The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-07
The Sheriff Of Hennepin County Re-
moved by the Governor After
Investigation.
County Commissioners Will Meet to
Elect J. W. Dreger to Fill
the Vacancy.

buttons at Owatonna and Red Wing. "A
list of over forty children committed to
the latter institution is cited, each COM
mlttment resulting in an overcharge.
Overcharges are also found for commit
ting children to the school for the feeble
minded at Faribault-
The governor also finds that after an
examination of his accounts in the fall OF
1901 the county attorney made a demand
upon Megaarden for the return OF the I'M
lawful charges aud exactions, and that
Megaarden thereupon paid the county
treasury $4,000 representing the aggre-
gate amount of overcharges and exactions
made during his term Of service as said
sheriff" The order concludes:
l further find that the facts alleged in said
charges preferred and filed against the said
Phillip T. Megaarden are true, and that
because of the foregoing facts the said
Phillip T. Megaarden has during his in
cumbency as sheriff Of said Hennepin county
been guilty of malfeasance in the perform
ance of his official duties such sheriff,
and by reason thereof l do hereby remove
him, the said Phillip T. Megaarden, from the
Office of sheriff, Of Hennepin county in the
state of Minnesota.
aDted at the Capitol, in the city of st.
Paul, Mimi, this sixth day of March, 1902.
IS. r. Van SAINT,
Governor of Minnesota.
History of the Case.
G. L. Smith, attorney for the county
commissioners, first discovered irregu-
larities in the sheriff's office. He objected
to the payment Of certain extra charges in
the sheriff's bills early in 1901. Megaar-
den was asked to appeal the attorneys
rulings to the district court, but refused
| to do so. The item was charge of So
| for attendants on the grand jury, the
court having already provided four men
for that work. Megaarden fought the
| matter before the county commissioners.
AS a result Of the investigation it was
found that he had been charging twice for
the Same work. Examination of the
sheriff's books showed that duplicate
| charges had been repeatedly entered. =
Then it came out that while Megaar-
den had been charging for hack and hotel
| fare for prisoners taken to Owatonna,
! when the entire expenses had been borne
! by that institution. When the county
commissioners were so informed, Attor-
Eney, Smith was instructed to go over the
| sheriff'S books for the two years Of his
term.
| Close scrutiny showed that it had been
the practice to make double charges for
| the collection of taxes. The county was
charged fee at the same time that col
lections were made from individuals.
The sheriff kept the proceeds in each
! case, and $500 was found to have been
thus wrongfully appropriated.
l. Ames Makes Charges.
1t was then that Mayor Ames, who had
clashed with Megaarden politically, went
to the governor and preferred charges.
The governor directed the bank examiner
to make full investigation, and that Off
cial spent six weeks in checking Megaar-
den's accounts. On the strength of the
examiners report the governor issued an
order suspending Megaarden and appoint
ling commission consisting of Thomas
Salmon and Robert Stratton to take tes-
timony.
The November grand jury returned
eleven indictments against Megaarden,
charging him with grand larceny and per-
jury. He was tried on a grand larceny
Indictment in which he was specifically
charged with making false charges for
hotel and hack fare for six children who
were taken to Red living. The trial began
Jan. 10 and lasted two weeks. County
Attorney Boardman representing the
state and A. Y. Merrill and John H.
Steele appearing Off Megaarden. The jury
disagreed and was discharged.
| According to the bank examiner the
amount of Megaarden's populations footed
up to 81, 500. OF that amount $4,000 was
! refunded.