The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-07-05
TWO THOUSAND
DENIED FEES
INsoLvENTs CAN'T COLLECT
FROM THE COUNTY.
Big Saving Effected by the Newly
Created Office of Witness Clerk No
More Drawing of Fees for Two
Cases on the One Day, and No One
Man Can Get Dollar for Working
for the Commonwealth Who IL
Owing the County Any Costs.
Other Court Matters.

In the little more than a year that
the county commissioners have had a
witness clerk" engaged. the county
has been saved, according to Clerk
Mahon's estimate, $1,000 directly, and
probably as much more indirectly.
There was no question at any time
but that the creation of this office
would be an economy. The only ques-
ton was as to how much Of a saving
would be effected.
Before the establishment of this Of
flee, witnesses would come into court
on several cases and draw a dollar
day for each case. Very frequently
Il case is set down for Monday but
will not be reached until Friday.
When this occurred formerly. the wit
nesses, as rule, would put in a
claim for fees for every day from
the day the case was on the list to
the day It was tried.
Only about one out OF every fifty
persons on whom costs are imposed do
not take advantage of the insolvency
laws to escape payment. The same
day they would swear they were in
solvents and thereby put the costs on
the county, they would go down to
warrant for fees as a witness for the
commonwealth. In almost every mu-
nicipality in the county there was a
crowd of barrators who faxed up cases
of a more or less trivial nature for the
sole purpose of having a loaf for a
week in Scranton at the expense OF
the county.
STRONG BEFORE GRAND JURY.
They would make out a strong case
before the grand jury but when it
came to the trial they would be just
weak enough to have the prosecution
defeated, and the county, either di-
rectly or indirectly, saddled with the
costs.
Now all this is changed. No witness
can get fees If he does not register
with Clerk Mahon every day and be
on hand punctually when the case is
called. If a case is set down for
Tuesday and il is seen it will not be
reached until Friday, the district at
torney announces the fact and no fees
will be paid in that case for Wednes-
day or Thursday.
If a witness is summoned on more
than one case, he can draw fees and
mileage on only one case. This is
particularly sad blow to the magis-
trates and constables from a distance,
who were won't to draw fees and mile
age on two or three cases in the one
day.
But it is in the matter or insolvents
that the greatest direct and indirect
saving is made. Every insolvent since
the day the county was organized is
on record in the commissioners office.
When "A person comes in, now, with
a bill for fees or mileage, this record
is appealed to, and if it is found that
he was one time saddled with costs
which he avoided paying by pleading
insolvency. Mr.. Mahon courteously in
forms him that his claim will be
placed to his credit on the account he
is owing, and that he can draw no
money from the county until he has
squared his old account.
WON'T COME AGAIN.
That man isn't going 10 come into
court again if he can help it. He
doesn't relish the idea of paying rail-
road fare, losing time and spending
good money at restaurants just to
work out what he owed the county
in some costs that he supposed the
county had forgotten all about long
ago. Thus those barrators above re-
ferrcd to are discouraged from fax
ing up cases for, as a rule, they some-
time or another were saddled with
costs, and they know that it is always
there to confront them when they face
the witness clerk.
Mr.. Mahon's book containing the
names of persons whose claims for
witness fees have been refused, during
the last year, because OF their having
IN days gone by declared themselves
insolvents and put the costs on the
county. has nearly 1000 entries.
Before the advent OF the witness
clerk these 1000 persons would have
drawn anywhere from 81 to $40 in
fees. Thanks to the witness clerk, not
one of them drew a cent, and what is
best OF all, none of them will come
into court again unless they are
dragged there.
There is some talk of transferring
the witness clerk from the commits
sioners' to the controllers office. In
Luzerne he is an attache OF the latter
Office.