The Keota news., 1912-11-01
The keOta News
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER \
Pohd1hed at Keota, Weld Co., Colo, By
G. L STANLEY. Manager.
ADVERTISEMENT
THE TRUTH ABOUT WELD
cOuNTY'S GRAFT CASES

A00 ACAAON10 0SAS PASoO @AA~
dates are endeavoring to claim al
credit for having unearthed. prose
cuted and punished the grating wrong
doers in this county, but unfortunately
for them, there is In the commission
er's office record evidence OF definite
action taken by Republican OFFICIALS.
.ong prior to any newspaper expose.
The first definite wrongdoing found
was unearthed by Treasurer Patter'
son a few days after taking his new
office, on January 10th. 1911. He COM
municated the facts to Commissioners
Lewis, Judge Bradfield. Assessor Fish
er and Sheriff McAfee. who held
meeting about January Goth and fully
investigated the same and all felt that
any misconduct by any official should
be Immediately exposed and punished.
regardless OF consequences. Accord
ingly. at the February meeting of the
commissioners these men presented q
resolution demanding the return OF
$500 wrongfully taken by Mr.. Estes ~
salary. This resolution, though pre-
sented and passed, was suppressed
and not recorded in the minutes.
Thereafter, at the next meeting OF the
board. on March s. 1911. tho resolution
was again presented. and It's passage
demanded, as shown by Commission
ers' Record Book IL, page GIT. as foi'
lcws:
"Whercas from an examination OF
the accounts of the county treasurer
for the year 1910. certain errors anu
overcharges have been found.
and that said reports have been paid
their face value from the salary fund.
that the total amount Of said error or
oyercharge is 5000: Therefore. be 1t
4 - t. h<o orN az TIM county
treasurer for said period be and he 10
hereby directed to re hay into said sal
ary fund the said amount Of $500 be-
fore the 10th day Of March. 1911"
In pursuance to this resolution. after
suit had been threatened. Mr.. Estes
repaid into the treasury $500. This
was on March goth, 1911. and the news
item thereof in the papers on March
Gath was the first newspaper informa-
ton of any investigation of wrong
doing. A taxpayers committee had
been appointed on March End. and
they had interviewed the above named
officers and learned the facts as above
recited, but had taken no action IN the
matter. On March 27th. 1911. being
satisfied that wrcnedo!ng actually
existed, Judge Brsdfield, at the IN
stance OF the above named Officials.
presented to Judge Graham, the first
request for a grand jury to fully IN
vcstigate all offices. Judge Graham
failed aud neglected to act upon this
request. and would not call a grand
fury, and 1t was not until the above
named officials, together with District
Attorney Carlson and the taxpayers
committee had applied to the Republ'.
can Judge, Judge Gamble. that the
grand fury was finally called. A Repub-
lIcan district attorney and Republican
sheriff did the rest.
On May 18th. 1911, at the instance
and demand OF the Republican Off
cfals. an expert accountant from Den
yer was auth orizcd to check the coun-
ty books, as shown by the following
resolution:
Commissioners Record Bood 13,
page "a. BE 1t resolved that A.
P. smithers be directed unless other
wise instructed to commence the
check of county officers that have not
been checked. on May 22nd. 1911"
It was this checking of the commits
sioners' office that unearthed the Es-
tcs lumber graft and the Shelley
bridge graft.
stigated by Republican Officials. as
shown by the record. the grand jury
having been requested by Republi-
can. and finally called by Republican
Judge. the evidence collected at the
instance Of Republican officials. and
the case prosecuted by Republican dis
trict attorney and sheriff. 1t 10 hard
to see where Democrats can claim any
credit OF the graft cases in Weld coun-