The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1919-08-08
GRAND JURY


is necessary to repair the defective
condition.
From an examination of the various
offices of Valley county, the grand
jury finds it necessary to make par
ticular mention of the office of the
sheriff and the manner in which it is
conducted. The grand jury believes
the present incumbent of the office
of sheriff is an efficient officer for
said county in that he is willing to
serve the best interests of the said
county and is Industrious and lntelli-
gent. The grand jury, however, must
take exception to the ann in which
visitors are permitted in Jail and are
allowed to talk and visit with the pris-
oners therein. They would recommend
that the sheriff adopt a rule prohibit
ing all persons from entering cells OF
prisoners, except attorneys and doe
tors, and that in the event relatives
of prisoners wish to talk to them,
they should carry on such conversation
in the office of the Jail rather than in
the cells of the prisoners. The grand
jury also finds hat the sheriff has
been collecting fees from Valley county
for which the law gives no authority.
We find that this was due to a mis-
take on the part of the sheriff, and
further, because his predecessor in
the same office had been collecting
fees in the sam manner and for the
same services. The law provides:
"While in the discharge Of his duties,
both civil and criminal, except as here
in provided, the sheriff shall receive
ten cents per mile for each and every
mile travelled. The county shall not
be liable for, nor shall the board of
county commissioners pay, any claim
of the sheriff or other officers, for
team or horse hire, or any other ex-
penses incurred in travel or for SUBJ
sistence in cases where mileage is al
lowed under this section; the fees for
mileage named in this section being in
full for such travelling expenses for
both civil and criminal work" Section
1927 Pol. Code.
We find that the sheriff in most in
stances does not charge mileage when
he is on the discharge of his duties
in criminal matters, but instead of mil
cage he charges automobile hire and
personal expenses, which in some in
stances have amounted to several hum
dred dollars per month. In some in
stances we have found that the sher-
Tiff has charged both mileage and au-
tomoblle expenses. This, in the minds
of the jury, is a serious matter, and
has been regularly permitted by the
county auditor and the board of coun-
ty commissioners without any investi-
cation whatever, and without any at
tempt to explain to the sheriff that
the expenses he charged against the
were illegal. They recommend
that the county commissioners in con
n%ection with the county attorney ad-
wise the sheriff definitely and fully
as to the duties of his office and the
fees to be charged in connection with
such duties.
6. The grand jury in investigating
the various charges made upon the
for expenses incurred, find a
promiscuous and extravagant number
of charges rendered against the coun-
ty commissioners and county auditor,
for automobile hire by the sheriff's
office, by the members Of the county
commissioners, and by the auditor.
The county auditor had no right or
authority whatsoever to hire an auto
mobile in the instances in which he
did hire the same, for and on behalf
Of the county, and we are satisfied that
the county commissioners have flag
rantly overstepped the bounds of their
authority to employ automobiles and
charge the expense to the county. The
expenses so charged against the coun-
ty, and paid by it, for automobile hire
the year 1919 have amounted
to more than four hundred dollars in
one month. This is only one instance
which we cite, and records of the said
county show numerous such instances
for a number of years last past.
Z. With reference to the office of
county commissioners we have found
so much of their conduct which is OBJ
j~ectlonable, illegal and willful on their
part, that we thought it absolutely
necessary to present charges against
them and bring them to trial in custer
proceedings. The evidence upon these
charges will be produced at the trial
and for that reason we do not deem
1T proper to comment upon it in this
report.
8. The grand jury further examined
the office of the county auditor, H. G..
Wolking, the present incumbent, whom
the jury found to be very disagreeable
to deal with. In the first place he
refused to testify before the grand
jury under oath regarding his con-
duct and the discharge Of his duties in
Valley county and agree that his tes-
timony should be voluntary, notwith-
standing the fact hat he receives a
monthly salary from the taxpayers of
said county, for the discharge of his
duties, and Notwithstanding the fact
that it necessarily is a great expense
to call and impanel a grand jury for
the investigation, which it is it's duty
to make. We find that the auditor,
H. G. Wolking, has collected large
sums of money belonging to Valley
county and has expended some of the
said money for and on behalf of the
said county, when as a matter of fact
the law does not give him authority to
do so, but prohibits him from collect
ing the sums of money which he did
collect. Because of the fact that the
county auditor refused to testify be-
fore the grand jury, therefore, it was
impossible to make a thorough check
of his office. We We're not able to
find a record of moneys or fees col
lected for and on behalf of the coun-
ty but did find three different receipt
books from which he issued receipts
for money received. We have been
informed that he has collected the sum
of sixty dollars for and on behalf of
Valley county from the Mountain
States Telephone and Telegraph COM
pany, which was due said county as
a rebate upon money maid nv II bnt