The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-11-12
BUT FOR WHAT REA-
SON NOT CLEAR
Those in a Position to
Clear Mystery
Refuse to Talk, Simply
Say the County Has
Not Lost a Penny and
All Will be Explained
Later Metzger Ap-
pointed.

pOInteQ.
Astonishment, eommingling in many
respects with sympathy, was freely
expressed Saturday morning when the
report went over the city with light
ning-like rapidity that County Treas
urer Harry 9. Knobloch had resigned
short time before and that sue
cessor had already been named by the
county commissioners. Doubling ones
and sympathizers alike rushed to the
county building after facts and when
they discovered that the doors of the
treasurer's Office were closed this
seemed to tell them in mute language
that something had taken place. Wis
ions of defalcation fitted through
many brains, while more conservative
persons awaited the facts In the case.
They were not long in finding out
that the report was correct. Inquiry
at the county commissioners office,
where seals had already been put upon
almost everybody's lips, brought the
Information that Mr.. Knobloch had
rendered his resignation after long
conference with the commissioners
and the prosecutor in the Office of the
board and that at the end of the con-
ference the county treasurer went to
his ofice, placed his top coat on his
shoulders and walked out-probably
never to return again as a county Of
fetal. II was said, too, that there
was no financial shortage. but that
unsatisfactory methods were used in
connection with the June collection of
taxes. Immediately after rendering
his resignation to the commissioners
that body appointed Clark w. Metzger,
former state representative and the
late Republican county chairman, to
fill the vacancy. This gentleman was
authorized to have his bond in the
sum of $4,000 prepared and that he
make arrangements to take charge of
the Office when it was opened Mon
day morning. For the past two or
three months state examiners, consist
ing Of A. M. Ensminger, T. l.. Davies
and A. B. Peckinpaugh, have been
going over the books in the various
departments at the court house and
when they discovered some irreguIer-
tiles in Treasurer Knobloch's ac-
counts they Immediately reported
their finding to the commissioners
and then the treasurer was called
upon to give an accounting, which re-
suited az above stated. These exam
liners were not In position to give
their entire findings to the public at
this time. but they assured those who
asked that there was no shortage in
the funds. The commissioners and
Prosecutor Upham were equally as re-
ticent. The latter did not desire to
go upon record in the matter, saying
that he had but short time to serve
the people as prosecutor and that ne
did not care to embarrass his sue
cessor. Treasurer Knobloch said that
his resignation was forced on ac-
count Of some irregularities in his
books, as claimed by the examiners,
but that the funds in his Office were
intact. He had no explanation to
make at this time
Then the rumors commenced to fly
thick and fast Many different ones
were heard upon the streets, where
citizens stood discussing the matter.
One of these was that Treasurer
Knobloch, instead of using the First
National bank as the county deposit
tory, where interest at the rate OF
1k per cent was paid, had loaned
vast sums on the outside in order to
get 3, 4 and per cent on the money
and that he could not make good these
loans at the time the examiners reach
ed his Office. This seemed to be an
idle runor, for there was no person
who could tell where the treasurer
had ever placed one cent in this way.
Then came another story. It was
rumored that Knobloch had advanced
the money to pay the Dow tax OF sew
eral saloonigts who we're little short
of funds at the time. but what truth
there was in such a report no person
seemed to known.
Next came the rumor in regard to
the Irregularities In the books. One
person gave the report that the trouble
was caused from the last tax collec-
tion. This Yumor was that local
company, doing large business in
the eastern end OF the city, had been
charged with taxes on a valuation of
t175, 900, but that the books in the
treasurer's once merely showed them
paying taxes on a valuation OF SIT,
500 There was no evidence at hand
to show that his report was a correct
one, either, and the rumor is only CIV
Ell for what 1t Is worth.
Again, II wAs said that when the
examiners went into the vault at the
treRsurers Office to examine the funds
that they found all the money there,
but that they had discovered one
package, marked Personal" that had
20 be counted in to make the accounts
balance correctly. How true this re-
port is remains to be seen when the
final report OF the examiners is made.
These examiners must make their re-