The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-08-26
ExPERTINe THE ExPERTs.

The Lewiston Tribune correspondent
from the Idaho state capital who sails
under the euphontous feminine title of
mora Marks" does not seem to place
great confidence in the sincerity of
purpose or the benefit to be derived by
the public from the repeated and pro-
tracted exporting OF the books I'm the
state treasurers office, which has now
been going on for months at the hands
OF much touted bookkeeping experts. In
other words Nora, with true feminine
intuition. sees directly through the
gauzy summer covering of the pilitic-s
Snowman who Us pulling off the badly
executed Punch and judy performance
for the delectation OF a "credulous pub
lie" and "the good of the cause" and
enters a strong protest against this
expensive game of exporting the ex-
perts'' which seems to be operated-~by
the endless chain process. Nora, with
almost brutal directness says:
People dn and around the state cap
ital are wondering II James Bogart, the
expert accountant, simply uncovered an
other mares nest in the state treas
ury, or whether he has finally discov-
cred an additional shortage. 1t is not
at all surprising that reports Of ad-
ditional shortages are now taken with
many grains OF allowance.
James Bogart was put to work in
the treasurers office several weeks ago
by Governor Alexander and Attorney
General Peterson. The object was to
determine the full extent OF the short
age so that the state might know for
how much to bring suit against the
bonding company. The maount OF the
bond is 100000 so that the state
would be perfectly safe in swelling the
shortage to that sum.
"Bogart had hardly warmed his seat
In the treasury until he discovered an
additional shortage OF upward Of ST.
000 This was over and above the orig
inal $4,000 shortage uncovered by Axel
p. Ramstedt Bogart naturally rushed
into print with his discovery. 1t was
played up as a big sensation by the
Evening Capital News on the same day.
But before the office closed on that
same day his error was pointed out to
him and he came out in the Statesman
the next morning with Reputation Of
the shortage report. The News how
ever never saw fit to make correc-
tion with the result that the report Is
still going the rounds Of the state
press.
"This theft Of $4,000, according to
Expert Bogart, was accomplished by
the manipulation Of bond issues.
evidently not satisfied with the I'M
covering OF one mares nest Expert Be-
CART made a partial report to Governor
Alexander the other day showing stin
another shortage Of $1,000. and he was
not prepared TO say even this was the
limit until the records had been ex-
ported still further at so much an ex-
pert This $11 900 Bogart claims was
stolen by Alien and Coleman by their
failure to turn into the state treasury
certain sums received from the feder-
al government.
Coleman insists that these last short
ages are fairy dreams OF Bogart's and
that he Will be able to explain the. dis
crepancies to gnat's heel. Whether
the state officials or anybody elise win
be satisfied with the showing made by
Coleman. knowing what they do of hds
record remains to be seen. 1t may yet
be necessary to expert the experts.
s'As the matter stands at this time
the shortage in the state treasury is
still $4,000. and nobody rs RESPONSE
BILE for a dollar OF that shortage ex-
cept O. ". Allen and Fred M. Coleman.
Iney nave confessed 10 that much and
they insist that that Is all. There
doesn't seem to be any object in their
lying about 1t now.
'.Since the original exposure in the
state treasury and the conviction Cd
o. v. Allen and Fred M. Coleman the
records Of that office have been Eek
ported by Axel p. Ramstedt. the pres
ent head OF the public utilities commits
sion. by W.. III. Gleason Of Chicago, i'm
ported at hdg expense for that purpose.
by James Bogart. q local accountant,
and now. finally, they are in the hands
OF Fred M. Coleman, the convict. the
man guilty OF q goodiy portion Of the
crimdnality. He Is going over the books
as these lines are written with guard
from the penitentiary at his elbow.
cit Is estimated that after all the
"experting'' the records of the office
are still in such a tumble that only
Coleman, the man who jumbsed them
can find hds way through the laby-
rinth. And Coleman Is demanding thai
his prison term be reduced In rccog-
milton Of his services to the state"