The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-12
POPE ASKS QUESTIONS
STATE BANK EXAMINER INVEsTI-
GATES SOME CERTIFICATES.

Late yesterday afternoon State Bank
Examiner Pope held a consultation with
County Commissioners Whithorne and
Lott, members of the tax commission,
and County Auditor Johnson, in the lat
ters private office. Mayor Smith and
County Treasurer Metzdorr were also
present. General Pope was chairman
of the meeting
The matter Of the eighteen certificates
which were made out to Carl Ducius
and bought by Burns from Lightner was
brought up. Gen. Pope said that Seymour
and Lightner claimed they had never as
signed any of these certificates and that
the warrants for the same had been
drawn on the same day, but before the
certificates had been surrendered. Con-
tinuing Gen Pope said that these cactl-
flcates had been approve9y.by the county
commissioners on .ApriP Is, had been au-
dtted on April g. and the check had been
drawn on April 90. II sGen9 Pope said these
warrants had been. drawn and the money
paid out before the certificates had
been surrendered, a statement which was
fatty denied by County Auditor Johnson.
Gen. Pope also stated that Burns had
paid Lightner $1.S75 for these certificates
and that he had been paid $4,S72 by the
county for them, profit Of over $1,000
Gen. Pope did not think this was a business
proposition and stated that the creditors
Of the Minnesota bank, might have been
saved that amount. Mr. Johnson denied
that these certificates were not surren-
dered before the warrants were drawn
and paid and said it was simply a case
of Burns doing up Lightner, which was
none Of his business
Gen. Pope also took up the matter Of
the application of Walter d. Davis Who
claimed that he was the holder of Ger
tain certificates and inquired what au-
thofity the tax commission had to ap-
prove this application. Mr. Whithorue
replied that they took the statements of
the petitioner as they did not think any
one would dare to sign such an applica-
ton and say he was the true owner of
any certificates if such was not the ease
Furthermore, said Mr.. Whitehorne, these
certificates might have been assigned to
other persons several times and they
had no way of knowing who was the
real owner. Gen. Pope agreed that they
might have been assigned to. other per-
sons, but contended that the tax com
mittee should have ascertained who were
the real owners of these certificates be-
fore they approved them. :. Continuing
Gen. Pope said that Arthur G. Preston
was the owner of these certificates and
not Davis. Mayor Smith asked the tax
commission where they got these certi-
ffcates and Mr. Whithorne replied Chat
they never saw any of them
IS ONLY A CLERK; lt
County Auditor johnson contcnded that
he was only a clerko of the board of
commissioners, and that these appli-
cations were only handed into his office
so that they might hand them to the
board under the head of communications.
County Attorney Kane held that the
tax commission was supposed to get
aside a certain hour in which to see
whether the statements made in these
applications were true or not, and that
the tax commission is supposed in some
way or other to find out whether the
statements made are correct or lot.
During the conference Gen Fope in
timated that when the time came he
would produce certificates that have not
been surrendered, but County Auditor
Johnson differed with him, and stated
that during the rush for the past few
days, some of these certificates were
m1slaid but that they would be found
Continuing County Auditor johnson said
that if the county had lost anything
by any certificates being paid without
being surrendered, he would like to know
1T, and that he was responsible, if such
was the case
III NOilSIuulilS 0GIl. rope SAID tndt 1t
was his purpose to send a complete re-
port to Gov. Van SAINT on Monday, and
also to send a copy to the board of
county commissioners. Said he: "The
county auditor has been getting more
Of these certificates every day, and we
think that the reason he could not pro-
duce them when we asked for them. was
because they were negotiating to secure
them"
Mr.. Johnson challenged Gen. Pope to
produce some of the certificates which
he claimed had not been surrendered
when the payments were made, and
which he claimed he would produce at
the proper time. After a few more
personal remarks between the public
examiner and the county auditor, the
meeting was adjourned