The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-05-19
men OF BELTRAMI
ON The DEFENSIVE
Officials Appear Before the Gov.
ernor to Explain Charges
of Graft.
r. L. Stone, for the State, Pre-
SCENTS the Results of His
nvestigations.

Investigations.
Beltrami county officials defended
themselves against serious charges be-
fore Governor John A. johnson at the
capitol today. r. A. Stone acted as
special attorney for the state.
Mr.. Stone spent the entire morning
summing up the case for the prosecu2
tion, and this afternoon R. J. Russell
and Chester McKusick, attorneys for
the defense, did their best to explain
the questionable actions Of their clients.
the attorneys, was ewes" Wright, one
Of Beltrami, and R. W. Hitchcock,
editor Of the Memidji Pioneer. F. o.
Sibley, the other commissioner in trou-
BILE, was absent.
COURT said Governor Johnson. ri
am holding this hearing simply to get
at the exact condition Of things. I'm
FASHIONED eloquence is not necessary,
but just theplain facts OF the case n
as brief form as possible.
Mr.. Stone then opened the case by
presenting the charges in six classes:
First, wrongfully procuring payment
Second, unlawfully allowing improper
bills for county officers, in which al
lowances the accused participated. !
Third, letting the Beltrami county
printing for the years 1903, 1904 and
1905, to the highest bidder, when the
lazy says it should go to the lowest.
Fourth, creating an excessive wax
levy to meet exehbitant expenses. -.
Fifth, being interested in county
Sixth, refusing to prosecute and
collect claims due the county, espe-
cially the amount due from the defunct
Merchants bank or Bemidji.
A Monopoly Of Printing.
By way Of illustrating what an item
the county printing in Beltrami is, Mr..
Stone asserted that for 1908 it
amounted to $2,196.35; for 1904,
$2,940.64.
"It is a plain case Of attempting to
give the Bemidji Pioneer the absolute
Stone: * In 1904, at the time the coun.
ty commissioners let the printing,
Peter M. Kerst, now public examiner,
and then connected with the examin-
er's department, was present and reg
istered formal protest against giving
the printing to the highest bidder.
This protest received not the least con-
sideration. In testimony in ,thiis! case
that he considered it right to measure
| all advertising for the county by the
| smallest type used, even tho such small
| type be but one-fftieth Of the size Of
the type used in such advertising. The
smallest type is charged at the highest
rate, and thus the charge for the ad-
| vertising was excessive.
Governor johnson is country editor
|
smile.
edo you still contend this is the
fair way to measure the county adver-
tisingao asked the governor, turning
"Well,' replied Hitchcock, with
some hesitation, ~ gave that answer
on cross examination; I guess he kind
Mr.. Stone then reviewed various
printing bills and showed where he
considered them exorbitant.
A Trip to Tennessee.
Other bills of excessive character
were explained. One bill was an allow.
ance Of $50 for Commissioners Sibley Is
expenses on a trip to Tennessee, au
thorized by himself. Other bills ag.
i gregating $754.60 were allowed fol
Grass Lake ditch, the advisability Of
constructing which Sibley and one 9th
81 COMMISSIONER udO Dcen IuGQOT1Z6C
to investigate, and on which limited
authority they went ahead with the
constructive work.
Several cases were explained Of bills
one for $l44 being allowed, and al
once after allowance being signed ovel
for payment to "Weso Wright.
One interesting statement was thai
Dr.. Blakesley, county physician, was
allowed $4,000 salary year. Wright
tried to improve this item by explaining
that the physician was required to fur
nish all medicines free.
Mr.. Stone spent some time explaining
the settlement of the county's indebt
edness with the Merchants bank o,
Bemidji. He said the amount due tn,
county from the bank at the time O:
its failure was 81, 406.78, of which
: $4,000 is still due and unpaid. Fl,
stated that in August, 1903, Wright, al
vice chairman, signed release in full
Of the Indebtedness to the county TO-
an alleged payment by the bank in set
Element Of $1,000 to the county treas
urer.
stThis money was never paid,'' saie
Mr.. Stone, and the probabilities ar
there never was any intention of payin,
IT.. The release was given without
cent being paid by the bank to tn
county. The release should have beer
signed by Commissioner Sibley as chair
man, but for some reason he didn'
{ care to sign it,