The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-12-08
shouldbe commended, rather than
criticised, for their attitude in this
m q or f*tsz7Es< so + 80. L@5aS

4aE - w. u. Schroeder,
@ .'E. A. Schneider,
''Thos. A. Mccain, !
members of Committee of Com
mercial Club appointed to wait upon
Commissioners. - ,se+-.i.s .......@,-.E
County Attorney Torrance's% state
ment to the Pioneer follows:
"Bemidji Pfoneer,-In response to
your request for a reply to the article
contained in the Minneapolis Journal
of the 9Th inst. wherein the County
officials of Beltrami County are
charged with having repudiated the
obligations of the County in refusing
to allow bills for incidental expenses
in the trial of the Dumas case, and
wherein it is stated that such action
was taken because I so advised the
Board, I have to say:
First: Beltrami County has not
repudiated her obligations.
Second: The action of the Board
was taken on their motion, without
any request from me so to do.
"Only three bills for Incidental
expenses in the Dumas cases have
thus far been presented to the County
Board. They amounted in the aggre-
gate to about $4,000. They were
disallowed by the Board because they
did not know how many bills of this
character would ultimately be pre-
sented to them for payment. They
did not at that time wish to set a
precedent for paying future bills of
the same character. -.
ut now appears that incidental ex-
penses in the Dumas case were in
Cured through the Attorney Gener-
ais office, direct, amounting to about
$780,, and through the State Fire
| Marshal's Office to the amount OF
/ 100000.
"The bills so disallowed bore the
written approval of A. L. James, AS
sistant Attorney General. I advised
the Board that these bills were, in
my opinion, necessary items Of ex-
pense incurred in the trial of that
case, that they bore the approval OF
that under such circumstances that
I did not see how they could be criti-
cized in allowing them.
II was then asked by the Board
for my opinion as to whether or not
such bills could be enforced against
the county in case they were disal-
lowed, and l stated that I could find
no express statutory provision, nor
any decision of our supreme court
making them direct county charge
That therefore my legal opinion was
that they could not be enforced if
disallowed.
"The bills were disallowed.
Last Tuesday Assistant Attorney
General James appeared before the
Commercial club of this city, and
presented the matter of the payment
of these bills, and that body, at my
suggestion, appointed a committee OF
five to wait upon three of our county
commissioners who were then assem-.
bled at the Court House. The com.
missioners were not assembled at q
meeting of the board. The matter
was laid before them by the commit
| tee and by Mr.. James, and it was
plainly made to appear to them that
these items of expense had been nee
essarily incurred in the case, and
that unless they were paid the pros
ecutions would have to cease.
IT was present at that meeting
| and at the request of the three com
| missioners to state my views, told
them I realized the necessity of in
curing incidental expenses in the
trial of criminal cases, that it was
of the utmost Importance that such
prosecutions be carried on by the
county, that the attorney general
Office had given it's opinion that
such charges were legal charges and
could be legally paid by them, and
under such circumstances the only
question I could see before them was
whether, as the business agents of
the county, they could see their way
clear to do so.
AT this meeting Mr.. James stated
that the state fire marshal's office
would make no claim for reimburse
ment for the, 100000 expended by
it,; that the expenses in the case
tried in this county amounted to
about $500, and that the cost of try
ing the case at Brainerd, for incl
dental expenses could not amount to
more than $500.
"The three members present did
not all Internationally agree to al
low all bills for such incidental ex-
penses, but the general sentiment
prevailed with the commissioners
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