The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-03-06
LEXOW COMMITTEE.
Examines Chief Justice on Matters Con.
nected With Territorial Library.

Examines Chief Justice on Matters Con-
nected With Territorial Library.
Judge Burford was called before the
Biddison investigating committee Sat
urday night on the subject Of the ter
riterial library, and whether the re-
firing Librarian had made fnal set
tlement of bis administration OF the
office, and IA so what was the condi-
tion OF the libraryP owing to the
great length OF the Judges testimony
there being eight osely typewrit
ten carbon sheets--the Leader cal
only give brief and C ndensed epi
tome of the testimony touching certain
poi IS. In response to question
Judge Burford said that he had only
made general examination but not a
detailed one; the board had not been
able to examine Mr.. Jones accounts /
but as he did not want to do him an /
injustice he would say that shortly af |
ter he assumed the duties of chief jus |
tice Mr.. Jones was called before the |
board and requested TO submit a final |
report of his connection with the IL |
brary and in response thereto he sub |
|
lading and receipts, but it was only "a
partial report Upon examination OF
these the board could not proceed IL
; was too incomplete, and il could not
D do him or the territory impartial JUS
{ tice. II arpeard that MIR. Jones hao
- kept no books showing the volumes
he had received or what disposition he
had made of them. That MIR Jones
was requested to furnish compile, ,e
itemized statement Of all volumes re.
I, ceived and their disposition. At first
he declined TO acceed TO this, but that
since he had informed him that he
had made the list and filed IL with the
S librarian, but he had not seen It; anu
o that the board had had no meeting
y since to take the subject up. In tn,
partial report before the board he had
cha ged himself with 5000 volumes OF
, reports that had been published, that
= being one thousand volumes OF one
. two, three, four and five, which had
; been delivered to him, and gave him
9 self credit for the number distributed
; and sold, leaving an apparent shortage
q" of something over 100 volumes, thu
exact mum Der he bad forgotten, which
Mr.. Jones claimed had been takeI
N without his consent and for which he
VI was willing to compensate the library
II in such sum as the board should fX
per volume. During MIR. Jones incum-
bency the Harper 5. Cunningham IL
to brary was purchased and warrants
therefore were issped on the library
fund, which are yet outstanding; tina,
ID in the report submitted the librarian
is did not charge himself with books
G from the various states and territor
:" les, nor did he make any showing Of
what disposition had been made OF
AZ them; he could not tell from the par
rs tial exami alton how many books h ad
=. been seat away and what number
should be in the library There were
"a other matters in the report that the
board was unwilling TO allow. The
law required that for all publications
sold by the librarian the money shall
be placed in the territorial treasury
and warrants against the fund shall
." be drawn by the board for the ex
penses: that the librarian had turned
, IN 10 money whatever TO the treasury
VI but paid ii out for current expenses
~ When MIR. Jones attention was calle
TO this irregularity he claimed he fol
lowed the directions of Judge Dale
and that he lstifed mself by rea
as son OF the fact that IL these money,
lu had to be drawn on warrants the eX
~ press companies and postc tiices would
w not accept them in payment o.
lg charges; that the board had told Mr.
u Jones that it could not allow tn,
r. charges for stenographer, clerk hire
= etc The board thinks that on fns
us aud complete settlement that large
> mum Der Of books have disappeared. bu'
es that while this is true the board dic
-, not and does not charge the Librarian
w with any defalcation or em bezz emen
~ but that II was the result OF careless
Nv ness in letting persons take them ou
=, and not properly charging them tina
ue on ,reful examination Mr. JJne
III will be found to be indebted to tn,
territory, bat TO what amount tn
witness could not state for the reason
already given In response TO a ques
90 tion Judge Burford said there ha,
been no settlement with the retiring
Ps librarian and that today he could no
he state the condition of the library.
ey After the board appointed Judg
an Burwell to check up the matter Mr.
Jones indicated his willingness To d.
Az 1t himself, and ne states that the lis
1is is in the hands of the Librarian, but h
IL? had not seen it, There is quite a dis
crepancy between Mr.. Jones accoun
and Bowen Merrills. they claiming
ls' that the library owes them about $500
r. and according to Mr.. Jones there is
is difference OF over 5000 as they bot
have it. This difference arises out o
the credits for books which Jone
IN. claims they should have given him, an
i'm which they claim they never received
Ior There is a discrepancy about the Can
$50 ada reports, they denying that the
.er had received the volumes under a ceI
ler tain mutual arrangement, and Nj
10. Jones insisting that he had sent tn
reports. mething of similar ma