Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1898-03-02
CLERK r WRITES.
A Complete Denial of the Fetzer Charges liade
. to the State Board Of Examiners.

County Clerk W. S. Perkins Mon
day last addressed the following
letter to the state board ofexaminers
concerning the charges made by j.
B.. Fetzer and published in another
column:
"To the Honorable State Board of
Examiners.
GENTLEMEN:
Il read with great surprise in n
recent number of the Helena indie
pendent an account of the alleged
operations of one j. B. Fetzer under
the state bounty law in Fergus
county and other counties and /
desire to make MISREPRESENTATION
a statement concerning this matter
SO far as it relates to Fergus county.
II was not personally acquainted
with Fetzer at the time OF his first
appearance at my office, but as he
brought credible witnesses, and as
the hides which he produced at that
time were whole and had not been
punched or ia any way altered or
patched. and presented every appear
ance of having been taken within
ninety days of the date OF their
presentation at my office, | had no
suspicion that all was not right. /
was also informed by reliable persons
who said they knew Fetzer and had
known him for u long time, that he
had, at that time, been u resident of
the Judith Basin since the year 1857,
and had been a property owner in
Fergus county. At h time OF his
first appearance at my office he told
me it was his intention to engage in
trapping wolves and coyotes in our
county during the summer, and that
he expected frequently to bring in
skins to be punched.
HE brought in a large number OF
skins during the season of 1896, from
June to September, and ! always
used great care in inspecting them,
because they seemed toe old, or were
mutilatcd in some way. In no cast
was n skin punched the condition
and appearance of which were not
i'm accordance with statutory re.
q~uirements.
"Fetzer's statement with reference
to the alleged action of Sheriff Waite
il absurd. No considerable number
of skins ever accumulated on oT
about the court house grounds, as ii
was the custom of the sheriff to have
all skins and other rubbish burned nj
frequent intervals. And no skins
were EVER punched by me in cases
where the ears We're mutilated. The
state bounty is fairly due OH al
skins punched at this office during
my incumbency. Considering Fctzcr'f
reputation rs / now know it, l an
inclined to believe lie stole from
ranches and sheep camps in thu
county such skins presented by hin
as he did not himself take.
"AIl skins punched in this county
are subject to- u careful examination
Ii n skin is not such as the statute
requires, it is invariably rejected, al
was the case with a portion of TIN
last two lots which Fetzer presented
1t Is absolutely impossible that any
considerable number of skins present
ed mere could have been manipulated
SO as to deceive. A punch one incl
i'm diameter has been used here sine,
the spring of 1895, and nothing els,
has been used.
1.-The county officers and court
house employees are frequently
witnesses for persons who bring il
skins to- be punched. 1t is seldom
the case that such persons are moi
known to two or more of thu
officers, and / am not aware thai
the officers are disqualified al
witnesses. This county is u sparsely
settled region of magnificet distances
and in a very large number OF cases
it would be n matter of great dill
fculty for persons presenting skin'
to produce witnesses if they could
not avail themselves of theiI
acquaintance in the county seat
lnasmuch as the county officers have
the widest acquaintance of any class
OF men living here, it is natural thai
they should be called upon a:
witnesses more frequently than any
Others. If this is contrary to statute
l should be glad to be SO informed.
SHOULD you at any time desir'
proof of the material allegations o
this statement, | shall be happy tC
furnish the same a~bundantly.
hope to hear from you in reference t.
this matter"
Yours Respectfully,
w. =. PERKINS,
Co. Clerk ami Rec'r Fergus Co