrants 1t holds with the
understanding that they are to be bonded and
in turn dismiss the suit it has brought.
settlement was made with Kiefer by which he
completely reimbuses the county for all short
ages found in the books. The cases against
Kelly on the printing bills still stand, and
there is no prospect of settlement of then
outside of court. These cases are the only ones
OF the civil actions, however, that will stand
The costs on both sides have been enormous
The criminal cases all stand despite the settle
ment of the civil suits, and besides it is the in
tention to push them all