Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-06-19
,ONFES SION OF FRAUD AND
JOBBERY.
ADMITS THE WHOLE CASE.

The Salem Statesman now cOufcSScS
HE tampering with the bill and the
whole fraud:
Court adjourned about noon, on
Friday, June II, without having con-
sidered the bill in open court. The
fharge is that the county clerk dated
fhe bill as haying been filed on the
Atb, and allowed on the 1lth, when
ihe fact appears to be that it was not
fed on the 18th, "a hours after the
.eourt had adjourned. The original
bill is typewriter and contained
bnly the items as here given. Their
footing is $25 less than the total.
"Wednesday forenoon the discovery
HAS made that a figure "2" had been
Inserted with pen and ink in the
ftensn column of the second item of
thp bill, which as amended, reads as
3Ollows:
building cabinet in corner. 20 so"
n Here was a raise of $40. Al the
kame time it was discovered that
fgure "5" had been inserted with pen
tnd ink in the "units' column OF the
twelfth item, which, when amended,
head as follows:
Repairing wash basin .. 65''
Here was raise of S5. Thus
amended, the itemized bill produced
iOtal equaling that for which war
hnts had been drawn. This change
b the itemiZed bill Judge Terrell
snys he made because the typewritist
Ia copying the bill from manuscript
lad omitted one line as follows:
Moving and adjusting bulletin
Had this line been inserted, there
Duld have beeu no occasion 10 raise
other two items to make the ag.
M egate Of the ltemized bill agree
With the total for which warrants
had been drawn.
This, in brief, is the story. That
Ahe bill as paid is eXtravagant, ex-
hprbtant, none can deny. That the
manner in which the contract was let
Mas loose is self-evident. And that
be mode CT its auditing and payment
II irregular is not questioned. But
Nhether or not there was criminal
Negligence or misfeaSance, it is the
&hty of the grand jury to determine.
LEADING REPUBLICANS TALK.
The Statesman this morning has in
krviews with prominent Salem Re-
nblicans all denouncing the court
Buse job:
WGeO w. Davis, chairman county
Republican committee: In the man
IN of letting contracts the court is
m6usineSs-like and if the irregular
PES alleged are true they are utterly
Ndefensible."
ID. p. Mccormack: "The large eX-
Nnditures of public money recently
fhde by the county court were, in my
piniOn uncalled for and unnecessary
~ this time, and not in keeping with
fhe promises made to the people that
IA id economy would be practiced in
.ne administration of public offices.
tbe people will approve any reason
ple expenditures for the general i'm
movement of the county roads, but
tpe expensive contracts for unneces-
~ grading at two or three remote
Wlnts should be abrogated at once
40 rigid inquiry should be made as
"a the regularity of the courts pro-
ffedlngs. The people are practicing
tpe strictest economy in their own af-
lrs and have right to demand the
#me economy in public business and
tRey should not, and will mot, sit qui.
etly 10y and see the public money
4nandered."
II. j. Hendricks: "There are
tuarges OF irregularity grave enough,
4thlnk, to warrant thorough inves-
likation into all the facts by the grand
5tIy; II there is no one guilty of m is
ttt uuct this would result in eXoner-
AuOh; II there are guilty parties they
FHguId be punished as provided by law.
|laud Catch: II do not know
'n1Retner the charge against Judge
%fiTell and the parties with whom he
made contracts for various i'm
YVements be true or not, but he,
H4lself, should ask for full inyesti-
tlon, and If the county has been
#posed upon proceedings at once
llJutee TO make the parties who
e Wrodged the county refund what
Wy nave lllicitly taken. 1 hope the
Improvement OF the big bridge, which
city has so persistently under
Wen with the county, will not be so
4llhc OF scandal as have the late
nty court house improvements"
oseph Meyers: 1T would have
more business-like had the county
n called for competitive bids on
M work"
Q. Barnes: "lf any wrong has
committed l think it should be
ected. An officer elected by the
PIE should be satisfied with the
fy attached TO the Office"
r. GoOde: "Had | been in the
ee'ss place the improvement never
lu nave been made in such times.
halI the money would have done
work."
Holverson: "If there is a SEM
ice Of truth IN the current reports