Mohave County miner., 1896-07-18
MIR. EWING'S REPORT
HE FOUND MHNY EQCUSABhE ERRORS AND MANY MEX
 CUSHBLE ONES. .... .......
Who Received the Com missions Is
 Unexplained.

SiI-At the last session of the District Court in Mohave county the Honorable Grand Jury of said county employ ed me as an expert to examine into the affairs of the various offices of the county, ynd to investigate certain specific charges of fraud, incompeteDcy, neglect of duty, &c., toge her with any other matters thas might come within my knowledge of ob- servatioo, and to report the same to you
 The time allowed me, in which to do this work was twenty days. In this time have been unable to make thorough investigation and calculations on all of the county affairs, out have in. vestigated many specific charges and beg leave to submit below my report thereon, as follows:
 First. As to the charge "Who re. novel lamp from the Recorders of Hce ?"
 find that when MT. Cowan came into this off @ there was an old lamp there, which he started to throw away, and Mr Morgan, the outgoing recorder, asked to be allowed to take it and use ii which was done Another lamp, Gal student lamp was the private property of Mir. Cowap, and was removed by him third lamp is now in the closet under the stairs.
 Second. Who removed stove from the clerks office?
 Mir. Cowsn exchanged the little coal stove that was there for larger and newer one, which is now in the clerks office, the county stove being at Mir Cowsn's house.
 Third. Does the District Attorney use coal oil belonging to the county Tn his private family?
 find that 15 gallons of oil have been charged to the county as having been furnished to Judge Murphy. In view of the fact that he has an office at his pri- vate residence and sometimes uses that in the public service after office hours, fifteen gallons of oil does not seem to me to be an excessive allowance during a period of eighteen months.
 Fourth. What commission if any did the District Attorney receive from the purchase by the county of certain legal books?
 The county has purchased l09 volumes of the California reports, three volumes of Deerings Criminal Digest, and few | other legal books. The California re- ports cost s each. which is the regular price charged other counties of the ter. rItory as shown by letters herewith. am unable to discover that more than | the regular price has been paid by the county for legal books.
 Fifth. Does the District Attorney make his regular quarterly report to the Board of Supervisors?
 He does not make any quarterly re- port to the board. He claims that he l does not know of any quarterly report required of him to be made since the District Attorneys office has been made n salaried office.
 Sixth. was instructed to make the most searching investigation into the business of the District Attorneys office
 The District Attorney handles no pub lie funds and collects no fees. Hs keeps but two books, in one of which are re corded the counts of the money found in the treasurer's safe at the end of each | quarter, and in the other record of all cases tried before Justices Courts, at which the District Attorney was present. | It appears to me that the only way m which the District Attorney could use his official position to secure unlawful gains would be by collision with persons guilty of, or charged with crimes, and an investigation of this character is scarcely l within the province of an expert, but would come more properly as an investi. | gation for the grand jury itself. Nor do I deem it within my province (if it were within my capsbilities) to pass judgment upon the competency or ability of of- fcials of the county.
 In appearance the District Attorneys office is neat and presentable, a small amount of necessary new furniture hay. ing been recently added. A record of all books. furniture and other property of the county is kept by the sheriff (acting jsmtor), so that nothing can be removed without his knowledge