The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-02-26
NO CRIMINAL INTENT.
Slight Irregularities Found Against
Previous County Officer.

Previous County Officer.
From Saturdays Daily.
During the visit of the assistant pub
lie examiners to the court house this
! week, County Auditor Weaver called
their attention to some features of the
work of his predecessor, P. A. Gunders,
which appeared to be of such nature
as to need investigation, though why
examiners of previous administrations
have not discovered them before now and
without their attention being called to
them, is somewhat strange, unless they
did not notice them at that time or did
not think them worthy of comment.
1t appears that erasures have been
made on some of the warrants and
names written in showing the purposes
| for which the warrants were drawn. APP
parently, the original names and pur-
pOSGS WcIc cIdScu duu OUltI IdluoS dllu
purposes, and in some cases other en-
| dorsements, written in. This belief is
strengthened by the fact that the stubs
| bearing the same number do not show
erasures and bear other names and pur-
poses. 1t is believed that the warrants
were originally duplicates of the stubs
and that they were subsequently alter
| ed.
| Why alterations were made is not
definitely known at this time, as Mr..
Gunders' attention has not yet been call
ed to the matter, nor has he been given
an opportunity to explain. From ap-
pearances, the original warrants were
drawn on Mr.. Gunders' salary account,
but, it perhaps later coming to his
attention that that account was over
drawn, the wording on the warrant was
changed so as to make it appear that
the money was drawn on the account of
the deputy auditor or other official. That
the stubs were not changed to CORES
pond with the changes on the warrants
was probably matter of carelessness.
1t does not appear that Mr.. Gunders
drew dollar more of salary than he was
entitled to, during the time that he was
county auditor, and the worst that ap-
pears to be the case was that he may
have changed some of his salary war
rants to make it appear that he had not
| 0verdrawn his account, or to prevent his
account being overdrawn. If this was
so, the accounts seem to have been SUBJ
sequently balanced. Mr. Gunders was
building an expensive house at the time,
and was no doubt pressed for money,
and in making payments to the contract
ors he may have temporarily overdrawn
his account with the treasurer or drawn
in advance on the clerk hire account.
County Auditor Weaver states that he
does not believe the county is out a
cent through Mr.. Gunders. 1t is therefore
"
any criminal intent, but that the acts
of Mr.. Gunders referred to were done
with the purpose of appearing at all
times to have not exceeded his salary.
| This. of course, was a foolish thing to
| do, and lays him open to the criticism of
his enemies and may put him to some
trouble to satisfy those who have not
looked into the matter personally and
who hear only unfriendly reports.
The deputy examiners, when their at
tention was called to the matter, sent
for Public Examiner johnson, and the
latter arrived in the city Thursday
night. Yesterday afternoon the matter
was presented to the county board and
the following resolution was adopted
by the board:
Whereas, Edgar Weaver, county audi
tor of Blue Earth county, Minnesota,
has brought to our attention certain
records and files of this county, pertain
ing to the transaction of the business of
the county during the years of 1895 to
| 1900 inclusive, during all of which time
Mr.. P. A. Gunders was county auditor
of said Blue Earth county; and since
these certain books and records show
that the original names for which war
rants were drawn and the endorsements
on the backs thereof have been erased
and other names, workings and endorse
ments substituted therefor, all of which
appears to us as having been done IN
the hand writing of said 2. A. Gunders,
thereby changing their purport to such
extent as to necessitate the making of
the accounts to such extent that, on
their faces, they do not appear to have
been drawn and the money used for the
purposes indicated by the original stubs
in the auditors office. or the books of
record in the treasurer's office; and
Whereas, The above facts justify US
in believing that the records have been
Intentionally falsifed and that injury
to the county may have resulted there
from. Now therefore
Be it Resolved, That the county at
torney of this county, together with
the county auditor and the county treas
urer. be and they are hereby instructed
to make a complete and thorough inves-
tigation Immediately of all the books and