The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-12-23

The county board met pursuant to
adjournment, on Saturday last to take
action on the report of the committee
appointed to examine the accounts
OF Joseph Weinfuther. There was a
full attendance. The committee, con-
sisting of W. G Maertz, Joseph Viii
lott and John Sechrist had made
pretty thorough examination and
made full report. The report was
in three parts, The first related 20
moneys paid out for which there were
no vouchers in the Office of the county
clerk. The amount under this head
was $623.64.
The second report dealt with mon
eys paid out, bills being filed, but all
IN the same handwriting and made
out on county blanks. The amount
aggregated S23515.
The third report dealt with raised
bills, tax certificates paid and not can
celled and purchases made for the
county and apparently pot delivered
amounting in the aggregate to S2l450.
the grand total being 81, 073 27.
The report stated that the irregu
larities in Report No. l, were in
seeming only, as the county had re-
ceived the articles in many instances.
but the committee had limited its in
vestigations to what the office records
showed without attempting to ascer-
tain whether the articles were in pos
session of the county, though stating
that incidentally it came to the knowl-
edge of the committee that many of
the articles were in the offices for
which they had been ordered.
For time the Board did not know
what steps to take, and no one wished
to take the initiative. G. II. Zorn of
Schleswlg with that ;mpetuous indie
pendence for which he is noted, said
criminal prosecution was the proper
step. But it was known that the
bondsmen were not liable for any
shortage on the account of Weinfur
Their as purchasing agent, as that's
not statutory duty but one conferred
by the county board The shortage
was almost wholly in the line of pnr-
chasing agent. Settlement was then
apparently the best thing for the
county. Maertz, the chairman of the
Investigating committee, explained
that the shortage as shown by the re-
port was not as great as it was IN act
uality, but the vouchers, books and
stubs showed Just what the committee
reported. That the committee had
discovered instances in which Vein
further had paid out money without
crediting himself That if the defici-
ency were made good it was not ap
parent how the county could have
been run for the small amount then
chargeable to it. That even with the
apparent defalcation includ &c, the ex-
pense to the county was not above the
average from 1890.
Supervisor Sheldon then took hold
ofthe matter Ga his recommendation
each member presented on a slip of pa
per the amount which hethoughtW Vein
further should pay the county to
make good the loss and pay for the
expense of investigation The sums
varied from S4O0 to $4,000 and the
average was about $3.50. Sheldon
then introduced a resolution Offering
to settle with Weinfurther for 81 900
aud not to prosecute if settlement was
made.
Prior to this, Weinfurther was sent
for. He appeared before the Board,
haggard and gray, his face plainly
showing the anguish he endured the
past month, He said he was satisfied
an inventory of what the offices con-
h. IL
was not as much as the records show
ed, but he was anxious to settle rather
than await a further examination to
learn the exact amount due, as his
family was dependent upon his labors
and their support required his labor.
He spoke feelingly and his depression
and forlorn condition aroused sym
pathy.
Sheldon's motion was carried unani-
mousIy. Weinfurther had mortgaged
his home to raise the money and pro-
cured it before the Board adjourned
W. G. Maertz, Joseph WiIlott and the
district attorney were app inted a
committee 10 receive the money and
make the necessary cancellations.
They completed their work on Tues
day.
Weinfurther's actual shortage is
about $449.50. rather less than above.
The sum of S623.64 mentioned in Re-
port l, as a shortage, is due to his
bnngling manner of keeping accounts.
There can be no doubt the county had
every article therein mentioned. With
his bungling way of doing business
there Is not much doubt that there
are errors in the balance of S449. So.
which if they could be corrected
would reduce this defalcation. The
fact that the expenses under his ad-
mlnistration were below the average
chow that his bungling was as much
against himself as against the county
The expense of investigating cannot
reach $500. The days session of the
county board is somewhat less. Add
ing these to the actual shortage leaves
the county ahead $500. The Board
was disposed to act fairly in the mat
ter, and there was a general DISPOSE
ton to be merciful as we'll as just