Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-07-15
ATTORNEY GENERAL HAvNER BE.
GINS PROBE TO COUNTY Of
FIcEs IN DUBUQUE.
SEEKS PROMPT REMOVAL
OF TREASURER MuLLlN
4
Members Of County Board Of Supervis-
ors Also Face charses-Havner May
Go to Dubuque to Conduct lnvestisa-
ton in Person-charses County Has
Been Defrauded Of $4,000.

Dubuque, July 15.-Accusing County
Treasurer C. E. Mullin Of defrauding
the county out of $4,000. recommend
| ing his dismissal from office, and vigor-
ously arraigning Supervisors Budd
Lynch, Frank BAIL and F. D. Ferring
for gross negligence in Office, Attorney
General Havner Saturday filed two
petitions in the office of the clerk of
court here setting forth Nt length
grounds for a score of miscellaneous
accusations. The attorney general de-
manded that the above named officials
be ousted from office and in each of the
petitions sought to show that thruout
their tenure of office the supervisors
and the county treasurer had been
guilty of administration Of office.
Are Lengthy Documents.
Deputy w. r. CT Hendricks, acting
under instructions from the attorney
generals office in Des Moines came
to this city Saturday and filed the two
petitions in person. One deals exclu-
sively with the alleged misconduct and
shortcomings of County Treasurer Null
lin and the other is directed at the
three supervisors, Frank BAIL. Budd
Lynch and F. D. Ferring, who are
named as the defendants. Both docu-
ments are voluminous and to each is
attached a long list of particular cases
in which it is charged the county treas
urer failed to collect taxes due the
county, or to impose penalty by selling
property to secure the delinquent fee.
In some cases, the date goes back be-
yond Treasurer Mullins occupancy of
his Office. The arraignment of the SUI
pervisors is amazingly filled with de-
tail. and recounts exactly incidents in
which it is charged the officials were
lax in the conduct of the boards af-
fairs.
Want Dismissal at Once.
According TO the leading statement
in the two petitions. the attorney gen.
eral seeks the immediate removal of
the four officials pending further adj
justment of the case by court officials.
W. r. c. Kendrick of the attorney
generals office, said yesterday that it
was possible an effort would be made
to have Judge Clark, of Mason City.
preside over the hearings in order to
insure an impartial analysis OF the
charges.
II even appears probable that At
torney General Havner will come to
Dubuque in person to conduct the
prosecution of the four officials. No
definite information along that line was
Forthcoming. but his deputy, w. Ken
drick. admitted that the attorney gen
eral was resolved to press the charges
ne had outlined.
Leak in Treasury.
|. That the county treasury has been
leaking too freely in the past three
years is charged according to Attorney
General Havner's accusation; the
county has been supporting all sorts of
fees and paving bills by the score that
could by no possible explanation be
| looked upon as legal obligations. The
coroner's habit. or alleged habit, OF
| entering item: rent Of room in cases
| where he cared for body at the expense
| of the county is condemned, it being
| alleged that ne is supposed under the
| terms Of the Iowa statutes TO utilize
| his undertaking parlors and that he is
! entitled to no fee for room rent" The
! coroner IS also accused Of hiring his
assistants in cases where no assistant
| was necessary; ne conducts inquests
where there is no occasion fo- one and
assesses the county liberal fees in
| excess Of the stipulated amount speci-
| fed in the statutes; all this according
| TO the wording Of the petition, which
|! condemns the supervisors for allowing
the claims.
Revive Old Issue.
| The matter Of the choice Of the
county physician, which has been
threshed out in previous controversies.
| was revived at length in the petition
dealing with the charges against the
| supervisors. In the year. 1914. accord
ing to the facts as presented, DR.. Loee
| obtained the office Of county physician
| upon presenting bid OF 81 600; at the
same time the board Of supervisors had
on file lower bids from reputable and
well qualified physicians and surgeons,
| II is declared Again in 1915. the office
went to DR.. Loes when the lowest bid
der was Dr. kearney. 1t was said. Dr..
Loes submitted bid Of $1,000 in 1917
and secured the appointment while
| other bids several Of them much lower
entirely Reputable physicians of this
county" according to the petition.
DIT. F. S. Leonard who secured office
this year is also disclosed as a favorite
of the board of supervisors, according
to the petitions review Of the affair.
| 1t Is alleged that the supervisors
| awarded him the office despite the fact
that DR.. George W. May underbid him
by more than $50.