The herald., 1895-12-25
HON ABOUT TRUST FUNDS
1t is Understood that They Are
a TrifIe Short
GRAND JURY INVESTIGATING
LOwery's Remarkable Silence Losing
Him the Faith of His Friends
Pressure Being Brought to Bear on County
Clerk Newlin to Prevent Any
GRAND JURY INVESTIGATING
Pressure Being Brought to Bear on Count,
Clerk Newlin to Prevent Any
Change OF Deputies


county clerks office, if rumors that were
current yesterday in the corridors of the
big stone building on the hill are to be
believed.
This time the particular fund in the
county clerks Office which is said to be
out of shape is what is known as the trust
fund. 1t is made up of money which come
into the county clerks hands through the
courts and orders of the courts. 1t in
cludes bail money, funds paid 1 in the
settlement of estates, money paid in on
judgments, etc.
When Mr.. Ward went out of office and
turned his books, such as were left of the
records of cash receipts. over to Mr.. New
lin he gave up somewhere between $500
and $1,000 of trust funds.
Now Mr.. Newln has no means of know
ing, nor did he suspect that there was any
thing wrong with the trust funds. Yet any
man of experience would have known that
$1,000 trust funds was remarkably light.
But as over $500 had been stolen directly
out of the cash drawer. and Mr.. Newlin
knew nothing about it until after he had
been in office nine months. and was then
informed of the fact by the disclosures of
the grand jury, it is not to be supposed
that he would be up an the trust fund, the
Mr.. Newlin now has in his custody
trust fund of over $4,000. just how much
he did not know yesterday. The books
and records appertaining to the trust
funds are now In the hands of the grand
jury, and are being closely scrutinzed by
the experts. 1t has leaked out that the
funds as they were left when Mr.. Ward
turned them over TO Mr.. Newlin do not
tally with the records. If any money was
taken II is not known who obtained it. 1t
is claimed that Mr.. Ward did not take the
money. but If there is any missing, as it is
claimed there is, it was taken by some OF
bis thieving and specializing deputies.
When Judge Smith overruled the demur-
rer to the Lowery Indictment yesterday the
court house combination got another blow.
Smith was right roundly denounced for re-
fusing 10 sustain the demurrer. thereby
wipng out the Lowery prosecution. 1t is
getting very near to the point where Mr..
Lowery will have to do some tall explain
ing or he may be asked to take a trip
north with Deputy Sheriff Mcclure as far
as San Quentin. Mr.. Lowery has SO far
contented himself with making spectacular
declarations on the II am innocent" basis,
until many of his friends have become dis
gusted with him. He offers no extenuating
evidence which tends in any way to excuse
what now looks like a dead steal, a verita-
bic robbing of his benefactor. Mr.. Lowery
has employed every technicality to escape
being compelled to tell the story of his
$500 defalcaton. but his efforts have thus
far been without avail. Even if he had
succeeded in having the indictments
against him quashed on fimsy technicali-
ties he would stand before the public in the
light of thief.
1t will be an advantage to the fight that
is now being made for good government if
Mr.. Lowery is compelled to tell the full
story, the details of which is is understood
he has, of courthouse crookedness He
may have to do it or take a northern trip.
Since HE HERALD published the ex-
elusive announcement of the reorganiza-
ton of Mr.. Newln's force of deputies in
the county clerks office, the combination
of politicians who look upon the courthouse
deputyshps as their particular spoil have
been hard at work. Mr.. Newlin's life yes
terday dreamy waste. He has been
appealed to from all sides to make no
changes. If Mr.. Newlin were to reorgan-
ize his office on the basis he originally out
lined of retaining only such deputies as
were absolutely clean and clear of all sus-
pcion of all knowledge of past official mis-
conduct it would establish very danger
Gus precedent and open way whereby
some very raw work that has been done in
the county Offices in the years past could
possibly be exposed. This cannot be done
fully where men are retained in office
whose duty is partly understood to be to
prevent daylight being thrown ON every
thing that has the semblance of being
wrong. With a new deal and some new
deputies there might, either accidentally or
otherwise. be some more revelations as to
how things have been going in the clerk S
office. And if new deputies were put in
the clerks Office there might be some other
county officials who would take it into
their heads to reorganize their office force.
All of this being true, it can be seen at a
glance that it is quite essential to the com
bination that Mr.. Newlin make no changes
in his force of deputies. 1t was announced
yesterday that Mr.. Newln had been won
over, and tlat further than the re-
tirement of A. w. Seaver the
deputies of the county clerks Office would
remain unchanged after January 1st
This intelligence, dropped into the stock
ings of eighteen deputies under Mr.. New
lin, is about as pleasant Christmas gift
as they will desire.
The grand jury will meet again tomor-
row, but as to whether or not they will re-
port any indictments to Judge Smith could
not be learned.
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