Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-10-09
Record Made by Pierce County Candidate
While Probate Judge
MIDDLE HE LEFT FOR HIS SUCCESSOR
Books in Had shape and AHairS OF
once Messed Up Through the
Incompetence OF J. A,
williams.

county Judges Office here during the sd-
ministration Of ]. A. Williams who was
nominated by the republican state conven-
tion for the new and important office OF
railway commissioner
These disclosures have been made for
some time and many of them come up
through the discovery by heirs Of probated
estates when some disposition of the prop
erty is attempted. They show the blum
ders OF omissions in scores Of estates and
also carelessness In handling the criminal
docket that is we'll nirh startling.
The desperate situation is revealed by
the fact that former Judge Williams has
made several attempts TO straiEhten out
various tangles. He has lately restored
fees for work which he did not do The
Board Of Commissioners have still other
matters for him to explain and altogether
II is a situation, the dcplorable effects Of
which will be felt for years TO come.
HIS Many AvocntIons.
This is the same ]. A. Williams who was
formerly a preacher at AvocA Ia. law
yer in Omaha, a school teacher in Pierce
county lawyer at Plainvicw4 two terms
county Judge Of Pierce county and defeated
last year for reelection lecturer on "Ths
Real Boy and His Sister and delegate
from Pierce county to the last republican
state convention under the conditions that
brought down upon him the charge by the
late Edward Rosewater that he violated
the instructions of his party and traded
his honor for the nomination which the
convention gave him.
Four times during his seven years resi-
dence in Pierce county has he been a NOM
inee for political Office Two times has
he won and from those two terms as county
/ judge, ending last January, Pierce county
is trying to recover. In short, the records
of hiss office were left In a horrible mess.
Blotted. blurred. filled with errors. notori-
! ously incomplete, they give proof of gross
negligence. and a most wanton neglect of
the interests of the widows and orphans
/ of Pierce county in the caro- of estates left
! to them. Scarcely day passes but tina [
| an anxious heir appears at the county
| judges office In effort to straighten ont
tangles that will confirm titles or permit
of the transfer Of property, and hut a be-
ginning has been made.
| Successor Finds Mess
! Early last spring when Judge c. r.
Kelley. the successor of Judge Williams.
after being in possession of the Office 81
/ few days, saw that an almost hopeless
l n9uddle existed, called in the Board OF
County Commissioners and asked for in
records and then there was something de-
| ing.
Williams begged OF Judge Kelley that
he might be permitted to come back into
! the office and fix up the dockets.
/ No, sir, | will not expect my bondsmen
to permit you or any other man to fix up
I the records of my office, now that I am
responsible for them" was Judge Kelley $
reply
Finally agreement was reached with
the county commissioners that Judge Kei-
ley should have the records Strengthened
out as rapidly as he could, and that
Williams should pay the bills And ever
since that day Williams has been digging
/ mp money that he collected in fees for
work that he never did and has been ap-
! parently mighty glad of the chance to
avoid more drastic proceedings being taken
| by the county commissioners.
As a sample of his negligence Williams
criminal docket for his four years which
covered about 100 cases. shows that the
| recording of complaints has been omitted
in just twenty-one of those cases. not
counting the omissions of sherirfs returns.
recognlzances, etc.
Remarkable Neglect shown.
An examination of the civil docket
shows long drawn out line of blunders,
blots and confusion and vital omissions.
Beginning in book III" extending all
through book Il" and into the middle of
book ~ the records grow worse in
stead of better. 1t will be observed from
docket pages here given in the list OF the
most glaring defects In the cases cited
that the defects come pretty often This
is the list.
IL. lS6-Douglas Cones vs. John Weis-
ner, for legal services, May 6, 1902, bill of
/ /. l7-Commercial Land Co. vs.. William
H. Butterheld ct al, February 7, 1906, un-
l. 5l-Christ Larsen vs.. Peter c. An.
derson. December 81 1902, bill OF particu-
lars missing; impossible to even determine
/. 6s--John r. Pringle VS. Isaac Spar
February Il, 1908 bill OF particulars miss,
ing; impossible TO determine kind of ac-
l. es-winiam Mendenhan VS.. Louisa
ulrich and susan Clrich. for work and
labor, February q, 1903, petition missing
March "a, 1904, motion to quash service
/. 75-Thomas f. Spencer vs.. Homer e
Skeen. for damage March 13, 1893. bill
of particulars missing; March 2l 1903 mo.
tion and stipulation missing.
l. S3.-J. c. Higgins VS.. The Royal High.
landers. money due on account; April u
1893, petition missing.
l. S7-Arthur M. Day VS.. John Casey
replevin; April %. 1903, affidavit missing
l. B-W. l. Mold vs. Frank MoraVec
forcible detention: May g. 1903. petition
i. g-Frauk c. Friend VS. Stanley skeen
money due, October H. 1903, return on ex
4 ecution missing.
i. 9s-Piel Bros. VS.. Boyd S. Leedom
demand for money, June 8. 1903. bill o
particulars missing; June TO- 1903, bill o
particulars missing.
l. l03-Rchard kaabe VS.. William Broad
hagen: June 49, 1903, affidavit missing
J. l09-The Farmers State bank of Plain
view W.. j. II. Zimmerman, on promissor r,
/ note June %. 1903 petition missing
( L liS-charles y 'Uelsey VS.. Holm Roe
man and Grant Phillips Co, for none,
due. July H. 1872, nlil ot particulars miss
J. ll5--May Bros. VS.. Lew T. Cox, Sep
tersber 4 1903 pelitloA missing; Novembel
: 10, 1903, sheciff's returN OF execution miss
L ig1-WilIiam II. Stagsman w. Th,
County OF Pierce, damages for loss o
: properly. demand for jury trial an,
| answer missing.
I. i27-Gertrude r. Romm VS. Benjam.l
NJ Jones' replevin, October s. 1909 affi
, davtt missing; later date. return of ap
, praisers missing.
18g-The Fremont Brewing Co. gs
Frank Merovic, money demanded, Janu
, airy 26. 1904. petition missing
Wiley replsvin, February y. 1904 am
"a 14s~GeoTge ~ Mitchell vs.. Ernest ,
| sehroeder. replevin, February -. 1894, am
. davit missing.
I. l5S-John Halterman vs.. John Wrags
(Continued on Second PaEel