The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-11-12
NOTHING ELSE WILL
SATISFY
The Citizens of Stark
County
From Official Statement
Of the Commissioners
Someone Must Have
Known ofIrreguIarities
For a Year.

For a Year.
The veil hiding the irregularities
that have recently been discovered in
connection with the transaction of
business in the county treasurers Of
fee is being lifted and some startling
disclosures are already taking place.
What is still to come remains to be
seen, for the examination being made
by the state examiners is not near
completion and many startling dis
closures may be looked for it is
thought by those in position to know.
While two of the commissioners de-
clare in an authorized statement that
they were not aware that there was
any trouble in the Office of ex-County
Treasurer Knobloch, prior to election,
there is still a belief among many
that certain officials about the court
house were fully cognizant of exact
ly what was going on but they
would not reveal it because II they
had of done so that every man on the
Republican ticket, from the head of
the column down to the coroner,
would have been defeated at the polls
by an overwhelming majority. One
of the county commissioners has since
referred to the crooked work in the
county treasurer's Office as trivial
errors" and declares that Harry G.
Knobloch will again be given the
place of county treasurer, when Act
ing Treasurer Metzger has filled out
his unexpired term. Below will be
found an authorized statement from
Commissioners Hay and Mcdonald
and County Prosecutor Upham, in
which they frankly admit that the
books in the treasurer's Office were
"juggled" on several different occa-
siOng and also make the free admis-
sion that some of the crooked" work
dated back since the last December
tax collection. They claim that they
had no knowledge of this until last
Friday. How in the world did Audi
tor Oberlin and Treasurer Knobloch
have their semi-annual settlement with |
things in such condition? is a ques- |
tion that the people of Stark county !
would like to have answered by these
same gentlemen. Did they wink at
these things and assist in burying the
"crookedness" until after the people
of the county had cast their ballots
OF the recent election? Some people
will believe that the commissioners
did not know about what was going
on. but others have an entirely diff
ferent belief, Let the probe be stuck
An up to the hilt. Here is the state
ment, read it and then draw your
own conclusions
mo county official had any knowl- |
edge of any irregularities in the treas
Urers office until Friday, November 8, |
called into conference by the state |
examiners, and informed of the fact, |
when he Immediately called the coun- !
ty commissioners In conference, and |
after consultation it was determined |
TO call Mr.. Knoblooh In. The confer |
ence then extended over a period of a |
couple Of hours, and the matter of the |
was submitted to Mr.. Knobloch, who |
Immediately admitted the same, at
which time 1t was too late to make
an examination of the treasury, as it |
was evening and the time lock on the
safe in the treasurer's Office prevented.
Hhereupon the conferences were con-
Sinued until Saturday morning when
af oh T..
"The state examiners found the
following Irregularities in the con-
duct OF the treasurer's office. In that |
conference Mr.. KnObloch said that all
the money was in the safe. We found
that he had wrongfully changed the
books In the following instances:
First: We find that the Alliance
Gas and Electric Light company over
looked making any return on their
personal property amounting to IT,
900 odd dollars; that they called the
treasurer's attention to 1t, and the |
treasurer then charged them taxes on
that amount bit only made a return |
Tor the amount of their taxes less this |
amount. This was in December, 1907 |
Now in June, 1908, when they paid
their taxes he made them pay per
Bonal taxes on a valuation Of about |
10000 odd dollars. and put it on his
treasurer's books in addition to their
other taxes; then he erased the entire
line of that personal tax on the s19,-
900 odd dollars.
''The next. lrregularity we found |
was that In December, 1907. the Die