The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-09-24
REPORT WAS
ERRONEOUS
Attorney General Grigsby Expresses the
Opinion That Examiner Taylor is
Wrong in His Figures.
Mrs. Albert Baker, an Aged Lady from
LetCher, Died Friday Night From
a Stroke Of ApopleXy.
THE STUDENTS MEET
An Informal and Pleasant Gathering Of
the University Students Was Held
at the Methodist Church.
WAS FOUND TO BE ERRONEOUS.

Attorney General Gr4ssby Disagreed With
Examiner Taylor on the Shortage.
Some few weeks ago Public Examiner
Taylor examined the books of Auditor |
Mayhem and the books kept by ex-
Auditor Hlppie during his admintstra-
tion and found that Mr.. Mayhem was
short ,.oout Sl75 and Mr.. Nipple about
300 Under Instructions from Gov. |
Lee the attorney general was notified
to begin suit against those two gentle
men to recover the shortage. 1t seems,
however, that in making his examina
tion Mr.. Taylor did not use ordinary
schoolboy knowledge in examining the
books of the two auditors and sufficient
general to throw discredit upon his
entire report. In touching upon the
matter we take the following from the
Argus Leader, which contains state
ment from Attorney General Grigsby:
The expected has happened. The
report of Public Examiner Taylor on
the alleged shortage in the auditors
1
pears to be the result of the public ex-
aminer's ignorance of accounts, coupled
with the desire OF the governor to
create sensation. Attorney General
Grigsby returned Saturday evening
from Pierre and says that he found
enough errors in Taylor's report to
Justify him in refusing to prosecute
Mayh hew and Ripple. Mr.. Taylor has
written letter TO the attorney general
that he would like to meet him and
compare the accounts, but inasmuch as
Mr.. Grigsby has spent considerable
time already in trying to get Taylor to
review his work, he has decided that
unless his services are needed he will
not return to the capital. His express
sions on the Taylor investigation are
embodied in the following remarks:
"While at Pierre made few in
vestigations on my own account which
convinced me that Mr.. Taylor's figures
are in error. 1 took three insurance
companies and copied the figures of
each from the ledger. The totals /
compared with Mr.. Taylor's figures,
and [ found discrepancies in each of
the three companies. am no account
ant, but know absolutely that my fg-
ures are correct. l wrote the governor
that my own Investigations had led me
to believe that Mr.. Taylor's figures
were incorrect, and that 1 could not
bring suit against Messrs. Ripple and
Mayhew on that basis.
"The clerical force in the auditors
Office is making systematic and scien.
getting out q report that can be check
ed against. Mr.. Taylor's report is al
of lump sums-the other figures which
he copied from the books he has in hit
possession, and 1 was unable to check
his report against the books and asce r
tain where the error was. Whether i
is an error in addition or in copying
figures do not know.
81 could not bring suit against thes'
men and introduce in evidence Mr.
Taylor's report. could not place m.
finger on an lem and say that her
was the shortage. He has left no wa
in which the books of the treasure
could be introduced as evidence, as the
would have to be if I we're to have an
case. The report being prepared b
the Office force will, as [ have said, b
scientific and will check itself.
''The whole matter is undoubtedl
unfortunate. 1t will have to be gon
through with now, to the satisfactio
of the state. I know Examiner Taylol
and know him to be an honest col
scientious man and official. If he hs
erred it has been in not being abs
lutely certain that his figures we're co
rect before publishing his report. 4
l have said, it is unfortunate to all CO.
= cerned that Mr.. Taylor was not MOI
careful 10 prove his figures before
gave them to the public.
b ga good many people seem TO be u
der the impression that should brir
suit against Anderson for the amour
that he collected unlawfully from tt
insurance companies as state examine
1t seems to me that these insuran
companies have able attorneys and tn
y each of them would know exactly VIII
y our law is in regard to the fees
y examiner would be allowed to charg
and that when they paid such unlawf
charges they must have done 80 kno
ingly and must have had motive
some kind in doing SO. Each of t
companies has been informed in rega
to the unlawful charges and I dol
see any reason why as an officer of t
an state I should undertake to cole