Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1912-05-03
AUDITOR T|FRNAN
Is ARRESTED
FRAUDULENT WOLF BOUNTY
CERTIFICATES THE CAUSE.
ATTY-CEN'L INVESTIGATES

ULE blLLUPN ANU j. b. L[PAGf ALSU
IMPLICATED. UNDER $3.50 BONDS
TIERNAN HAS HEARING SOON.
With the exception of perhaps very
few, hardly person realized the sig
nificance to be attached to the visit
of Attorney General Royal G. johnson
and Deputy State Auditor Murphy
until matters developed which brought
the wolf bounty scandal to climax
Friday when at the request of the
Attorney General the states attorney
of this county caused to be drawn a
warrant for the arrest Of County
Auditor j. P. Tiernan charged with
the fraudulent making of wolf bounty
certificates. Mr.. Tiernan, however,
gave himself up and was arraigned
before Justice of the Peace f. G. Os-
motherly when change of venue was
asked for to Judge Cooks court which
was granted.
Simultaneously with the auditors
arrest, Dec Billups and j. b. LePage
were taken into custody by the sheriff
on charge of perjury in connection
with the above case. They we're
arraigned Monday and we're bound
over to the circuit court under $3.50
bonds.
The investigation of the auditors
office here grew out of the fact of the
enormous amount of wolf bounty
certificates issued from this office since
July of last year, the amount to be paid
by the state totaling s5,441 and that
amount being over one third of the
total amount paid in all the other
counties in the state in the same period.
OF this amount major portion is
thought to be fraudulent and the
parties holding same will have to be
re imbursed by the bonding compan-
les. The exact amount of the de-
ficiency is not known altho Deputy
State Auditor Murphy and the Attorney
General, together with an accountant
are now going over the books.
Monday the county commissioners
met in special session and called for
the resignation of Mr.. Tiernan and
upon receiving it appointed j. f. Parks
to take charge of the office. Mr.. Parks
was auditor previous to Mr.. Tiernan's
term and was thought to be the best
man to take charge of the office, es-
pecialiy at this time as primary cleo
tion is SO close at hand
Altho the wolf bounty proposition
has been discussed freely for some
time with reference to the large
amounts drawn by this and Penning
ton county, everyone who has known
Mr.. Tiernan was thunderstruck when
the news of his arrest was made public
Not single official in the court house
including the commissioners, had an
inkling of any irregularities. This is
explained by reason of the fact that
this part of the auditors business is
transacted exclusively between bis
office and that of the state auditor
The Attorney General in talking with
a reporter for the Star wished this fact
to be emphasized as some few remarks
to the contrary have been going the
rounds since this case developed but
that he had made thorough investiga
tion of every Office and found all, with
this one exception, to be in first class
shape. This is especially true in regard
to the present county treasurer, as the
manner in which wolf bounty claims
are handled between the county audit.
or's office and the office of the state
auditor, it is impossible for this officer
to have any guilty knowledge Of these
transactions.
The Attorney General further stated
that the cooperation in this matter re-.
ceived by him from our States Attorney
Lawrence II. Hedrick, was most prompt
and vigorous. This fact is emphasized
when we compare the investigation
here with that III Pennington county,
where the matter has been in the
coufse oI IDVeSllRALlOn IOr Two months
without single arrest.
Mr.. Tiernan has retained Attorney
r. Il. Juckett but it is expected he will
plead guilty before Judge McGee at the
time of his next visit here some time
next week
W. R. MORGAN FOR TREASURER.
Popular Druggist Has Tossed His Hat in tho
RinG-WilI Make Good Official Ii Elected.
At the last moment at the earnest