The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1899-12-30
aYAn o0UE1s a IHvEsrIeA1loa.
Gives his vIswu VI he Recent Grand Sury
nebort

July VI NlG ktLDrab WIN VI bllS ut9tkAEb
court, In It's report takes occasion to
call the attention Of the court to the
fact that Sheriff bradbury, during eIev-
en- months Of his term, has turned over
70 the county auditor the sum OF ST.
7e6OO license money as against &c.
1850 turned IN BY ex-Sheriff Ryan dur
Ing his entire term Of two years.
Perhaps the grand jurors imagined
they were doing their duty In calling
the attention Of the court. and inciden-.
tally OF the people Of Kootenai county,
TO this fact. but think they should
have gone farther. The ilisinuation
contained in this portion Of their report
can only be construed to mean one Of
two things: Either that was guilty
OF embezzlement In retaining license
money which had collected, or guilty
Of malfeasance 10 Office III permitting the
sale OF liquor without license. In either
case l would he Liable to criminal
prosecution, and contend that 1t was
the sworn duty of those "mosf potent,
grave and reverend" grand jurymen, II
they thought had been guilty of any
crime or misdemeanor in Office, TO have
investigated the matter, and IL they
found sufficient grounds for indictment,
to have indicted me. II there are no
such grounds, then It was cowardiy
and unmanly act to take advantage OF
their ofiiciaI position to endeayOr TO
condemn me by such an insinuation.
But why did they not tell it all?
When those wiseacres were drawing a
parallel between Sheriff Bradbury's ad
ministration and mine, why did they
not include all the business and costs Of
the sherifrs Office, and take some note
of the changed bniness conditions pre-.
Vailing in the county? As they were
either unwilling or incompetent to do
SO / will supplement their report with a
few facts and figures taken from the
county books.
The amount of license to be paid by
saloons is based on the vote east for
governor at the preceding election. If
one hundred and fifty votes have been
cast for governor in the precinct, the
license will be sI36 per quarter, IL less
than that it will be $40 per quarter
where there are two or>more saloons.
During my term Of Office, only one
town (Rathdrum) paid sIs6. There
was then in Harrison for one year. one
saloon paying s26 per quarter and the
next year two saloons paying $50 per
quarter, each. There have been during
the present year in Harrison, seven sa
looms paying SI26 per quarter, each.
There have been. in Boomers Ferry
this year eighteen saloons paying each
sl26 per quarter, where there were dur
ing my term four saloons paying go
per quarter each.
There have been ia Porthill twelve
saloons paying SO per quarter each,
where during my tenn there was one,
paying $50 per quarter. There have
been at different points in the Kootenai
valley this year, eleven saloons paying
go per quarter each, where there was
none during my term. There are six
saloons In Standpoint, where there were
two during my term. There is saloon
at Cataldo, one at st. Maries and one at
Lane, where there were none during
my term. The saloons in Ceur d'Alene
are paying sl26 per quarter against $40
paid during my term. Ans intelligent
man, even member of that grand jury,
could have accounted for the increase
of revenue without imputing dishonesty
to anyone.
With equal justice, the grand jury
might have reported that for the full
year OF 1896, l received from all sources,
including board Of prisoners, as pay in
the sherifrs Office, $3.50; while for the
first nine months of this year Sheriff
Bradbury has already been paid, fol-
like services, 81 PIG. with the most ex.
penSive quarter yet remaining to settle
I do not mention these facts 10 reflect
any discredit on Sheriff bradbury. who
is an honest and efficient officer, and
justly entitled to every dollar allowed
him. l merely wish to show the alb
surdity OF making comparisons undeI
such changed conditions, unless all the
facts are taken into consideration. As
to my Official record court the fulles
Investigation. never permitted pris
oner to escape from the jail; left thu
Office without having a lawsuit on N!
hands as the result OF an official mis-
take, and l gave KOOtenai county the
cheapest administrat ton she has eve
had for the amount of business done.
In conclusion will say to those sa
pient grand jurymeu, that am yet ;
resident of kootenai county, that m!
Official bondsmen, all solvent. reliabl,
citizens, are all here; that this count!
has an able and efficient prosecuting
attorney, aud whenever they, or any o
them, bring charge OF malteasance il
office, either by commission or omission
against me, am ready for the mix.up
Yours respectfully,
WM. RYAN.