The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-28
ALL-DAY SESSION HELD IN GOV.
VAN SAINTS PRIVATE
OFFICE
OFFICIALS UNDER SHARP FIRE
LAXITY OF METHODS IN COUNTY
AUDITORS OFFICE ARE
SHOWN UP
DEPUTIES DON'T OBSERVE LAW

has been conducting the preliminary in
vestigation, was present and repres nted
by Assistant Attorney General meroy.
while Auditor Johnson appeared also, de-
Tended by former Assistant Co nty At
torney Zollman. The hearing beg n at
TO o'clock in the morning and lasted un-
til noon, when a recess was taken until
2:SO. The afternoon session con i.ued up
to $50 The hearing will be resumed this
morning at 10 o'clock.
One of the main points I'm the investiga-
ton on the part of the public y miner Is
to demonstrate that the methods of the
county auditors office. in allowing war
rants to be paid out for tax refund-
ments before the certificates have been
securely placed in evidence. are such as
call for official correction. AnO her ls that
in the case of the sO-called Iig. tier deal
in which James II. Burns IS said 10 be
prominently involved, the warrants for
the abatements were all given upon the
petition of the men, Duc.us, Davis and
Cassidy, without the certificates teing In
the possession of the county aud tor as
the law requires that they shall be- one
more essential element In the inv stiga-
tion is the part that James II. Burns. for
mer county auditor OF Ramsey county, Is
said 10 have played Mr.. Burns. the Pope
! faction holds, has been conduct ug an exc
tensive business in the line OF handling
these void tax certificates, and the vital
part of the claim is that Mr. Eu ms. In
the pursuit Of this industry has been
granted special favOrs at the c unity au-
ditor's office which other spectators have
not been given. He Is said. by the Pope
element to have free access. to to
records in the county auditors office,
and this he himself admits saying that 1t
is the privilege Of any taxpayer. Upon
their allegation that Mr.. Burns is the
! beneficiary of special privileges at tho
] hands OF County Auditor johnson and
his force of deputies. Gen. Pope and At
torney Somerby are basing much OF their
case. In will be by attempting 10 prove
this that they viii proceed to disclose a
system Of practices in vogue at the Of
fee in question. which they will cont nj
ought to be instantly stopped.
BURNS ON STAND.
The greater part Of yesterday no nng
| was taken up in the examination OF
James II. Burns Attorney Som rby sub
| jected him to a rigid trial, and Attorney
! Zollman put in some cross questions. Mr..
! Somerby displayed great tact I'm his eX-
/ animation Of the witness and proved him-
self quite invincible in the line he had
undertaken. In the afternoon II. G. Gris-
wold, deputy county auditor. occupied the
! witness stand most Of the time, and Mr..
Somerby fairly riddled him wi y net
work Of perpeXing inquiries. The work
on the part Of Somerby was productive OF
results, and II as great progress is made
by the other side today the case, which,
If prolonged, Will become a most vexa-
tious one, may soon be brought to q
finish
Preliminary to the examination OF
Burns. Gens Pope and Auditor Johnson
engaged in a little tilt over the receipt
which Johnson alleged Pope did not leave
for the papers he took from tine county
oRlce. Gen Pope fully demonstrated that
this receipt was left ait the time the
papers were removed by Deputy Harris
of the public examiners office and that
last Friday it was found In Mr.. John
sons own desk.
Mr.. Burns was placed on the witness
stand, and stated in answer To- Attorney
SOmerbys question tnat he had access
TO the records in tho county auditors
Office and consulted them whenever no
pleased He said he was perfectly fa-
miliar with every detail Of the workings
of that department and did not need the
advice or guidance Of some official wnen
he desired to look up the record OF
tax sale. He averrcd that he had no
special authority 10 inspect the records
but that as he paid between 500 and
500 worth OF taxes a year for himself.
and more for other people whom he rep
resented, ne ndQ a TlklL 10 &C USlH luOS9
records whenever he wished. At this
juncturc some interesting quizzing began
by Attorney somerby
soMERBY WANTS TO KNOW.
How much money have you obtained
from the county auditor Office in tae past
four or five years on tax refundments
Mr. Burns?" asked Somerby.
about 5000 or $1,000 in al, the mott
of which I got since Jan / 1901 "
That was the amount you derived
through what is known az the Lightner
deal. IS It not?" asked somorby.
Burns replied that it was, ana that the
exact amount was S4 500. lie added that
his entire holdings Of tax refundmeuts
have aggregated rs high as S21 900. Tho
most Of these void certificates he stli
holds he said, some for himself and some
for other people. The examination by
Somerby brought out the fact that his
wife was the heaviest holder Of these
void certificates and that ne was acting
as ner agent. He had also acted - the
agent Of other PARTIES
Mr. Burns stated that he had been IN
the habit Of taking his tax certificates
to the county auditors Office when they
were ready and was not familiar with the
time Of the meetings Of the tax commit
tee Of the board OF county commissioners.
He had never appeared before that COM
mittee. The first intimatiOn he received
that the petition In relation 10 the Light
ner certificates had been fevorably acted
upon, he said, was on April q or 2S when
either State Auditor Dunn or Deputy
County Auditor Griswold informed him.
Burns declared that he mad never talked
with Auditor Johnson, or his deputy. Mg.
Griswold, regarding these tax refund
ment matters.
NO PROOF ASKED FOR.
Mr.. Burns disclosed the statement in
his testimony that no officer ever asked
him for proof Of tise certificates Of Du-
cius, Cassidy or Davis 1t is the Official
duty Of the one issuing the warrants
to have the certificates properly vouched
for and this, il seems, in the case Of the
Ducius. Davis and Cassidy certificates
was not done.
Mr. Burns and Mr.. somerhy engaged
! in q rather spirited cross fire IN few
questions ard answers that followed. Tho
assistant attorney general asked:
| "On April 30, tho day upon which you
drew the check FOR the amount Of the
Lightner certificates. $500 you drew q
| number of checks against your own de-
! posit. did you not Mr., Burns2"
! Eyes, SIR
| Among them was check for $50. WIZ