The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-01
USES Blue PENCIL
Auditor Is Busy on Sheriff Nor
toms June Bill.
MOre Peculiar Facts About
Charges Coming Out.
TOTAL CLAIMED LARGE
Asks for Over Twelve Hundred
Dollars From County.
Not Yet known How Much 1t
Will Be Trimmed.
TOTAL CLAIMED LARGE

The county auditor, ]. E. Larimer,
has been busy today with the June fee
bill of Sheriff J. d. Norton and the
auditor is using his blue pencil freely.
June was a prosperous month for the
sheriff. At noon today Norton's claims
against the county for the month ag-
gregated $1,227. SO. but there are several
large claims to audit and but $131.85
of his charged has received the official
o. K
In addition to the mileage question,
it is claimed that Norton's bills for
board Of county prisoners has been pad
ded by a clever ruse on the part of the
sheriff. Men sentenced to the peniter
tiary for crime, are held at the jail
until the last day of the term and
board for each prisoner is charged to
the county at 60 cents a day.
The board bill for June shows 81
men were in Jail the entire month, yet
several of these had been previously
sentenced. Col. Norton then filed the
regular claim for their board, when
in the peniteniary at state expense
and not at the cost Of Shawnee county
and profit to Sheriff Norton. For each
of these men under sentence, 1t cost
Shawnee county SIS a month for board.
Just what will happen to these bills
will not be known Tor several days.
This has always been the practice OF
sheriffs, however, and this action simp-
ly follows the precedent.
In the recent Bragg murder case
Norton's fees aggregated $204.S2. He
claimed a total of 1915 miles actual
travel Of this distance Col Norton
files claim that his force actually trav-
eled 986 miles to summon witnesses and
another 329 miles to find special jurors.
Red ink marks on these bills Indicate
rather strongly that Mr.. Norton's s claim
will be materially reduced.
That Trip to Chicago.
A rather amazing claim by Norton
| for S12495 came to light today, when
| the sheriff asked for pay fo~ a trip TO
| Chicago, which was never made by
himself or any member OF his Iorce.
It was in the arrest of Henry Miller, q
piekpocket, who operated last fall at
/ the Santa Fe station. The Santa Fe
put Frank MeGrath and B. r Woods,
their paid detectives. on the job. Fin
IaIly Miller was located in Chicago and
/ brought to Topeka on extradition pa
! pers The arrest was made by the
railway detectives, who d. not seem 20
be on Mr.. Norton's pay roll. Norton
charged mileage for both men and
filed the claim as payable to himseIf.
| He asserted that he deputized the de-
ltectives. but even this explanation
does not seem to clear matters in the
auditors office.
Down at the court house there is a
! record of payment of $229-70 for the
recovery of men who escaped from the
sherif's force. Floyd Carter and Jay
Steen threw pepper in the eyes OF
Henry Bayliss, a jailor- Steen was
caught by Deputy Davis at Rossville
and the county paid him $50. Garter
was captured in Denver and the Colo
rado Official received another $50 re-
ward Then Norton brought Carter to
Topeka and charged $160.05 for his
Services in recapturing his own pris-
oner The county finally paid Norton
S129.70.
In the recent Farrell case, Norton
not only charged his regular 10 cents
mileage, but he charged for auto hire
as well. Farrell paid the costs in this
case and Norton drew down s24.30.
Reaudit Not Yet Decided.
I,lst what stems will be taken re-