The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1915-01-15
5 CHARGES MADE
AGAINST FORMER
STATE OFFICIAL
Former Pure Food Inspector Wallis
has Many Accusations to Answer.
Misrepresentation of Public Moneys,
Embezzlement and False Certifica-
tiOn. Fails to Give Bonds. -.

Sheriff Roberts arrived Sunday
morning from Salt Lake with James
H. Wallis, former state dairy, food
and sanitary commissioner, who was
arrested on bench warrant issued
by J dge Mccarthy upon indictments
returned by the grand jury. There
are five separate charges against Mr.
Wallis. These include misappropria-
tion of public money, embezzlement
and false certification of claims
against the state. The aggregate
maximum sentence he can receive is
35 years, while. the minimum is three
and one-half years.
Sheriff Roberts arrived in Salt
Lake at 8 o'clock Saturday morning.
He found Mr.. Wallis at his home and
served the warrants upon him. No
objection was made by the former
commissioner to returning to Boise
without extradation and they left on
the afternoon train, arriving in Boise
Sunday morning.
Has Nothing to Say
At the Jail, Mr.. Wallis received his
attorneys and number of friends
and was in conference with them all
day. He had no statement to make
for publication. 81 have not yet had
the opportunity to see the indict-
ments that have been returned
against me-" he said, "and as l do
not know what the full charges are,
l do not care to make a statement
at this time"
All charges are felonies. Probably
the most important is the one in
which Mr.. Wallis is named jointly
with Fred L. Huston charged with
appropriating public moneys without
authority of law. The indictment
charges that:
James H. Wallis, the duly ap-
pointed qualified and acting dairy,
food and sanitary commissioner of
the state of Idaho, and the said Fred
L. Huston, being then and there the
duly elected, qualified and acting
auditor of the state of Idaho and as
such auditor charged with the lawful
disbursement of public moneys, did
willfully, unlawfully and feloniously
and not in the due and lawful execu-
ton of their trust as such public Of
ficers, appropriate funds and public
moneys belonging to the state of Ida
no without authority of law to the
use of G. H. Harrison in the sum Of
thirty-seven dollars and fifty cents
($37.5O) by then and there paying
to the said G. H. Harrison as salary
the said sum of thirty-seven dollars
and fifty cents ($37.50), lawful
money of the United States of Ameri-
ca, out of the travelling expense fund
of the said state dairy, food and san
itary department appropriation of
the state of Idaho"
May be Arraigned Today
This indictment, with two others
against Mr.. Wallis, were handed
down Saturday evening. Mr.. Wallis
was already on his way here in the
l,y 90 hn oh ri NxrQ ri n
was served on Mr.. Huston Saturday
night and he Immediately furnished
the $4,000 bail. Mr.. Wallis was un-
able Sunday night to secure the $8,-
600 bail demanded and spent the
night in the county jail. On the
three charges bond was fixed at $2,-
900 and on the other two at $1,000
each 1t is understood that Mr.. Hus-
ton, and possibly Mr.. Wallis, will
be arraigned today
Used Refrigerator
Of the four other charges against
Mr.. Wallis, another one carries, upon
conviction, a sentence of from one to
ten years in the state penitentiary. In
the other cases the term is from six
months to five years. The first of
these is embezzlement. 1t is charged
that he "appropriated to a use and
purpose not in the due and lawful
execution of the trust reposed in the
said defendant, James H. Wallis,
while acting in his official capacity
as state dairy, food and sanitary in
spector," one medium sized ice-box
refrigerator, enameled white, valued
at $13.95. This, it is charged, Mr..
Wallis took from the offices of the
department and 4nstalled in his own
I~ II hos hoou rnfurnnd afnna