The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-04-21
SOME SERIOUS CHARGES.
They Reflect Upon Public Examine r
S. T. Johnson.

S. T. Johnson.
From Mondays Daily.
Charges seriously rejecting on the Of
fetal integrity of S. I. Johnson, for
mer public examiner, are contained in a
report filed with the house by p. E.
Bowling, chairman of a subcommittee
of the house public accounts committee
The report states that the other four
members of the subcommittee agreed
to the report. 1t will be considered by
the house today.
The allegations against Mr.. Johnson
cover a wide territory, from neglect
of duty in not examining state banks
and county and state offices to discrep
ancies in the accounts of himself and
his deputies in charges against the
state for railroad fare and hotel bills.
Mr.. johnson is i'll at his home at
Minneapolis, and attached to the re-
port is a letter from his family physi-
clan who says that it would be sui
cidal for his patient to attempt to APP
pear before the committee as request
ed.
The report alleges that in 1902 Mr..
johnson rode on railroad passes and
collected fares from the state. A num-
Der of items are cited where alleged
excess fare was charged the state over
the regular fare between given points.
Sixteen trips outside the state were
enumerated between points on lines
which railroad officials swore johnson
mad annual passes on. An opinion
from the attorney general, in the re-
port, holds that it is illegal for state
official to ride on passes and collect
| fare from the state.
The report declares that some eX-
pense accounts of Deputies E. w. Nc
Grew and S. HI. Bezoir are unduly
large and in some cases illegal. One
of the deputies charged for three meals
when he had taken night trip to Chi
cago. His average expenses on an
eastern trip were $3.50 day, the re-
port says, and the former public eX-
aminer audited and approved the ac-
counts. A bill of 1920 for bonds for
his deputies, written by Mr.. Johnson
in a company represented by himself,
had been paid, but later refunded to
the state Mr.. McGrew's laundry bill of
50, charged the state, and Mr.. Bezoir's
$3.50 for tips to the bellboys of the
Spaulding hotel, Duluth, were criti-
cised by the committee.
The report declares that Johnson
failed to examine eight state banks in
/ 1902 and sixteen in 1903, which num-
Der of state institutions and offices
were not examined in g 1902, 1903 or
1904. The board of control, the re-
port says, has been examined but once
since July, 1902, and then by man
who spent but four days in the office.
Roseau county, it is alleged, has never
had its books examined. In 1902 four.
| teen counties escaped examination, in
| 1903 six were not visited and in 1904
two escaped. Charges are made That
illegal charges amounting to $S053 were
unearthed in Beltrami county in 1902,
with wrongful charges of 1920 in
1903, but the discrepancies were not
called to the attention of the COVER
nor and the former examiner did not
attempt to enforce refundment of the
illegal charges.
p. M. Kerst, the present examiner, is
commended for establishing a system
of requiring daily reports from the dep
uties. The committee finds that the
cost of conducting the department is
being materially reduced by this prac-
| tice. He is also commended for making
prompt report to the governor of all Of
| fetal misdeeds. The installation of a
civil service system for the office by
the next legislature is recommended by
the committee.