St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-04
CHARLES w. SMITH is CHARGED
WITH SOME CROOKED CHECK
WORK.
WAS PLACED UNDER ARREST,
but DID NOT SPEND THE NIGHT
IN JAIL, FOR SOME REA-
SON.
He HAD A POLITICAL FRIEND
Who Kept Getting Him Positions
His Work in the County Audi
tors Office.

Charles w. Smith, young man
who, previous to September last, was
employed in the office of County Au-
ditor Sullivan, was arrested yesterday
on charge of attempting to secure
So on a check when he had no cash
on deposit with which to pay. While
this is the specific charge against
Smith, he is accused, unofficially, Of
still greater otfenses, but he has been
SO shielded by his friends, even the
very ones he is charged with having
given the worst Of it, that it has been
almost impossible to secure definite
information regarding his operations.
After Smith left the Office of the coun-
ty auditor last fall G l o b e reporter
received a straight tip" that he had
been let out because Of his crooked
work. 1t was said that he had been
figuring excessive interest on delin-
quent taxes when property owners
came to pay up. This excessive inter-
est was turned over to the person
who paid the delinquent tax, and after
wards Smith would go and secure the
return of the extra amount. The rec
ords of the office were thus kept
oSi oi5AAS, WiiAiCJ ~ Woo ociu, OiiiiIi
profted by the arrangement. One wom-
an got suspicious and went to Mr..
Sullivan, and then Smith declared it
20 be a clerical error. On this dis
eoVery, or soon after, Smith left the
position. Mr.. Sullivan said that this
was the only case of it's kind. 1t may
have been, or there may have been
other delinquents who were charged
more interest and paid the Interest
ignorantly, supposing 1t was all right.
Auditor Sullivan said he did not
think Smiths operations were extens-
i've if they extended over one or two
cases. No others came to light, for
the majority of those paying taxes evil
IDENTIFY took 1t for granted that the
amount charged was all right and paid
no further attention
Auditor Sullivan was asked about the
matter at the time, but made light Of
it, and said he thought it was a mis-
take on Smiths part. A reporter went
to see Smith about it, but he, too, de-
clined to say much, further than to
express the opinion that whatever Mr..
Sullivan had to say about it was all
right. He had simply made mistake
and that was all there was to it, The
G. OBJ had no desire to injure the
reputation of any man by the publica-
ton of rumors that might prove to be
only partly true, SO the matter was
dropped.
1t was learned at that time, how
ever, that Smith had been accused of
securing money on checks given on
banks in which he had no funds;
that at least some of these checks, it
was reported, had been cashed by per-
sons who did not know Smith, but who
advanced the money on the presump-
ton that he was a relative of Mayor
Smith. Some Of his friends came to
the rescue, it was reported, and saved
him from prosecution. Some of the
politicians about the court house are
said to have advanced him money on
Ike checks and orders for salary that
was not due him, but they preferred
to lose the amount rather than prose-
cute him, and in this way he got off,
and the matter seemed to have been
entirely hushed up.
But Smith had been so successful In
his operations on this occasion that
he thought he could repeat them
without any greater risk, so a few
days ago he turned up at the court
house again with a story that his
father was dying and he needed money
to go to him. Sheriff Chapel was thus
induced to give him $40, and other Off
Gals about the court house contributed
their mite, but Deputy Clerk of the
Court Fitzgerald could not be worked,
as he had heard of Smiths previous
record. His operations were cut short,
however by the issuance of a warrant
on a charge lodged by Michaud Bros.
that Smith had secured from them So
on a check given on a bank in which
he had no funds.
Smith was arrested yesterday by
Deputy Sheriff F. L. Krayenbuhl, and
would have been locked up in the coun-
ty Jail were it not for the fact that he
begged the sheriff to permit him to re-
main in his office until his friends came
to his assistance and bailed him out
He gave the sheriff a list of persons he
thought he could rely on for help, and
While waiting for some of them to turn
up, he was allowed to remain in the
sheriff's private office. No one had
come to bail him out up to $50 last
evening, but as he was not in the iail
last night and the jailer did not seem
have either furnished bail or been al
lowed to lodge at a hotel in custody of
a deputy.
Smith denies that he had any criminal
intent in giving the check to Michaud
Bros. He says he fully intended when
he gave it to deposit the money, and
his failure to do SO was simply an over
sight. He was careless in the matter.
that was all. 1t will take a good deal
more than his word, however, to con-
vince the friends Smith worked for
amounts ranging from $40 to $50 each
that there was no criminal intent in his
conduct. One Of his victims is Deputy
Sheriff George Irish whom he caught
for something over $50 in all.
Smith has nice family, and his home
is on Western avenue. He has been ac-
customed to living rather eXtravag Mt
ly FOR man Of his means, and his re-
sort to this means of replenishing his
purse may have been the result.
Smith came to st. Paul from little
town In Illinois, where he is still re-
hempefed. When he came he was taken
UP by certain Republican politician.
who has since attained some promi,
nence. He securel a position for Smith
with the Republican state central com
mlttee, where Smith worked throughout
the campaign. After the election Smith
was given position in the county a11-
dltors Office, where he remained until
his work got too coarse for his political
friends, and then he was allowed to
shift for himself
1t is expected that Smiths friends
Will again come to the rescue.
OFFERED A POSITION,