Omaha daily bee., 1898-02-20
TRIPS AT STATES EXPENSE
County officials Have Fun and Nebraska
Foots the Bill.
jUNKtTS TAKEN ON RtQUlSlTIoN CASES
Hereafter Applications for Such Pa
pers Will lie More Carefully
Looked Into by state
Officers.
JUNKtTS TAKEN ON REQUlSlrloN CASE


suspicion that the matter OF obtaining requi-
sitions for the ceturn OF criminals from other
states is being taken advantage OF by per-
sons WHO are Interested in the settlement OF
private claims rather tuan the punishment
OF guilty persons. this, in spite OF the oath
teken in each case that the return OF fugi-
tives is not sought for the purpose of collect.
ing debt This abuse OF the requsition law
is especially noticeable in Lancaster county
cases. Since January l. 1895, there have
been thirteen acquisitions issued for persons
wanted In this county. The first. Albert
Whipple, was brought back from Missouri
on charge OF having obtained money under
false pretenses. The state paid the expense
of bringing him back. but there is nothing
on the county or district court record to
show that he was tried or punished, and the
supposition is that he settled the claim
snd wcs dismissed. Charles Shumate was
brought back frcm Texas In January, 1896,
10 answer for seduction. The expense was
light, but Shumdte was nevec brought to
trial. J. A. Clark was brought back from
Missouri on a charge OF having removed
mcctgaged property but the records show he
was never brought to trial. j. X. CaCter, on
similar charge was returned from Missouri,
tried and acquitted. W. Il. Hart. charged
with embezzement, wds in Indiana and
f. a. Graham mayor of Lncolu, applied for
the rCivilege OF going after Gim. This case
was dismissed without trial after the state
had been put to considerable expense.
F.nnz Fritchie, also charged with cmbe2-
element, was brought back from Missouri,
and discharged. Harry Knox, for being n-
plicated in a stabbing aTray, was bcousht
back from Colorado, and given Jail sentence
of thirty days.
OF the thirteen offenders returned to Ian
cceter county on requisitlcns in the period
mentioned, three have been sent to the peni
tenth-Cy, two are held awaiting trial, and
one. charged with enbezzlement, has been
bound over to the district court The others
are at liberty The officials have had some
pleasant trips. a few private claims have
been settled and the state has sflouldeCed
large bill of expense
Since January l. 1895, there have been
thTty-uine persons brought back to the otate
on acquisitions asked for from Douglas
county. Very few of these have found their
way into the penitentary. The state Off
cials have decided that hereafter the appl-
cations for acquisitions will be more cloGely
inquired into, no matter from what county
they come.
CAN GRAHAM ACT?
Lawyers and citizens of this city dis
cussing the question Of whether Mayor
Graham has right to discharge his duties
as mayor of the city pending the considera-
tion by the city council of the Impeachment
charges made against him by the council
manic investigating committee. special
meeting of the council was held Wednesday
morning to receive the report of the nvest-
eating committee which had been at work
for about two weeks. AS stated in The
Bee. the committee recommended that i'm
peachment proceedings be instituted against
III. B. Vail, a member OF the Excise board,
and Mayor Graham. Nothing was said
to who should act as mayor while the i'm
peachment proceedings were pending, but it
was generally supposed that Mayor Graham
would turn the office over to the president
OF the council until some decision had been
reached by that body. number of people
are Of the opinion that the president Of the
council should act as mayor until the mat
ter Is settled but several lawyers have in
vestigated the matter and it appears that
there Is no provision In the statutes that re-
lates to cases OF this kind. The statutes pro-
vide, however, that when the mayor is
unable to perform the duties of his office or
when he is disabled the president of the
council shall take his place and exercise the
same authority as the mayor.
The impeachment charges against the
mayor will not be considered by the coun-
Gil until March 3, and until and during the
consideration Mayor Graham will probably
remain in office. Mr. Graham refuses to
talk Of the matter or to say what he intends
70 do. There has been some talk Of an ef-
fort to enjOln the council from considering
the charges, but the plan has been dropped.
The council has full power to go ahead with
the proceedings. 1t is beginning to look
rather serious for the accused city officials.
The city council is composed of fourteen
members. Four OF them are known to be
staunch supporters of the city admnistra-
ton and they will undoubtedly vote against
impeachment, however serious the charges
may he. Seven members are pretty likely
TO vote for impeachment II the charges al
ready made proved to be true. or the
other three two are pretty likely to be
Influenced by political reasons. They are
candidates for office and the will of the
people will have a great deal to do toward
influencing their votes.
II. NJ. WariDg, a court reporter from
Omaha and Strobe Late OF Blair have writ
ten the governor Offering their services to
the state In case Of war between the United
States and Spain.
CHURCH SENSATION.
The charges made against the elders of
the Third Presbyterian church OF this city
by the congregation is causing quite sensa-
tion In church circles. The elders are
charged with lying. mlsrepresenting and de-
ceiv!ng in the conduct OF the affairs OF the
church. II seems that the elders, without
the consent or knowledge OF the trustees
employed a minister by the name OF o. c.
Elliott as pastor of the church. The elders
said the trustees were out OF the city and
no longer members of the congregation. but