The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1913-05-08
Alleged Owes City Over $500 in
Fines Collected and With
held.
}, SAYS NOW READY TO SETTLE
Claims Didn't Know Law Required
Monthly Reports-Had Been
Frequently Notified.

Reference was made at the Fri.
i day council meeting during the con.
ference held with James b. Camp.
bell, expert accountant of the firm
Of Warwick. Mitchell, Peat 4 Co,
relative 10 the 60 lection of monies
said to be due the City of Cairo
through the failure OF justices OF
peace to make prompt reports and
settlements, also taxes due the city
from fire insurance agencies.
An investigation by The Bulletin
yesterday developed that all JUS
tices OF peace in the city, including
Police Magistrate Andrew Whitcamp
had promptly made monthly reports
of all cases brought before them.
Attached to these month y re-
ports We're the receipts OF the city
treasurer for money turned over to
the city by these justices as fines col
lected
These reports in all cases were
referred by the council to the comp
troller for verifcation and bear his
stamp Of approval.
However, it developed during The
Bulletin investigation that Justice
of the Peace Horace A. Harmon has
not made report to the city in two
years or more.
| The city authorities claim that
Justice Harmon, who Is also United
States Commissioners, owes the city
over $500 in fines collected by him
and Of which he has made no report
although frequently requested to do
so.
Last evening in an interview JUS
tice Harmon stated that he was
ready at any time to make settle
ment with the city.
He further said that he did not
know of any law requiring him to
make regular settlements.
Later Justice Harmon called al
The Bulletin office in reference to
the affair and said that he had only
tried about IL city cases during the
past 12 months.
The legal department Of the city,
on account Of the failure of Justice
Harmon to make reports as required
by law, had notified the police not
to bring any more cases before him
for trial and II is due to this that
not more than dozen cases had
been tried by the justice, these IL
being On changes OF venue and war
rants sworn out gefore him,
Justice Harmon admitted that he
had received two or three letters
from City Attorney Hunter Bird re-
questing. him to make a settlement
but had neglected to comply so far
with the requests.
He said that he was now ready
to settle. He was also informed
that the city had c aims against him
aggregating over $500 for fines coll
lected and withheld by him for
over two years
The city council under the old ad-
ministration has on one or two oe-
casions instructed City Attorney
Bird and the Finance Committee to
ascertain the amount due the city
by an examination of the Justices
books.
1t is ALLEGED that he refused to-
permit an examination, but Justice
Harmon denies this,
On August Is, 1911. City Attor-
ney Bird drafted and sent Justice
Harmon the following letter:
AT the regular council meeting
held August s, 1911, the following
resolution was adopted:
Resolved that the City Attorney
be and is hereby instructed to notify
the justices of peace in the City of
Cairo, to make their reports TO the
City Council as they are required to
By the City Ordinances.
HUNTER l.. BIRD.
a* City Attorney"
Justice Harmon made no reply to
this letter. neither did he make a re-
port. This letter was followed at
later periods by notices TO the same
effect and one personal cal. to all.
of which the justice paid no atten-
tion.
City Attorney Bird referred to-
Chapter 4s OF the City Ordinances
to be found on Page 33e as follows
in part:
742.-Monthly Reports of Fines,
Etc., by Police Magistrate and Jus
tice Of the Peace, to the City Coun-
cil-What to Contain. Section ~