Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-11-30
Grand Jury Reports New
Bills Against Ex-Officials
and Engineer Gardner.
THIRD MEMBER OF OLD
BOARD NOW IN WEST
Two Indictments Returned Against
Former Supervisors Webster and
Marks and Three Against Former
Engineer Each Gives Bonds For
Appearance at Next Term Of Court
Conspiracy and Cheating Charged.
pecial to rimes-Republican.

Special to Times s-Republican.
B Eldora, Nov. 30.-The grand jury Of
Hardin county for the October term
of court made it's final report Friday,
and it develops that new indictments
were voted against former members OF
the board of supervisors and the
former county engineer in connection
with the handling of bridge funds and
accounts. Two indictments charging
conspiracy were found against ex-
Supervisor Charles L. Marks. two in
dictments charging conspiracy were
found against Ex-Supervisor N.
l.. Webster, and two bills were
found against Former County Engineer
S. b. Gardner. charging conspiracy.
The third member Of the old board of
supervisors, George Heslop, Of Alden.
Is now in California and II he was In
dicted the fact2has not been given out
for publication. and perhaps will not be
at this time. An additional indictment
against Gardner were returned. charg
in fgcheating by false pretenses.
Accused Give Bonds.
The court fixed the bonds Of Marks
and Webster at $1,000 each. or $500
on each charge. Gardners bond was
fixed at $4,000. the addition in his
case being $4,000 on the charge Of
cheating by false pretenses. All gave
surety for their appearance At the next
term OF court.
The indictments arc the outgrowth
OF an Investigation started at tho
August. a1aI4,--tsrm Of court. a. which
term tho grand jury made . written
request to 1he@ court sasktnE that
Charles o. Ryan be appointed to take
charge of an investigation OF the Of
fices of the county engineer and Of all
expenditures by and thru the board Of
supervisors for a period Of five years.
The court employed Mr.. Ryan and the
report was made to the court at the
October term in 1914, as the result OF
which the grand jury returned four In
dictments against Gardner and two
against each member Of the board OF
supervisors.
Venue Change Taken.
When the first case came on for
hearing Gardner filed petition ask
ing a change of venue, stating In sub
stance that the people We're SO preju-
diced in the case that he could not get
fair hearing In Hardin county The
court granted the change and the first
trial held at Clarion. Wright county.
the state being represented by County
Attorney Bryson and Judge c. G. Lee.
OF Ames. It was on the Indictment
charging cheating by false pretenses
that trial was had, and the court, with
Judge Wright presiding. took the case
&hn t,,S1 ot tHn nj re hD %4.
timony. on the theory that If the board
Of supervisors knew that Gardner was
getting q bonus on tho wages Of the
men employed In his department there
were no false pretenses. The court in
timated that the evidence pointed to
procedure in another direction.
Mr.. Ryan in his report TO the court
said in part: I'VE offer to furnish evi :
dence which we believe will show that
the board of supervisors knew Of this
rake-off at the time 1t allowed the
bills" The supervisors testified to
practically the same effect at the trial
at Clarion, and Gardner was set free
on that indictment because Of the court
holding there was no cheating by false
.pretenses in that instance.
The matter was taken up again by
the grand jury at the last term OF
court, with Judge Wright presiding
with the result that the indictments
just reported were found.
Quit Under Fire.
After the report of the first grand
Jury Attorney General Cosson filed 8
petition asking for the removal of Su-
pervisor Charles L. Marks. This ac-
ton was taken while the case was or
trial and in open court Mr.. Marks at
,torney handed the supervisors reslg-
nation to the attorney general. thus
ending the old case. At the same time
Supervisor N. L. Webster handed In
his resignation.
In the meantime the term OF office
of Supervisor Heslop had expired. Both
Webster and Heslop were defeated fol
re-. election and Gus Luttschwager, Of
Buckeye. and Chris Weimer. Of Rad.
cliffe, both democrats, were elected, ir
the face Of the fact that Hardin coun.
ty ordinarily gives republican ma
jority OF from 1900 to 1000. Soon after
Mr.. Luttschwager took his place on th'
board he voted to re-employ Gardner
as county engineer, and u storm o.
protest swept over the county. Peti'
lions were circulated demanding hi!
removal from office, but before bein,
filed with Attorney General Cosson
LuttschwaRer resigned and Mr.. Mark:
removed to North Dakota. Under thu
law new board Of supervisors wa
appointed, In the persons Of N. s. Car
penter, of Eldora: william E. Welden
Of Iowa Falls. and George Elerding, o
Lawn Hill. Gardner was permitted t.
remain in office until the state high
way commission demanded his resig
nation, which was Immediately forth
coming.
State Called In.
|. State Accountant Hunt. Of De-