The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-11-12
'KNOBLOCH FORCED To
RESIGN AS TREASURER

port to the department in Columbus
and 1t may be some time until the
truth Of the affair is known. Until
that time no wrongdoing can be plac-
ed at the door of Mr.. Knobloch.
That there is something wrong
somewhere there is no doubt. for it is
not likely that a county treasurer,
with a big salary attached, and one
who has been reelected at the recent
election, will merely step down and
out of Office on account of some cleri-
cal error in his books Readers must
be left to draw their own conclusions,
but the treasurer should be given the
benefit of every doubt.
Deputy Treasurer Ross w. AXE,
who looks after the interest on all
monies that are placed in the deposit
tory, says that there were no irregu-
larities in this respect He will likely
be retained by Acting Treasurer Metz
gar.
Prosecutor Upham assures the peo-
pie that there is no shortage in any
of the funds, saying that the exam
iners had checked up the money in
the depository and in the vault of the
treasurer and that the money tallies
to a cent with the auditors books.
Let the people of the county be pa
tient," said one county official, for
they have not lost cent and they
should be generous enough to with
hold their verdict until the facts are
all known"
In conversing with resident of Can
ton Sunday James C. Burnheimer, one
OF the board CT county commissioners,
freely admitted that the report made
by the examiners Saturday In regard
to the trouble In the office of the coun-
ty treasurer, was not a new thing;
that it was known to the county COM
missioners four weeks ago, but that it
was kept back owing to the effect that
1t would have upon the entire Republi
can ticket at the election. He said
that there were some errors In Knob
loch's books and that some errors had
been found in the books in Auditor
Oberlin's office.
Many people are criticizing the ex-
aminers for not making known their
findings before. They claim that
these gentlemen we're in possession of
the facts before the election and that
they themselves owed a duty to the
people in reporting at that time and
not waiting until after Mr.. Knob
VI IN hn
Acting Treasurer Metzgar was ap-
pointed to fill the unexpired term of
Treasurer Knobloch, which runs until
next September. This appointment
was in the hands of the county com
missioners, but as to whom will make
the appointment to fill the Office for
the term to which Knobloch was re-
Gently elected is question. f7r
T. l.. Davies, one of the state ex-
aminers, said in connection with
Treasurer Knobloch's unexpected re-
signation: at will be several days
before we will be able to make public
any of the facts In the case. We
must probe further before we will be
statement. II would be an injustice
to Mr.. Knobloch to make known but
a few of the facts without being able
to give g. complete and detailed re-
port of our examination. In due time
the people shall know all. We expect
to be occupied In our examination
Of the books and treasury for a week
or ten days yet"
Examiner Ensminger was extreme
ly taciturn upon the subject, and
short statement from him discloses
no new facts. He repeated Mr.. Davies
assertion that a complete report
would be made public in several days.
Some older citizens in discussing the
Knobloch matter grew reminiscent to
the time when the Democrats had
control of the county and a series of
treasurers defaulted. In referring to
one of the shortages 1t was said that
a coterie of corrupt politicians at that
time would induce some innocent,
easy going farmer, to become a candi-
date for treasurer. When he took his
office certain parties would make
themselves free with the county funds
until shortage was apparent. In
one case it is claimed that the treas
urer, who was innocent of any wrong
doing himself, was told that he would
be sent to the pen If he remained
and that the best thing to do was to
take all the cash ON hand and skip
for Canada. AS coon as he left they
telegraphed ahead and had him arrest
ed with the money on his person and
1t was then case of being caught
with the goods. After that he was
told to keep quiet and they would try
and get him out of pen sentence, ETC.
1t was said that such actions were
responsible for the downfall of the
Democratic control of the county.