Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1900-02-14
The Commissioner Replies TO the
Published Articles Of the
County Attorney.
SOME OF THE INSIDE HISTORY
Relating TO the Consideratios, Publication
snd Legal Action Taken on the
Experts Report.

EDITOR TELLER.-In the Tribune of
Jan. 5Ist, notice an item signed hy Il.
Danford, referring to a resolution passed
by the board. As the matter has been
| brought up, beg leave through your col
| umns to state few facts that led to the
adoption of the said resolution.
The expert report was not considered
by the board until Jan. 18TH; therefore, it
| could not have been concealed for eight
days, as stated by Danford on the morn
ing of the 18TH. The day before Dan
ford states he accidentally found out the
| report had been submitted, the report was
taken up and considered by .he board
and, at that time | suggested that the
county attorney be called in and examine
| the report with us, for the purpose of de.
Gliding what action should be taken in the
matter. Aud before we left the room |
| requested Johpsou to ask the county at
torney to meet US after dinner to discuss
the matter together. After dinner Mr..
Daniord did not appear, and | asked
Johnson II Danford was coming up. He
said "No," that Dauford had a case in
| court and could not come.
On the morning of the 18th, the day
| this accident happened to Danford, |
asked Johnson If Danford was coming up
but he never answered me, although
was within few feet of him. But as we
were going out to dinner he told m- that
Danford had been up there all morning
J looking oyer the report went to Gun.
ningham and asked him why he had
turned the report over to Danford before
it had been acted on. lie was surprised
that should ask and then stated that he
supposed it was the wish of the hoard, as
Johnson had come TO him and stated that
he was authorized by tue hoard to request
MIN to turn the report over to Danford.
After dinner | again asked Johnson il
Danford was coming up. He said No" {"
that he had already heen up aud looked
over the report, and as he had requested
the report and also had requested him
not to file It for some time, | concluded
it was a scheme to cover up the matter
and keep it from the public, il possible
As for the correctness of my conclusior
we will see latter.
| went to Cunningham and asked him
to file the report at once and when it was
filed moved that it be accepted and also
moved that we employ counsel 10 take
action i'll the matter. The last motor
was opposed by Johnson, Any one ca,
prove the correctness of this statement
by accidentally" referring to the record,
, of Jan. 18th.
That night telephoned to Mr. Cos,
in Pomeroy and asked him If he was in
position to take the case. He replied
that he would come up the next day Or
the morning of. the 18TH Danford cam,
/. before the board and demanded the re
port. absolutely refused for the reason
that | Considered the county attorney al
advisor only, and net the great am, ant
E for the further reason that the case wa
| of too much Importance to be left in th
hands OF an incompetent attorney, AM
had Isanan stood by me as he shoul,
! have done-as he afterwards said h,
l believed | was rignt--action would hav
, been brought without fear or favor an
regardless of political faith against al
the parties concerned. As the matte
stands, il seems to me, that everything
n has been done that could be done by til
,f prosecution TO prejudice the people II
favor Of the defense
On the evening of the 10Th | was rs
II quested to meet Mr.. Gose which ! did
e and at that time ! requested him to com
d, before the beard and TO ask Danford I
come with him. On the following da
he came in one morning and requeste
y us to meet them at Daniord's Office i
d the afternoon, which we did, and, as
y understand the arrangements that wei
made at that time, action was to he con
." menced at once in both cases, and NJ
rs Gose was 10 assist the county attorne,
re On Monday morning there was civ
# suit filed against Tannahill, and whe
that resolution was passed nine days a
ter, there had been no other suits file,
e The same morning that suit was file
1r against Tannahill, Danford came beioi
:, the board with the request that he !
!, allowed to keep the report, stating th
u il any one asked to see il we could sta
v that II was out, and if they came TO hi
at he would get rid of them some way
of again objected, stating that it beloHge
to the public; that public money paid E
ie it and that the public was entitled to
lh He left it, but asked that II be not pu
is lished for the reason that the peoI
would read il and therefore it would
hard to secure jury, which request
granted would virtually exclude il frc
publication.
In the evening of the same day, one
as the reporters presented a written requ
rm signed by Danford asking the papers
not publish the report and asked I
"a. commissioners to sign the request,
absolutely refused again, although ] ST
co pose il was another official request, b
nd did not agree to make an endorseme
in on it il they would publish my endori
.re ment which was agreed to, but for sol
reason the request nor my endorseme
10 was never published aud from the abo
lat statements, | conclude that my first CO
re clusions were sbought right, and &C
fess | have been an impeachment in eve
y f.sU cob "a
hg 'have the brszen effrontery to jump IL
les the paper" and condemn his actions.
me lie asked why We did not make
,,,. criminal complaint against those VIII
= we sllege committed crimes. The n
'h' son is simply that we lacked the mo
EN- courage to demand that he should co
mence actions at once or get out OF
Id way 30 we could do something ourselv
ur- But instead of doing our duty We wait
nd for him to act until the last day, and
last hour in the day, then, at that II