The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-06-30


people who understand the circumstan-
ces call positive lootlng to the extent Of
sum ranging in estimate from s35 200 to
$4,000. 1t is still in jeopardy but the
publicity of the matter at this time will
doubtless defer any further attempt,
though there is a contingency in which
the county may have to pay the sum and
get in exchange something that it does not
need and would not want when 1t had
been introduced.
1t has long been known that there was
a nice sum Of money for tie county re.
corder every year in getting contract to
index the records of deeds and mortgages
in the recorders office. The price paid
for this work during the term of Re-
cOrder Joe Reed has been three cents q
line. A girl is hired to do the work at q
small salary and the work is therefore o
source of great profit to the recorder
who sits quietly by and pockets the differ
enec between whatthe county pays him and
that he has to pay the girl The sugges-
ton that it would be we'll for the county
to originally hire the girl does not seem
to have entered the minds of the COM
missioners. During the term Of Recorder
Reed there have been ten volumes index
ed at total cost to the county Of about
$4,000. The girl did not pat in full time
on 1t but made for her employer the sum
ut odd times. This very neat little graft
does not seem to have been quite satisfaC-
tory to the present incumbent nor d. the
commissioners, and scheme was put
under way that would mean total loss
20 the county of at least $40, 900. A sleek
gentleman with new and elaborate
system of indexing came to town and
looking over the b1ard Of county commits
sioners seems to have decided that they
were legitimate prey. He soon got the
recorder interested for the recorder at once
saw that the introduction of the new
system would completely do away with
the old and would necgssitate complete
reindexing, lob that can be scented at Il
great distance as being very profitable
The system now In use Is considered very
satisfactory by those who have to use 1t and
no demand was made.to get new one, but
after some conversations we've had 1t was
decided to get the new system. The
books were ordered and the commission
ers then entered into a contract Wit
Recorder Joe Reed to do the work of re
indexlng the records in the office, com
prising 352 volumes and extending from
about 1870 to the present time. Every
index that is now in use, including thns'
that Recorder Reed he'd indexed at an ex
pense of 1000 to the county during hi
term of office, was to be discarded anC
this new and strange system was to b.
introduced. The contract is said to hav
called for 4 cents line At three cent
a line it is worth about $500 a volume II
the man who has the contract. There ar
P7 volumes but the new system would
require at once two sets which, at $500
volume, would amount to ser, 900. Blu
the new contract was for cents, and th
sum would run away beyond that. l
was scheme that no business man will
any care for the success of his business o
any regard for his cash would have under
taken for his own business. The repor
that there was scheme on to loot tn
treasury got out about the court hous
and from the remarks Of those who wer
Informed about It the inference wa
drawn by some that it was a great steal
A News Democrat man, desiring to d.
every one full Justice, made an investiga
tion and interviewed the commissioner
and the recorder,
Commissioner Summer was first seeI
ana was inclined to be every reticent abou
the matter, "Mr. Summer, it is sal,
the commissioners have entered into
contract with Joe Reed to reindex all tn
records in the recorders Officer" was ven
bured.
IL was clear that Mt. Summer ha'
heard the subject mentioned before an'
ihat he preferred to be let alone about II
but altar some deliberstlon he said, AMI