Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-06-03
CREMER EXPLAINS
PAYMENT ||I'' |NM0NEY
FORMER SHERIFF IN STATEMENT
TELLS WHY he GAVE THE
s COUNTY $s75 RECENTLY.

Ter, former Sheriff G. G. Cremer tells
why payment Of 1915 was made by him
to the county upon the closing of the
work Of the state checkers here some
two weeks ago. The statement which
follows, bears the signature of Mr..
Cremer and deals with tho particulars
Of the money in dispute between the
former sheriff and the county and ex.
plains the reason why settlement was
made at that time:
Editor of The Courier:
Recently The Courier contained two
articles with reference to my accounts
as sheriff. The first article said that
had already paid back $635.66 to tho
county, and that about $500 more was
in dispute. The second article said
that I had paid back one claim Of
S635.66 and compromised the other
claim of $516.22 by payment Of $40
to the county.
I am afraid the articles might give
wrong impression, unless explained.
The item of $635.66 consisted Of fees
which I had collected, and which be-
longed to the county. There was
never any dispute about this amount,
and l offered to pay 1t back sometime
ago. The state checkers, who we're
then going over the books of all the
county officers, suggested that should
not pay over anything until they had
checked over my books. AS soon as
they checked over my accounts, and
informed me that the correct amount
was $635.66, I paid it over to the
county treasurer. The law requires
the sheriff to collect fees and to pay
them over to the county, and that is
all there is to the item of $635.66.
In addition to the above, the county
claimed that I was indebted as fol-
lows: E .... ...
Excess mileage, district court. s 65.70
Excess mileage grand jury -. $50
Overcharge, feeding prisoners 441.02
Witness fees in court ......... 9.55
3 20 IOtal ................. $olo.I1
did not claim that I was entitled
to the following:
Dieting prisoners before June 1@1sS.46
Dieting U. S. and outside pris-
onerS ................ IISS
Mileage .............. ..... l4.lO
Witness fees in court ......... 9.55
AS Stated in The Courier, the county
accepted $240 in full Of it's claim for
$516.22 Therefore, only paid to the
county, $49.40 more than I thought
was due from me.
My recent experience in court lat an
expense Of nearly $4,000, convinced me
that it was cheaper to pay $49.40 than
to spend several hundred dollars fight
ing the county's claim.
What I am afraid of is that the peo-
pie Of Wapello county will get the I'M
preston from your articles that there
was something dishonest on my part
with respect to the items referred to
in The Courier.
There was never any dispute about
the item of $635.66, which offered to
pay sometime ago, but which was not
paid until after the state checkers had
verified the amounts, and which I
waited to pay at the suggestion Of the
state checkers.
The dispute as to mileage arose
from difference Of opinion, claiming
that was entitled to my actual ex-
penses while the county claimed that
L was only entitled to mileage. That
Is, claimed that II 1t cost me 50 to
subpoena witnesses, was entitled to
be paid back the IS. The county claim
ed that if the mileage came to 81 and
the expense to IS, had to pay the
extra SO out of my salary. l did not
feel that it would be good judgment
to take the case into court for the
$49. 40 which I paid over and above
the amount I admitted was the proper
It is not an unusual thing for mis-
takes to be made in these matters.
For instance, the state checkers claim.
ed that The Courier made an over
charge of $12.26 for publishing the
delinquent tax list for 1915. The state
checkers claimed that another news
paper, in 1914, made an overcharge Of
SIG for the delinquent tax list. The
checkers report shows an overcharge
by Supervisor Stodghill Of $40 as
mileage 1 hope you will publish this,
so that the people will not get wrong
of the circumstances under
which l paid over fees to the county,
as I admitted all the claims except the
amount of $49.40, and that paid as the
cheaper way of adjusting the matter.
Yours respectfully,