The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-03-11
M)ORS WIDE OPEN.
~rrs ron FRAUD IN coxSEc-
w,rH COUNTY WARRANTS
v..s. About the Methods 81
x.o.r snd Allowing Claims
..x Isssin& warranf'-pi'cord Ia
raxuer Board of County Com
sm.er. How Ar. Heason
80, beyond His Linits-con-
.,.~ orders Prom the Superior
..4 FEDERAL Benches-ofher ooar'
xews-

- .h.,,st TIE Hsafon case hss
-. severa4 interesting facts about
o@.sss,e.s Affairs Of the county SIS they
.rsn~actas by the old hoard OF COM
-.<-vrtrzsonsrK- IL vas an open sscfst
y. $50 TIA. there was JACK OF perez
81 - sroonx the commissioners Esriy
= - rear. IL seems Try tesil 49, -.
~.-rsut that escn OF the three snoazi
-. af@,rfbution Of fls 90 Of the coun-
s@s A time % reckoning came early
z - vrssr Il wzs found that Heat0E
3 - st.,,shs,,aA sc 90 whereas SiekeTson
- xss.rsbutea only &Il.eH. Fina-4y an
--..usarf was reached ~ which the f~o
= eoravnlsslonerz agreed that they
80 srne- H~ston,s oVeraraft Of Si.eo
.-ss.s be would draw for no more He
49, - af,iae by this agreement. and dis
-. .scs corning In 20 the lest One r.
- =. tais + said % have been that when
8. rs~ board came into office they found
- - unpaid claims on tie
- ,.ts AZ course does not connect Mr.
u-.,~rts name with the charge OF fraud.
=. rs.tsver fraud may or NAV not have
- na-nussfad. TIE investigation which
= - 10 70 Tire charges has called a.;
.-~.s,e q, the fact that the door OF oDpor-
.s.s,v q left wide open for the perpetTa-
- ~ sueh frauds The method Of re-
....s,x sna approving % bills il s1bstan-
saSly a. follows;
- amith flies a claim for material
s.sssaed or labor rendered. HIS cain
! tafred over 20 the deputy In charge OF
80 work. This deputy. at his convenience
- A. sane stated time. takes up the
es,,ns 20 fled for auditing: and II. upon
srsnioatiSn. they seem 10 be regular they
- sfampeS audited" They are then
a "a - 30 ssFs Cd sra~ . - he
ssonty commissioners for approval or re-
saesior- II the commissioners approve. the
fsssu Il stamped allowed" ard returned
4 n. auditor with Instructions 10 issue
warrant in payment Of the came.
From the time Of fling up 10 ths ikSu-
ace Il the warrant no record II kept Of
~ e!asna presented oftentimss several
vsskx s.spse between the fling OF the
axsm and the issuance OF the warrant.
during which time the claims are open to
lnsssction and may be handled by any
azmbsr o. persons who have, or profess
10 have. any interest in them. and mas
rseh A. no record has been kept change
r. the amount OF the bill allowed could
Easily he made and detection would be diff
aeH.t Then after the warrants are Issued
a.a entered upon the register OF warrants
i TOE auditors Office. thls record II tram
ssssted Into the county commissioners
sscord. which IL apparently made up thus
ssiy after the warrants have been Issued
glance AZ this record may be OF interest
Faeh months doings in II are prefaced
ssh The words:
TIE following bills having been duly
aasssss and allowed were ordered paid
81 o. the general fund during the month
81 ------. the numbers on the margin
ke-ssf being the numbers OF the warrants
N&3a.4 t~ fhSrafnrs
Tasn follows the record In this wise;
stiea. J, VI. Layhue visiting schools.
MM April II. iAS''
re record OF the warrant thus becomes
- nrss actual record OF the claim or bin.
Tss sass with which a bill or claim might
n smnersd with By dishonest person
sz&de greater by tho fact that nowhere
as he voucher Is the amount called for
sfisssn out In words. On many OF thess
esesAes the wording IL extremely vague,
a. Gate being given as TO thu time when
lae work was done or the place at which
4 sss done.
The difficulty OF raising bill for labor
On reads is greater than the difficulty Of
falssag bin for the amount OF materials
FINISHED. provided the labor has been
performed by SOME one inferior TO the SUI
fsrvisor the latter issuing him n state
rent Of the work done from n book much
hsg check book and retaining the stub
from which the order has been detached
kas II bills are allowed similar 10 some
thai have been presented by supervisors
themselves for work done. either under
without contract. this difficulty vanish
- and the utmost precagtion would be
rseessaFy 70 prevent fraud. When such a
nii a. this. King County II John Doe.
". 70 repairing ---- rSds on road No -.
" = presented and no item Is made Of
We aa'e within which the work was done
sef TIE particular points on the road be-
NesA which the work was done. there Is
- possible way 10 ascertain whether a
~ Presented one month might not cover
Ne same work already paid for. Ye; bills
sstea
70 show how wide margin has been
Sst Tor re play OK dishonesty. Il IL stated
5000 authority that Commissioner
nsa5eh ordered work done and allowed
&c eiiis. amounting 10 nearly 81 ssl the
NesA laE which was altogether outside his
W. District ana the road upon which the
As was dene r. said not 20 have had
got than $50 expended on IL.
,4nffe were no new developments IN thA
aes.eH case yesterday. Ar. ueaton spent
"a quietly In the county tau. and his
s'eaes claim that he IS making no EFFORT
y sssaFe bonfsmen Indeed one OF them
"a - iaf IS 10 aay that Nr. Heaton did
~. sHfe 20 secure bond but would prefer
AY Tor his enemies on the score II
t imprisonment This i in keeping
Threat which the accommodations
"h41e Be was s5iil ln Office. when ne
'@st y his enemies ATTEMPTED % take
~ t8eN would rie the DAY
t'se ~eo are gnfFisndl. 70 Mr. Noaton
p1 tae othfr hand. that nc has made
F1ott go secufe bondegusn. but with
ANal- sNd thew lavgh AZ ths xerxe 3
= 's-se imprisonment u t. entirety
t"at 'ne charge or which be WIS
're VII noJ - ere one on which Re
,so' e'st tfst other and sravsr accuse.
"-s afe pending
5 Ataa reasonably certain that ether
se's VII follow This. Tor Gre thing
sNg.ain the strict Injunction 70 Sc
~Hlca Aas teen laid upoa everyone
~ the rcwo1est way attn the
- re invasfisatIaa CT the various DIS
- sa3th ass begun aorse tffne 40 IS
FfaEfees and lae districts are b,,lrl,
AAfh SO orc hv one
sA tressCuf.rg Attorney MrEfrNv
49, shNal yesterday whether any apq,e-
- aAA aetH made 10 him for a var.
-. - commissioners BoYcs'z arrest. IS
= u NtCA some reluctance.
- eet SIN free so admit that 80 u.
49,, rs eierct as supervisor NIL -