The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-01-15
Something Of Scandal in the Rock
County Town.
Marshal Is Charged With Having q
Very Strong "Mitt.'
Shortage in His Accounts Alleged
Other Doings, Too.
Village Has Been Run Very Loosely,
So lis Said.
From Mondays Daily.

Luverne has a senation on its hands.
AS result of disclosures made by vari-
GUS persons in the form of affidavits,
County Attorney E. H. Garfield has in
his possession facts which warrant him
in bringing criminal action against the
marshal of Luverne, Dave Clegg, upon
the charge of extorting money for ex-
emption from criminal proceedings alleg-
ed to be pending against one George
Austin for stealing.
The affidavits three in number, were
made by Alfred c. Smith, printer en-
ployed in The Luverne Journal office;
Walter Jaynes and Warren Allen, before
Mr.. Garfield, as notary public.
1t is stated in the affidavits that
George Austin, formerly employed in Ar
mour & Co.'s house in this city, but now
residing at st. James, was charged with
stealing an overcoat, and that warrant
for his arrest was alleged by Clegg to
have been issued and given to him to
serve; that instead of serving the al
legged warrant Clegg went to Austin and
told him that he would not serve the
warrant, but would let him off providing
he paid him $40.
In his affidavit Alfred C. Smith, who
is a half brother of Austin, says he went
to Clegg and tried to get him to let his
brother off with SIS, which Clegg refused
to do; that he then aided his brother in
getting the necessary $40, and that he
saw Austin pay the money to Clegg.
Walter Jaynes, in his affidavit, cor
roborates Smiths statements in every
particular and says further that he also
went to Clegg and tried to have him let
Austin off, which he refused to do with
out payment of the money, but that he
told him that if he tCleggl got the mon
ely he would not serve the warrant.
Jaynes also says he saw Austin hand
Clegg the money. The affidavit of War
rem Allen corroborates both those of
smith and Jaynes and further alleges
that he (Allen) saw the money paid to
Clegg.
Ever since Clegg's appointments as
marshal, about two years ago, the af-
fairs of that village have been allowed
to run in what is termed "wide open"
style. Gambling and graft. have been
carried on openly with apparently no
effort on the part of the officers to pre-
vent it. The inevitable fruits of corrupt
government are but too numerous. At
the time of the change of municipal
officers last spring there was shortage,
alleged to be between $500 and $500 in
the village accounts. Up to that time
it had been the custom of having the
marshal collect the village accounts for
electric lights and water. During the
preceding year, Clegg, who was then
marshal, had acted as collector, and at
the time of the annual closing of the
books it was found that there was a
discrepancy of about $500 in the amount
of money collected and that credited as
turned over to the recorder.
Owing to the recorders custom of re-
ceiving money collected without giving
receipt or counting the money, this
discrepancy was made possible. 1t still
stands and no action has been taken to
place the blame. 1t is generally believed
that the integrity of the recorder is
above question. A more recent event in
dicative of the laxity or disregard to
duty on the part of the marshal was
shown in the recent gambling raid when
Clegg was brought by private citizens
into room in which fourteen men were
caught red handed and all were permit
ted to escape. Strong suspicious of
friendship between each of the gamblers
and Clegg was aroused when, after the
matter had been reported to the mayor,
it became necessary for him to compel
Clegg, under threats of discharge, to
enter the necessary complaints; and the
further fact that owing to unnecessary
delay on the part of the forced COM
plant all of the gamblers except four
were enabled to leave town before the