The Greeley tribune., 1911-03-30
EVERYBODY IS WILLING TO GIVE Them A REST
The Story Of $500 Returned And Other Matters Of Inter
est To The People Who Are Paying The Bills OF Weld
County---What Has Happened Up To Date And
Some Sidelights On The Cute Capers OF Gun
ming Bosses Of The Grand () Old Party

An investigation of the affairs of
the county court primarily and in
cidentally of all the county offices
has been requested by Judge G. H.
Braiffield Of the county court. As
stated in the letter calling for the
investigation, 1t is hoped to set at
rest rumors that have been current
for months relative to the conduct
of he cOunty's business at the court
house. On the face Of the request
it appears that there is a sincere de-
sire to have the probe inserted by
officials appointed by the court.
Judge Graham, to whom the re-
quest Is addressed, has not indicated
what action he will take In the
pGemises.
This much appears on the face Of
the request, but for = complete un-
derstanding Of all the forces at work
It IL necessary to hark back hit
say to before the Last county con.
yentaon.
When the republican leaders got
together to name . ticket there was
opposition to Former Commissioner
e. j. Estes. This developed sc rap
tdly and there Was so much threat
ened that the leaders finslIy passed
up Estes and named the present
commissioner, W. @. Lewis. who wes
elected with the remainder Of the
republican ticket.
RJMORS GOT AROUND
After Mr.. Lewis assumed office
ugly stories began to circulate. It
was whispered that certain irregu-
larities in the methods Of doing
business ON the part Of the board Of
county commissioner ilid not meet
With the approval Of Mr.. Lewis.
Night sessions were held that were
oven more secret than the day ses-
saons. The name Of Mr.. Estes is said
And more stories were whispered In
which the word graft was used. The
letting Of certain bridge contract
was cited ~ . concrete example Of
where the county money had been
handled loosely. Then came an.
other story in effect that the pay
rolls showed SUMS paid out that
were not I'm accordance with the law.
Whatevef truth there was in these
stories only the commissioners
know, out one cold fact stands out
conspicuously-Mr. Estes paid back
to tho county Of Weld $500 that he
had received in amounts Of $50 per
month for ~ many months ~ the
total Indicates.
$500 WAS RETURNED
This money was returned only .
short time ago. At the time the
Tribune made no account Of 1t, be-
cause II 30 happened that a commit
tee had been appointed by the tax
payers of the county to look into
tho matter Of how the county's
money was being spent. At the
solicitation Of this committee, which
feared that it would be hampered in
its work IL toe much publicity was
given to the return Of this money,
the Tribune did not publish this res
ftitution, suit for which would have
been brought had It not been made.
1u1b CO1ll1HlIA0c AuCW u lille pnFthCs
ular incident and doubtless would
have made it part Of its public re-
port on what 1t has been learning
since beginning work several weeks
ago.
When this return of money be-
came nOised about there was talk of
. grany jury. Somewhere came a
hunch that the committee from the
tax payers might call for . grand
Jury to complete the investigation
they had got we'll into. Then the
leaders Of the republican party sat
up nights for . while, and this was
the scheme they evolved.
Through Judee Bradfeld, whose