Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-08-09
MORSE INDICTED
At FOND OU LAC.
FORMER CONGRESSIONAL CANDI
DATE WITH TWO OTHERS MEN
TONED IN TRUE BILLS.
PLOT TO DEFRAUD Is CHARGE.
Former District Attorney and Ex-Sheriff
Harcum Said to Have Conspired,
Thereby Mulcting County.

FOND DU LAC, Wis, Aug q Spe-
cial. Roy L. Morse, former district at
torney, Bernard Sheridan, and J. c.
Harcum. former sheriff, have been in
dicted by the grand jury in true bills re
turned this morning.
The bills against Sheridan and Morse
are combined, and charge these two for
/ mer officials with having entered into a
! conspiracy by which the county was de-
frauded out of 81, 191.OS. 1t is alleged
| that Sheridan, while he was sheriff, pre-
! scented the county board bill for this
amount of travelling expenses of himself
| and his deputies.
in Direct Opposition to Find
Mr. Morse, it is alleged, attached his
signature to the bill, thus attesting to its
correctness. When the bill was paid it
is alleged that Morse received 5000. 1t
is further alleged that the bill was in
correct, as the items it contained were
false, and that the sheriff never travelled
on the warrants Speclhed.
Mr.. Morse is a prominent figure in
politics in this county, having been
candidate for Congress against Charles
IL. Weisse in 1904.
Harcum on Four Charges.
Four separate indictments were brought
against Mr.. Harcum, in which it is al
legged that he fraudulently obtained from
| the county $255.4O, by presenting bills
| for the board of the prisoners who had
not been confined to the county Jail.
The men were arralgned before Court
| Commissioner J. NJ. GOoding, and fur
nshed bonds. 1t is said that two more
| indictments are out.
Findings of Jury.
chOuId
ton against +. A. Bartlett, former asy
lum trustee recently acquitted of the
! charge of embezzlement, to recover mon
ey it is alleged he owes the county, and
the Offering of a suitable reward for the
apprehension of the murderers OF Officer
! William Prinslow, were only two of
| the many recommendations made in the
final report of the grand jury, which was
returned yesterday afternoon.
The grand jury announced it had dis
| covered that it had been customary for
| the chief of police and the mayor to
allow houses of ill-fame to exist in the
CITY. Until a short time ago gambling
was also allowed and that the chief of
police, it is said, appeared to be reluc-
| tant to have to advise the revocation Of
! q license of a saloon keeper.
Allegations of Graft
The jury also appears to have dis
| covered that graft existed in the COM
mon council relative to the awarding of
! bids for supplies for the fire department.
! The report contained cauStlc comments
| on the fact that the city paid $500 for
| a chemical engine, which might have
! been purchased for $1100 and also stated
! that a former council awarded a bid for
fire hose to another company that the
! one recommended by the fire and police
committee and the fire chief.
Among the recommendations made are
the abolishing Of persons interested in
saloons or breweries from the police and
| fire commission; the bringing of an ac-
ton against G. A. Galloway in case it
| is alleged that he intended to defraud
| the city out of the $4,000 he recently re-
funded; the bringin.; of actions against
| F. o. Prinslow for his alleged fraudu-
| lent methods of conducting his business,
and the adoption of business methods
for the conducting of county and city
affairs.
The report was read by E. Korrer.
secretary of the grand jury, and at its
close the jury was discharged from fur
Their service by Judge c. A. Fowler.
Bartlett May Be Sued.
As the result of the recommendation
made by the grand jury it is probable
| that a civil action will be instituted
against Frank A. Bartlett to recover
! money he is alleged to owe the county.
! MT. bdECIelI, WHO WAS 1oIueIIy al dSJ
! lum trustee, was indicted by the grand
! jury on the charge of embezzling, but at
his recent trial, held in Wautoma, was
acquitted.
Friendship Like Hurley.
| Residents of the town of Friendship,
| a small village northeast of here, say
that conditions in that place are apidIy
becoming worse than Hurley. Wis. was
ever reputed to be. Painted women,
singing boisterOus songs and making vile
remarks, it is said, parade the streets of
the little village after nightfall and make
Since the lid was placed on the tender
loin district in the city there has been
an exodus of the inhabitants of that vi
cinity to Friendship. The matter is to
! be reported to the county board at its