Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1906-10-18


been created by the exposures of
Lansdon's crooked work while as
SCISSOR of Washington county. He /
is at present the republican candi-
date for secretary OF state, having /.
been forced on the ticket by Gov !
ernor Gooding, in payment of a
political obligation, notwithstand-
ing the violently expressed objec-
tions of republicans who knew of
his gambling mania, his dissipated
life and the dishonest methods
employed to secure funds to squan-
der on the green cloth and for
booze. The proof of his guilt was
furnished by the republican board
of county commissioners, which was
sufficiently convincing to induce
the republican state executive COM
mittee to take cognizance of the
charges preferred. He is now in
the north making campaign speech
es and has been wired to come to
headquarters at Boise and square
himself The Statesman of yester-
day stated that no communication
had been received from him.
These are said to be the facts in
the case: In the fall of 1904, Lans-
don being county assessor and tax
collector, F. M. Brown, a promi-
nent sheepman of Wahsington coun-
ty, came to pay his tax. The
assessment on his sheep fer the year
was $163. so, which he paid, re-
| ceiving a receipt from Lansdon for
the amount in full settlement for
his tax for the year. At the Janu-
ary, 1905, meeting of the board of
commissioners, about three months
after Brown had paid his tax, Lans-
don personally appeared before the
: board and stated that Brown was
entitled 10 a rebate of $40. so, that
during three months of the year his
sheep had ranged in Idaho county,
8 an adjoining county. The tax law
;, of Idaho regarding the taxation OF
:, sheep, cattle or horses provides that
the owner pays taxes according tc
the time his stock ranges in a GER
tain county.
The commissioners granted the
rebate. In the fall of 1905, Brown
i again came into the assessors office
: to pay his taxes for the previou:
year. He was informed by the dep
uty assessor that he was entitled
to a rebate for the time his sheer
were in Idaho county the previous
year. Brown was very much sur
prised and stated that he was no
entitled to any rebate, as his sheeI
had never been out of Washington
county. Asked if he had ever re
: ceivd any rebate money from Lans
= don, he said he had not. The asses
sor then hunted up the tax receip
book and found that the duplicat
had been tampered with, that tn
figures made by the carbon whei
/. 1.-THE duplicate and original wer
n first made had been erased and tn
y figures $123. so had been writer
instead The work was very bung
lingly done.
Immediately on making this dis
covery the assessor set about Sc
curing the original receipt give
Brown by Lansdon. After consid
cradle correspondence this was don
and is now in the possession Of tn
- county auditor 1t shows tina
Brown paid as tax the sum c
$f63. so, and that he had neve
received a cent of rebate nor wa
the amount rebated ever tur ned bsc
a to the county by Lansdon.
IS A special from Lewiston to tn
,e Statesman, gives the following eva
,e sive explanation by the accused
Robert Lansdon, now in Lewiston
,e said today, in reference to tn
TO charge against him: 81 do not re
is call anything about the particula
,e item mentioned. 1t was one of tn
Of hundreds of detailed incidents to tn
& assessors IS work and an error may c
D. may not exist.
es "The motive, however, is plair
10 1t was inspired by the democrati
Id auditor, who has been keeping off
Id cial fees for his private use for seN
Id eral years. | was instrumental i
it carrying the matter to the suprem
court, where a decision against tn