Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-10-08
District Attorney Frank ". Clancy Of Albuquer-
que, Turns on Lime Light Of Publicity.
THE PEOPLES MONEY MISAPPROPRlATED
Alleged Frauds in the Office Of the Bernao County Supern-
tendent-Tae Of Remarkable Bond Transaction.

bonds. owned by said Bernalillo
county, for best obtainahle price"
So far as the official records are
concerned, this is absolutely the last
bit Of information obtainable as to
these bonds No report appears ever
to have been made Of any sale OF the
bonds; the books of the treasnrer's Of
flee do not show that the proceeds Of
such sale ever reached his hands. and
no official record shows the amount Of
such proceeds or what became OF
them.
Mr.. G. ". Stafford travelling auditor
Of the territory, has recently made an
investigation of this matter, and has
obtained considerable amount OF I'M
official information which he has en-
bodied in statement which he has
filed in the office Of the county treas
urer and with the governor of the ter
ritory.
His written statement taken alone.
however, might be misleading Its
heading would indicate that It is an
official statement Of the account Of the
county and county treasurer as to the
proceeds Of the sale of the bonds In
! question, but such an impression
would be erroneous.
The facts are that on November /,
1901, the First National bank of Albu-
querque placed to the credit OF &C. X.
Newhall, treasurer" the sum Of
4 sS3,425. Mr. Stafford assumes, and
without doubt correctly, that this rep
resents the proceeds of the sale of the
bonds. This account does not appear
upon the books of the treasurer II
was kept by the bank separate and
apart from the official account of the
treasurer. On November IL, 1901
Mr.. Newhall transferred to this spec
i ial and separate account $4,000 from
his general account as treasurer, and
on November 26, 1901, he made anoth
er like transfer Of $1,000, thus making
the total amount of this special ac
count $37,425. These Withdrawals OF
money amounting to $4,000, from the
county treasurer, were not authorized
or directed by the board Of county
commissioners, who alone had Lawful
authority to direct any payment from
the public funds, and thereafter the
treasurer proceeded to pay out all o
the moneys according to his own dis
cretion. without any official direction
, from the county commissioners, II
discharge Of what he apparently as
, sumed to be obligations of the county
What he did with the money Is show
: only by the stubs of a check bool
which Mr.. Stafford fortunately discoy
cred, which show checks from No.
!. to No. 4G, by which all 81 this none
was disbursed. Il should be said
!. however. that the records DC the prt
! ceedings of the board Of county con
I missloners does show the approval 9
5 4 eps Ter Of aec rats in august. 1901
] " taa payment " VII Mr. Newhal
! etideutIg auempied e eyote a POI
lien 81 this TNsse account
: i bear in tie er q the proccet
!. 81 sa aJunt commissioners.
3 which further reference will be her
\ matter made.
d Il comparison of The accounts a
i proved by the board Of county con
n missioners with the payments made 7
y MI. Newhall VIII show that man
IS things we're paid which had not be-
d approved BY the board. and that fe
d Of those approved BY the board DO 70
y appear to have been paid at all. F'
; none Of the payments made BY y
', Newhali Is there n receipt anywhei
4. In existence 80 far as can be lcarne
The first check drawn By Mr.. Ne'
y hall on November 3 1901, against Y
'r special account is for si9,6S5.07,
ls favor Of Mr. Nestor Montoya. n
10 Stafford in his report states that he ht
4 obtained from Mr.. Montoya q stat
ment Of what this check was for, al
a the items are set out in Mr., Stafford
% report have not had time nor o
:, portunity 70 inquire further into Y
II extraordinary disbursement Of near
" $50 600 of public money, through