The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-03-16
SHOWS UGLY WORK
auditor sips Was Afraid Of Mixing ths
Commissioners Had and That the
Auditors Report W9ala b.
smothsred.
SWORN STATEMENTS FILED.

----~eAe~NA1
ment Of the Board Of County Auditors
and the filing Of their report of the re-
ceipts and expenditur res OF the county for
the year lsg7, Peter sipe. member of the
board, filed petition, which was pub
lished in the fake" organ with the cap
ton which heads this article, and which
was read in open court ON Monday, Feb
ruary 18th. Mr.. Sipe's petition is briefly
as follows:
He declares that he did not agree to
certain surcharges made by the auditors,
and that A. J. Hileman, auditors clerk,
agreed TO prepare thereport showing that
he disagreed 10 the same; that B. J. Bow
man read paper, commenting on the ac-
ton of the county commissioners, 10
which he did not agree, and that when
the report was read 10 the board by the
clerk il did not contain the matter which
had been read by B. J. Bowman; that
before signing the report be asked the
clerk whether II was the same that had
previously been read by him to the
board. aud be replied that it was, with
the exception of an item referring to un-
seated lands; that since signing the re-
!
several mates 70 which he did not give
his consent and concludes by asking
that a rule 5e granted on Auditors Bow
man and RhOads and Clerk Hileman to
show cause why the report should not be
amended so as 30 conform to the facts set
forth in his petition, or that his name be
stricken from said report.
FIAT co,y7rfs DTf-TToNS
Friday afternoon, March Ilth. F. w.
Biesecker, Esq, attorney for the auditors,
filed the replies OF Messrs. Bowman,
Rhoads and Hileman TO the petition of
Mr.. Sipe.
b. J. BowMAN's ANSWER.
Auditor Bowman, in his sworn state
ment, says it is true that few days prior
to signing the report, Mr.. Sipe disagreed
as to certain surcharges-for interest on
borrowed money and metallic file-cases-
but on the day the report was signed
nothing was said by him concerning said
disagreement; that A. J. Hileman was
not present at the meeting held prior to
signing the report (above mentioned) and
no agreement, as alleged by Mr.. Sipe,
was made at that time or at any subse-
quent time in the presence of Bowman,
that Hileman was to prepare a report
showing that Sipe disagreed to the above
items; that he did read paper in the |
presence OF Mr.. Sipe, a verbatim '1y OF
which was embodied in the report aud |
declares it % be wholly false and untrue |
that Sipe refused 70 agree to the same, or
that il should be attached to the report
that Sipe said in the presence of Bowman |
and other parties that ne would hold |
under advisement the signing of the re
port until after dipner;'' that Sipe read |
all or a portion of the paper and said that |
by signing it he feared it would make |
the commissioners mad" and that lit |
would not amount to anything anyhow, |
as the paper would be pigeon h0leds and |
never get before the public;" that Sipe |
voluntarily signed the report as filed |
without solicitation; that Clerk Hileman
did not read, nor was he asked to read, |
the report at this time; and it is wholly |
false and untrue that Hiieman, in re-
sponse to a question asked by Sipe, |
whether at was the same as had been
previously read" replied that lit was;'
that il is wholly false and untrue that |
Hileman substituted a paper for the one
read TO the board of auditors by Bowman;
that he believes that when Sipe signed /
the report and the remarks attached |
thereto, he was fully. informed as to the
contents of said report and the objections /
and interpositions attached thereto, and
fully comprehended and understood what
he was signing.
JEREMIAH RHOADs' ANSWER
Auditor RhOads, in his sworn state
ment, corroborates Bowman in every es-
sential particular, and adds that Sipe and |
he visited the Office of Attorney Biesecker, |
when Sipe asked Biesecker ''if it would |
be proper 10 sign such a report as Bow
man had prepared and read in our pres
ence. Mr.. Biesecker replied that it would |
be proper it, from our investigations, the
objections aud criticisms contained there
in were warranted by the facts. Mr..
Sipe said, 20, yes they are all true, and
great deal more" that the only objec-
ton be had was that it would ''nake the |
commissioners mad, and no one else will |
ever know anything about it as the COM
missioners would never publish it's
That after dinner of said day Sipe, with
out solicitation upon the part of any per-
son present, voluntarily signed the re-
port as filed in the presence OF b. J. Bow
man, A J. Hileman and himself. Mr.. |
Rhoads concludes by saying that he |
"verily believes that said Peter Sipe, |
when he signed said report and the re-
marks attached thereto, was fully in |
formed as to the contents of said report, |
and the objections and interpositions at |
tached thereto, and fully eomprehended |
and understood the same, and knew what |
he was signing"
CLERK HILEMAN's ANSWER.
Auditors Clerk, A. J. Hileman, in his |
sworn statement, says: He denies, and |
declares % be absolutely untrue, that h |
agreed to prepare a report showing that |
said Peter Sipe disagreed to any item
contained in the report of the Auditors f |
Somerset County for the year ending Jan
uary 3, 1895. He declares TO be false and |
absolutely untrue that portion of Peter |
Sipe's petition in which he says, that |
the report was read 10 the board by the |
HlltAA II AAAtA AaNA NDiA-rAAAA
which had been read by B. J. Bowman"
aud AYERS that he made a true aud cor
rect copy Of the paper submitted by b. J.
Bl9mal, which Peter Sipe told your affi
ant be had heard Mr.. B)wman read and |
OF which he (Sipe) had personally read a
portion and that said paper was embod- !
led in the report of the county auditors
by direction of the auditors. He declares
TO be false and absolutely untrue that
portion Of Peter Sipe's petition reading as
follows: "That before the report was
signed by the auditors the clerk was
asked whether it was the same as had
been previously read by him to the
board and be replied thst il was, with the
exception Of an item relating to unseat ed
lands, etc. He AYERS that he never read
the report TO the auditors aud that he was
never requested 10 do 50. Your respond
ent AYERS that the report in every respect
was made out by him as directed by the
auditors, II was not changed or altered in
any respect, nor was any duplicity or de-
eeption prAeticed."
PETER sIPE SAYS ''THEY ARE ALL TRUE"
Attached 10 the answers OF the auditors
is an affidavit made by z. w. Biesecker,
ESQ. 10 which he depOses that he was