The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-23
PLIGHT OF W. BOURN E
AUDITING AND EMBEZZLE-
MENT AGAINST HIM
TO FACE FOUR GRAVE CHARGES
Former Chief Deputy County Auditor
Is Arrafgned, and in Default
of Bond Is demanded
to Jail.

Walter Bourne, former chief deputy
county auditor, whose arrest was reported
in yesterdays G l @ e, was arraigned in
the municipal court yesterday afternoon
On four charges, two of forgery, one of
| grand larceny and one of falsely auditing
| and allowing. County Auditor w. r.
Johnson swore to each of the complaints
| Preliminary hearing was continued until
| Aug. 8, and the prisoner was taken before
! Judge Lewis for the hiking of bail. Bonds
! of $1,000 were required on each charge,
making the aggregate $1,000. Judge Lewis
required two sureties for the full amount
| of $4,000, refusing a request that two be
/ accepted for $500 each. DR.. Hartland G.
johnson sualifed for $1,000. Paul Quehl
was disqualified. Bourne was obliged to
| languish in jail last night as bondsmen
could not be secured.
1t was through the work of Frank Moos-
brugger that the irregularities in Bourne $
accounts were discovered. MooSbrugger,
who was Bournes predecessor was en-
ployed by the county auditor to examine
into Bourne'S accounts from 1895 under
Auditor Sullivan to August, 1885, under
Aditor Johnson. The examination of ac-
counts was made upon the suggestion of
Public Examiner Pope who discovered
the Irregularities in mis- recent eXamina-
ton of Auditor Johnson's accounts. He
the county commissioners
The first complaint was sworn to in the
office of the clerk of the municipal court
yesterday morning. In it Mr. Johnson
cites his appointment of Walter B Bourne
as deputy county auditor and char es that
Bourne, as such deputy, with intent to de-
fraud Ramsey county, did make out,
certify, audit and deliver, as said deputy
county auditor, to some person or persons
q 1;nk prt a n
false and fraudulent refunding tax state
ment and order in favor of one E. J.
Trowbridge and against the said county
of Ramsey, for the sum of 81, 1882"
CHARGED UP WITH SIS, 900.
In another complaint Bourne is charged
with the forgery Of a redemption order
for S443 in favor OF Frank Underwood,
and it's subsequent collection from the
county treasurer o. H. Arosin. The orig
inal amount of the redemption in this
case was $751; which had been paid a
number of years before
Another complaint alleges the forgery
Of a redemption order June 13, 1885, in IA
vor of A. w. Rowley for 1929 while
another involves an additional refunding
order of June 80, 1899, in favor of A. w.
Rowley. Other similar charges of forgery
are made.
County Auditor Johnson alleges that al
together Bourne misappropriated $1S.G00
of which $1,000 was taken during Auditor
Sullivan's incumbency, and the other two
thirds during the seven months that he
served under Mr.. Johnson.
The penalty for falsely auditing and al
lowing is imprisonment in the state pen
itentiary for two to five years, or a fine
of $1,000, or both
Imprisonment for not more than twenty
years is the penalty for forgery in the
first degree, and not less than ten years
for forgery in the second degree.
Obtaining money under false pretenses
is equivalent to grand larceny and is
punishable by a sentence of not more
than ten years Imprisonment in the pen
itentiary.
When seen yesterday Bourne refused to
talk. He would neither deny or admit the
charges.
Public Examiner Pope said that he
would take no part in the prosecution of
Bourne. He said that he had discovered
the discrepancies and reported the same
to Mr.. Johnson and the county commits
siOners, recommending an investigation.
The prosecution will be personally con-
Quoted by County Attorney T. R. Zane.