The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1917-12-14
COMMUNICATED.


ur w. Plessingcr of your county.
had thought that his written state
mont to your prosecuting attorney.
ma 10 your county officials, had been
sufficiently clear and certain to close
me Incident connected with his act
nus: but as certain of Mr.. Plessinger's
ommunications to the press have been
called to my attention. particularly the
oue under the headlines of "Plessinger
Denies Dishonesty. | feel that In JUS
,ce to my employer. Mr.. Trick, as we'll
as TO myself and to my friends in your
county and the state, statement OF
nv side of the controversy should be
made.
At the outset permit me to state that
am not passing upon the honesty or
dishonesty. of Mr.. Plesinger's acts. ]
feel that this feature of his case must
and should be passed upon and judged
solely by the properly constituted
authorities vested with that preroga-
. tive We're acts never so honest, or
| Intentions never so pure, as those ex-
ercised by Mr.. Plessinger, it is for the
foregoing authorities to Judge, and my
only purpose Is to state facts in so far
as was concerned with his transac-
tions.
In calling upon the county treasurer
Mr. Plessinger, prior to the State Con-
vention Of Treasurers, l had received
and accepted his order for some three
hundred fifty to four hundred dollars
worth Of supplies for the office, these
supplies to consist of tax receipts to
be used for the coming year, and
which cannot be used before that time.
together with certain steel equipment
for the office. Up to the time of COM
pleting this order no mention had
been made of the state convention, nor
had word passed between us relative
to his accompanying me upon a trip
through Snoqualmie Pass by automo-
bile. Naturally, was grateful to be
favored with his order. In absolute
good faith. and prior to leaving his of.
nee invited him as my guest to ac-
company me by automobile to Seattle
stating that / was to meet three other
county treasurers at North Yakima
wanting to make the trip by auto, and
] would be more than pleased to have
him become one of the party. Mr.
Plesinger accepted my invitation, ar.
nnging to meet us at Ellensburg, in.
stead Of at North Yakima.
l met Treasurer Riggs of Columbia.
Miller of Klickitat and Huntington OF
Benton, at North Yakima, we four
driving to Ellensburg where we me;
Mr.. Plessinger, and proceeding bv
automobile through ShnoQualmie Pass
to Seattle, arriving there late in the
evening.
The next morning. desiring to afford
The parties a sight of Seattle, thev
came to the place of business of Trick
Murray. While there Mr.. Plessinger
'rdered two dozen voucher books TAX
ng some along with him and request
ng the balance mailed to his office.
n the course OF this transaction he
equested me to make out voucher
or my charges for carrying him on
he trip, and stated he would have il
flowed as a part OF his bill. then in.
ormed him in substance. that his re-
uest was an insult; that l had had the
leasure of the company of between
wo hundred and two hundred anC
fly guests on the same trip he had
lken, and he was the first to mention
endorsement for our mutual pleas
res; that | would as soon expect to
ccept an invitation to dinner at
riend's house and offer to pay for the
neal, as would expect to offer or re-
eive pay for the hospitality extended
n his case. The matter dropped there
With no further thought on my part.
n mention on the part OF Mr.. Pies
niger, that reimbursement for ex-
,enditures should be claimed at any
ime Mr.. Fl. s. Huntington, treasurer
# Benton county, was present during
he entire conversation, and should be
n a position to verify my statements.
thereafter we left for a
our of Seattle, after which, about
hree thirty in the afternoon, we drove
he parties to Tacoma where the con-
'ention was to be held.
My next business visit to Okanogan
was the first intimation | had that Mr.
had made vouchers, or
claims for reimbursement for the eX-
penses of the trip, their amount, or
hat the name of Mr.. Trick or myself
was to be or had been affixed to such
vouchers. Learning of these facts
sought Mr.. Plessinger. lie
was not in his office, and went out in
the city to find him. l met him on the
street and after telling him very plainly
what | though of the mix up he had
drawn me into, informed him that the
matter must be Strengthened out at
once His fact turned white, and }
had to catch hold of him, easing him
to the edge of the sidewalk, to keep
him from falling. He then said: my
God! What can do to straighten out
this matter with you, Ufford, so the
public will not know of it," Informed
him that the public already knew
about it, and the only thing for him TO
do was to go to County Auditor Hub
bard and make a full statement.
Plessinger and then went to the
court room, and Mr.. Hubbard came up
at my request. Plessinger then made
full confession of his acts to Mr.. Hup-
bard, stating, among other things, tha'
he did not know that the state account
ants or checkers" as he termed them
checked over the vouchers. Hubbard
informed him that the very purpose OF
the voucher system was to permit sucr
a check, and catch deals such as this
Plessinger further asked Hubbard II
there was any possible way to destroy
th0ca youchorc oud ouhQtttuto new