The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1916-12-14
vOLUME LVIII
COUNTY BOARD CASES.

The actions began by Carl Kiel
,ainst vsrious members and former
EN- bers OF the County Board OF Su'
,rvisors of this county were taken up
r. trial before Referee A. G. Prescott
3 Sheboygan ut the circuit court
oms in the court house here on Mon.
forenoon. The County which had
en- made defendant in each of the
even actions started was by order OF
e Referee made joint plaintiff with
r. KEEL in the actions and the por-
pms of Kiels complaint relative to
e over.charges made by supervisors
Pre adopted by the County as part
It's pleadings in The matters.
The case which was to be taken up
st according to agreement of the at
rneys was the one against Christ
nth but Mr.. Muth's death which
CURED Sunday night was announced
ID by stipulation of the attorneys the
tion against William Spencer, for
er chairman of the town of Kossuth
As taken up in place of the one
[ainst Mr.. Mu.h. Messrs. Nash &
ash, Kelley & Ledvina and | Cratic,
peared for each Of the defendants
ID on the plaintiffs side Hougen &
rady appeared for Carl Kiel and Dis
let Attorney Schmitz for the county.
srious records Of the county board,
ken mainly from the published pro-
edings of the board were introduced
evidence showing among other
irgs the filing of the communication
Mr.. Kiel in November 1914 calling
tention to the various over.charges
members of the board up to that
me and to the action of the board
ereon in appointing committee
Investigate his report and the re-
|rt of the cotu .nittee after the in
stigation had been made. The
|inion of the Attorney General,
ndered on May IA, 1916, was also in
bduced in evidence, this opinion hav-
< been requested by the District AT
rney at the suggestion of the county
ard and after the special committee
ed it's report on these matters. The
aintiffs then offered 10 evidence the
Is filed by Spencer ana had them
hrked as Exhibits. The county clerk
hs sworn as witness and testified as
these exhibita as we'll as other
unity hoard records which were
ed. The defense then called the
b. tiff, Kiel to the witness stand and
kea him particularly concerning his
urce OF information upon which his
port was based and the reason OF the
ing of the report. Mr.. kiel testified
at during the years 1914 and 1915
ere had been much talk among
ople generally about the extrava-
nee of the county board in allowing
es to its members and that at least
Q paper, had called attention in its
VS. columns to the situation which
en- existed in this regard; that he
I'd paid particular attention to the
bis filed by a certain committee
hich had been appointed to procure
ad machinery for the county and had
}ticed that they filed bills for and
'ere allowed sum totaling over
| OO. 90 for their services in investi-
kting the kind of machinery that the
unity should purchase; that he then
nployed the attorneys who are re-
esenting him now to investigate the
cords OF the board and find what the
act situation was and as result of
is investigation his report was filed
| November 1914, calling attention to
various alleged over-charges by
em bers and exmembers of the board |
d demanding return of the money
paid out. Mr.. Spencer then took
witness stand and from memoranda
his possession gave detailed state.
|ent of the time spent by him and the
aces visited, charges for in each Of
g bills that he had flied. He testi-
I'D, among other things, that he vi
Ted the Mishicot bridge twenty or
|pre times during the course of it's
Instruction and that he thought these |
sits and all of them were necessary
the work of Inspecting the bridge.
|e also explained his actions on the
lrious other committees for which he |
I'D rendered bills during the time
|vered by the complaint in his action.
At the conclusion of the Spencer
lsc the attorneys for the various par
es stipulated that all bills filed by
bseph Willott, who had been mem.
pr of the poor committae for several
bars and which were mentioned in the
|mplaint against him, should be in
|oduced in evidence and it was agreed
lat Mr.. Willott, If called to the wit
bss stand, would testify that the time
barged for was actually and necessar-
y spent in the performance OF his
ork as poor commissioner and would
stify that the miles charged for were
ttually travelled by him.
1t was further agreed that all evi.
ence introduced in the Spencer case
hich might have any bearing upon