The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1908-05-08
SEEMINGLY $3.50 SHORT.
ACCOUNTS OF GREGORY TOWN
TREASURER CHECKED UP.
LOCAL FIGHT AT ELECTION
But r. M. Whittccar, the Former
Treasurer Claims He viii SHOW
Where the Money Went When tht
Proper Time Comes.

Proper Time Comes.
Gregory, $ D., May Especial to
The News; when the accounts of the
eN-treasurer, r.. Nj. Whittecar, were
checked over last week by an expert
omp,O!ed by the new town board.
there was found an apparent shortage
of some $3.50. Thus far 1t is not known
whether Whittecar can explain this
shortage though he intimates that
when the proper time comes he will
tell where the money went etc. II
there is anything in what he says it
is quite likely that something OF a
! sensation will be sprung here.
The matter all came about as re-
suit OF the bitter town fight here a
short time ago. Two tickets were in
the field, the first one termed the
progressive citizens ticket, being com
posed of most OF the men who were
then holding the city Offices. But
some dissatisfaction had found root
among number OF the citizens be
cause of the seemingly loose manner
In which the affairs of the town had
| Dtth dllO"tu w vi III dlOuB, So lIldl at
the last '"'"''' Other ticket was
chosen, ca''0' the citizens ticket. The
fight developed into n regular person
al issue and many charges were made
pro and con. When the election re-
turns were i'll IT was found that by Just
a few votes three members of the
citizens ticket had b,yn elected out
| Of G,.p r -,
Gil so that the citizens ticket had
majority and now control the board.
| The members of the citizens ticket
made their campaign on a pledge that
if elected they would institute a rigid
| investigation into the affairs of this
thriving city. Having control of the
board they Immediately began to full
fill their pledge by having an account
ant check up the books and papers of
the eX-treasurer. Thus the shortage
was disclosed. Other Investigations
are to be made and it is intimated that
other disclosures are expected. Just
where the end will be no one knows.
Another feature of the case devel
oped when Immediately after the new
to"h NouiNll IHlo outt Dtll-
ton was presented for their consider
alton, asking that the question, wheth-
err Gregory should be organized as a
city of the third class, should be sub
mitted to the voters of the town. This
petition was presented by the defeat
ed progressives for the most part and
was for the purpose, it was said, of
| trtr NJ IN oil iy., and
thus hinder the new board in their
investigations. The petition was laid
over, when Immediately the matter
was taken by the petitioners into the
circuit court and a writ of mandamus
secured to make the board act upon
the petition. In the meantime the
members of the citizens ticket went
about among the signers of the petit
ton and found that a number had
signed under misrepresentation and
misunderstanding as to just what the
petition was for. From a large num-
Der Of the original signers Withdrawals
were secured. When the matter came
up before Judge Smith in Yankton,
having been set for April "a, it was
|
ernor as Arbor day and was there
fore legal holiday and thus the writ
was quaShed. However, a leave was
granted to issue new writ which was
made returnable in Fairfax at the
term of circuit court there last Fri
day and was passed over by the Judge.
Just when the matter will be taken up
iS NOT fVli tho inlua inlinatipu
time. Thus the matter stands.
But during all this time the new
board has gone Serenely on Investigate
ing the affairs of the town, and since
being in office have cleared up num-
Der of matters which the people were
in doubt about.
The members of the new board are
not against city government but they
refused to grant any such request at
this time because they had barely
started their investigations into the
towns affairs and did not want to
suffer any hindrance until these mat
ters were cleared up. They state
that If the people of Gregory, which
is today a city Of some 1900 people,
| ii
ment with a mayor six cOuncilmen,
and full quota of city officers, they
have no objections provided the
change is postponed long enough to
give them time to finish the work they
have begun and fulfill the pledges
they made to the people on the eve
of the municipal election.
II iC urprth wbila m ppta tbat In 40
municipal elections a short time ago,
Gregory polled 100 more votes than
any other town in Gregory county,
and number of citizens did not vote
who had not been here long enough
at that time to vote but who will be
voters in the election this fall Gre.
CORY polled 219 votes, while Fairfax
polled 1909, Bonesteel 40, Herrick 1872,
Burke 20, and Dallas 115.