The Red Cloud chief., 1899-03-31

on June /, 1897, Auditor Cornell had on
deposit with various banks 40 follows:
Nerdon State bank, a2,57O.9l; Mer-
chants bank, Lincoln. Sal. OF; Richard
son County bank, S. sos. so; total,
50, 42O.4s. These were Mr.. Cornell's
personal accounts.
Samuel Lichty was cross examined
rs regards certain of his statements
concerning the work of j. A. Simpson.
Simpson took the stand to state that
he had taken due diligence In invcsti-
eating the Fort Wayne company.
Fred Archerd told o few details Of.
the Office work.
w. II. Price told that the auditor
made him turn over extra fees earned
from insurance journals to the state.
He heard the decision of the attorney
| general read before the committee and
remarked that IL he had known how IL
read, he would have kept tho money.
Mr.. Price was asked for the receipt
but hud none. lie had given 1t, some
$l:. to Auditor Cornell.
"Do you know that Auditor Cornell
returned that money you gave him
into the state treasury" asked Sem
ator Prout.
~ do. Because lie told me he did"
Auditor Cornell took the stand and
was asked about the resignation Of
Mr.. Lichty. lie had been asked for
the resignation a month before The
auditor discharged him. The auditor
also testified that he had paid the %
fees illegally held by him for accept
ing service for insurance companies as
before brought out to the state treas
urer after the Investigation began.
He had no particular time L settle
with the state.
In explanation Of the story that he
had received a block Of fifty trip
passes. he said a pass intended for
Mrs. Moorehead containing fifty trips,
the trips TO be punched out as used,
had been sent him by mistake.
The auditor testified to having voted
to Increase the railroad valuations and
the telegraph companies. Tho in
crease of railroad valuations in 1898
over 1897 was owing the increased bus
mess, based on the earning capacity.
Mr.. Cornell testified concerning the
trip Ia a special car to South Dakota.
The party left Saturday morning aud
returned Tuesday. The object OF the
trip was to view the line and the
country with q view to fixing the val
uation Of the road, the company hav-
ing expressed a desire to have the val
uation on that road reduced. Tax
Commissioner Pollard accompanied the
party. which consisted Of the auditor
and his wife, Deputy Fool and Depu-
ty Weesner and wife. The auditor
admitted that he spent some time in
South Dakota and that he had no jvr-
isdiction there and also that he G
joyed the trip very much.
The auditor explained that 1t was
better to verify the report OF the rail
road from which the state board us
ually arrived at It's valuations. He
had voted to increase the valuation
after that ride which Mr.. Cornell's
. brother remarked twas pretty rough
Various letters were put in evidence
tending to show tho auditors gooc
faith in the matter Of insurance
charges. A letter refusing q Rock
Island pass was also read.
:, Cornell and Committee Clash.
|, LINCOLN, March ear. N. Taylor
an accountant, testified that he ex
s amined a fraternal society for Auditor
Cornell, in Springfield, Ill. He wa
: twenty-three days examining 1t, ant
e had been fairly compensated.
The annual statement of the For
{ Wayne company was submitted to tn
5 witness, and he was asked how long l
e would take to make n thorough ex
animation of y company having sucl
G assets.
He said he could not do 1t in thre
days or ten, might possibly do SO in
X month.
g The incidentof the morning occurre,
G when Attorney Cornell compliance
IS that the auditors private bank books
e which were last night submitted to tn
committee under promise from TIL
d committee that they would use theI
d solely for their private information
would not make them n part Of tn
d record, and would no give their con
It tents to the press, had not in fact bee
d so treated. Mr.. Cornell said that thi
Is mornings Omaha Bee had publishe
lc certain figures contained in the ban
A. books, and charged lack of good fait
r. on the part of the committee, or som
member thereof, who must, he sale
have given the information to the BE
II reporter.
n frank Harrison, the Bee reporter
ct was sworn, and he testified that Rel
he resentative Evans, "A member OF tn
r. committee, had, ut his request, give
ip him the information in question. la
rison said he had himself conveyed tn
id information TO the other. reporter
Mt there present, as "a little courtes
III which reporters frequently do eac
n other" lie admitted that he had hear
dc the stipulation under which the ban
&c books had been handed to the con
lis mittee.
o. After Attorneys Cornell and Bryan
he had taken occasion to freely expire.
dc their opinions of the transaction, th
IN committee took n recess until 7:30.
ST. c. NJ, Patterson, Deputy state trea
Ir. urer, was called as a witness in Il
he evening by the auditor Cornell. L
'e- identified n statement certifying
lis the amounts of cash. checks and draf
at paid by Auditor Cornell to the sta
is, treasurer in 1897. He did not kno
he whether this statement represent,
'er all hat was paid by Mr.. Cornell
at 1897. 1t was compiled from receip
.,,~ Arl,.n, rN.h