Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-06-13
NUMBER 81.
IRONTON. MO. Y g.

it was he did not approve. We pur-
pose therefore to give some facts from
the record, such as are or ought to be
perfectly familiar to both the editor
and his Hillsboro correspondent, as
said correspondent has had free access
| to all the books and has been assured
OF kind and courteous treatment at the
hands of all the Democratic officials
ever since said books came into their
hands.
Mr.. Sullens' books show that on Feb
ruary 5, 1896, he collected a bill of
costs from the state in case against
Cooper and Blake, in which there was
| an item of $103 due the county for
board of prisoners; that on April 26,
| 1897, he collected fee bill in case
against Mathews and Conn, in which
/ there was an item due Jefferson county
of $S4; that in both cases he distrib-
uted to witnesses and officials their
proportion of said fee bills but did not
put on the distribution book the coun-
| ty's part; and in fact never took any
action until May 8, 1899, when he paid
the amounts to his successor instead of
to the county treasurer, after the mat
ter had been looked up and placed in
the hands of the grand jury then con-
vened. The three other cases at Iron
ton, called misdemeanor cases because
the amount involved was less than $50
in cash. were also for money due the
county collected in the fee bills-in
Polly Miller case, S21, May 4, 1897;
Amanda Armstrong case, $22, June Is.
1897, and Gabe Miller case. $3.50,
May 4. 1897. These amounts he paid
over after indictment.
| AS we are writing this not for the
purpose of convicting Sullens-he hav-
ing already been cleared and set free
but in defense of Democratic officials
in the case now before the jury of pub
lie opinion, in which Republicans COM
plain of prosecutions for political rea-
sons, and consequent big bills of cost
for the taxpayers to pay, the jury Is
entitled to the further evidence that on
all these FIVE fee bills were items of
fees due other parties, all of which
were properly accounted for on the
distribution fee book. while only the
money due Jefferson county was with
held. This fact made the transactions
look suspicious to the Democratic In
vestigators, but may be perfectly legi-
innate and regular from a Republican
standpoint.
From what We have seen Mr.. Sullens
appeared to always charge on his dis
tribution fee book fees of individuals
collected by him, but having gotten
that far the statutes of the State of
Missouri ceased to operate to control
his further actions until Democrats got
charge of county affairs again. While
he was authorized to collect these fees
he was also required by law to pay
over, twice year, to the treasurer, all
fees remaining in his hands on stated
dates; and this duty was considered OF
so much importance by the lawmakers
that the penalty for neglecting it was
made forfeiture of the Office. This law
he ignored entirely during his term of
office, and being in company with his
friends no action was taken against
him. We have before us q list of 303
items of fees, aggregatng $551.35.
which he settled On January 2, 1899,
and some of which should have been
paid over In July, 1896. some in De-
cember, 1896. some in July. 1897, some
in December, 1897, and some in July,
1898. We made the list for publica-
ton, but will keep it for future use.
We did not examine his 1895 book
Jefferson Democrat.