The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-01-28
ROTTEN NESS IN IOWA.
Startling Revelations of the Doings
of q Bonrd OF Supervisors.


of n Board of Supervisors.
Chicago, Jan. 2S.-A special to-. the
Herald from Sioux City says: A settle
ment with the county board of super
visors of this CWoodbury) county has
just been effected with the Woodbury.
county citizens and taxpayers COM
mittee and others, of number of suits
pending in the courts and marks the
end of some of the most bitterly con-
tested litigationS ever Instituted il
court.
ABOUT a year ago newspapers sue
ceeded in getting an abstract of county
warrants issued to the board of super
Visors, and TO divers persons, but all of
which We're receipted for by some one of
another member OF the board, and it
was published. It was shown that mem
beers Of the board in three years time
had drawn something like 100000 OF
funds from the county road, insane and
poor funds, and that there was little to
show for it in the way of work done to
county roads, etc.
The upshot of it was that the COM
| mittee referred to was organized and
experts We're engaged to so over the
| county books. The revelations were
| startling in the extreme. 1t was al
Ileged that the county had been sys-
4
lars and that fictitious bills had been
| rendered. Aftidavits were prepared,
| showing the extent of the Irregular
! ties, and presented to the court in sup
| port of the application for a, temporary
| injunctin to restrain the supervisors
from placing the debt beyond repudia-
ton by the sale of a, bond issue to fund
$225, 900 Of the warrants, among which
were those in question. AS soon as this
injunction to restrain the supervisors
! county officers became frightened
Deputy Auditor Roberts suddenly left
the county and was finally located II
Virginia. He was promised immunity
if he would come back, and he did so
He was put on bond, and in supper
of the application of the committee Il
make the injunction permanent, tolc
a startling tale. He recited the par.
ticulars of the system by which it is
claimed the padded bills were so
through the board.
Suits were instituted against mem
bers of the board to impeach and re
move them from office. SUPERVISE
Strange was found guilty and removed
Supervisor Hunting, when he heard tn,
result Of the Strange suit, resigned
Supervisors Adams and Eppe were als1
made defendants, but weakened ant
gave the attorneys of the prosecution
valuable information to be used il
/ prosecuting the other cases and recov
ering the stolen money. In the mean
time, the supervisors started to retail
ate and announced that Treasurer Kie
fer mad Illegally withheld large sum
of money in the shape of the fees o
his Office. The board commenced a sui
: to recover $4,000 from him and hi
bondsmen, who were members OF tn
citizens committee. Of the warrant
enjoined, nearly 100000 worth wer
bought by the Farmers Loan an,
Trust company, of this city, whic
had an arrangement with the boar
TO carry them at time whe
the county treasurer had no funds t
pay them. Finally a sitting conmitte
went over the warrants. and by consen
{ all but about 100000 of them were re
. leased, for the reason that the count
had no defense against them. The res
OF the warrants were held by the sift
+ ing committee, and the trust compan
: commenced two suits against the cour
: ty, one for 100000 and one for $25, 0C
l to put the warrants sold in judgmen
This made the county anxious for
settlement, as the cases promised t
: amass a great amount of costs and fo
! a week past efforts to bring about on
5 have been in progress and have bee
l partially successful.
Saturday the Farmers Loan & Trus
= company, the citizens committe and tn
county board met together and agreed t
a stipulation by which the Trust CON
Y pany released the county of $1,000 c
: warrants, pay the costs in the suits an
Y in turn has released from the injunctio
/. on all the warrants it holds with Ia
understanding that they are to be bono
ed and in turn dismisses the suits it ha
brought. A settlement was made wit
hiefer by which he completely rein
;, burses the county for all shortages foun
" in his books. The cases against Kell
on the printing bills still stand and thel
= outside of court. These cases are n
D. only ones of the civil actions, howeve
that will stand. The costs on both side
n nave been enormous. The criminal cas-
IL all stand DESPITE the settlement of II
A civil suits. and it is the intention to pus
them all