The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-31


ing for the necessaries of life. AL
though constantly beseiged to recon-
mend and urge upon him the employ
ment of others. 1 invariably declined
to do so. except in the case just men,
toned.
was the owner of one team. This l
had hired out to young man about
a year before the State road work was
commenced with the agreement that
he was to find his own employment
Tor 1t and pay me for its use a certain
proportion Of the proceeds. He used it
for various private employers under
this arrangement. What employment
he may have obtained for it on the
State road work (among the dozens of
teams so employedD he obtained of his
own motion. L never directed or by in
tlmation requested its employment of
Mr.. K1lgore or any one else.
IEat L used or attempted to use Mr..
k1lgore for my own profit, or that l
had any pecuniary or personal interest
in the State road work or in the fur
nishing of material or the employment
either honestly or dishonesty made
any money, by "rake-offs'' or other
wise. out of the whole State road en-
terprise. or any part of it, or out of
any contract or expenditure relating
to it. l absolutely deny. In regard to
L
his family were living at Murray,
where 1 also live and have lived all
my life; he was Industrious and steady,
did not drink, and. so far as l know,
had no other bad habits: and was re-
garded as trustworthy and honest.
This was his character when he was
appointed road supervisor. l thought
he was honest and competent for the
position. and 1 must still regard him
as such until upon fair trial he is
proven guilty. If he has betrayed his
trust and padded his payrolls. he
should be punished. I say the same
about myself or any other man..
If am guilty of wrong-Going l ask
no quarter.
1 deny that so far as am concerned,
or so far as any one else is concerned,
to my knowledge, that there was any
faint of dishonesty or fraud in the
Andrews furniture contract.
l never, directly or indirectly, re-
ceived one cent out of it. by way of
commission" or otherwise. Time md
space forbid my taking up in detail
each one of the charges as expressed
or implied. l assert in general that if
I have committed any errors as select
man. they were errors of Judgment.
do not pretend to infallibility as a
financier or otherwise. 1t is not my
purpose in this card to go into those
possible to do so. I add here briefly
that 1 was in favor Of matchmaking
State road; that the material used on
it is not worthless dirt, but is excellent
material for the purpose, and that al
though I certainly should not have
favored the enterprise at the time had
the law on the county debt limit been
settled in advance of it's inception,
nevertheless maintain that it is one of
the most valuable and widely beneficial
improvements which have ever been
made in this county. But I deny most
emphatically that in any of the mat
tiers brought up in this investigation,
or any other matters during the whole
Of my incumbency of the office of
selectman, I in any way abused my Of
fetal position or done any dishonest
or corrupt act whatever. This state
ment and all the statements I have
made 1 am ready to make under oath,
and to go fully into all particulars.
1 shall be glad to confront my ac-
nent reformers now at the helm
of the county government or others,
before any competent tribunal, or
at any time or place where the
first principles Of justice and fair
play are recognized and an impartial
observer could detect the distinguish
ing line between the court and the
am willing to appear before even
the present selectmen, if they will
allow me to cross-examine their wit
nesses and to produce witnesses on my
own behalf. If the present investiga-
ton have discovered any cause of &C
ton against me to recover back any
public monies fraudulently obtained,
or any criminal offense on my part, it
is their duty to cause suit or prosecu-
ton, or both, to be instituted against
me, and I demand that they do so. In
the meantime common fairness re-
quires that no opinion of my conduct
should be based upon a hostile ex-
parte examination, carried on behind
my back for the avowed purpose Of
besmirching my character.
JOHN P. CAHOON.
Mr.. Cahoon said last night that he
had nothing to say further regarding
the case other than "silence had ceased
to be a virtue"
Mondays Proceedings.
The investigation will begin again to-
with the county court "sitting
as a court" Andrew Cahoon will be
again. Whether he at
tends or not will be another matter. If
he refuses the district court will be
asked to attach him.
Several other witnesses will be pres
ent.