The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-01-21
TOTAL LLOSS TO
COUNTY LARGE
People STILL Bearing Burden; Only
Thirty-two Gents ON Dollar
Been Repaid
NOTHING BEING DONE ABOUT IT

In reporting the county shortages
brought to light in the past seven
months by the audit of the Denfen-
bachs. only the larger ones came to
our attention, and some small ones
that we did not discover in the vol
luminous report, come to light now In
the files Of vouchers showing moneys
paid in, and from what sources.
These small discrepancies were un-
worthy of notice because they seem
to have been due entirely to clerical
errors. We enumerate them as we
found the payments listed.
Everybody Made Mistakes
George H. Holbrook, former
county clerk, paid in $3.50 for fees
which the accountants judged he
should have paid.
w. R. Jones, former sheriff, paid
in $17.73. The auditors claimed
$4.00 more, but the county attorney
noted me amendments in the law
and deducted 81 from $21.73.
A. H. Simmons, the present sheriff,
was judged by the auditors TO be
short $143.04, but the county attor-
ney went over the whole list of errors
involving differences of from few
dollars down to few cents, and de-
cided that Simmons should pay in
$46.39 for errors covering four years..
Some queer complications arise In
connection with sheriff's sales that
are advertised, but never held, for
reasons which are beyond the
sheriff's control, and while "fees is
fees" an officer does not necessarily
pay them out of his own pocket when
things go wrong, or horses die.
F. M. Fisher, the present county
clerk, was found to have made an
error Of 50 and he promptly made
1t good.
Bonding Company Paid Part
The National Surety company, the
bonding company that guaranteed
integrity of the former treaserur and
clerk, refused payment for losses
that were plainly outlawed, but made
a compromise and agreed to pay $13,-
754.69, ON condition that G. v.
Fisher should turn all of his prop
erty- over to trustee to be admin
istered and sold to reimburse them,
and to repay Bingham county $13,-
645.29 to apply on the losses that
we're outlawed and which were adj
mitedly due to his manipulatiOns.
Not one dollar has been paid the
county by Fisher, tho the agreement
was that it should be paid by the
first of January, 1919.
Had to be Pro Rated
When the National Surety COM
pany turned over the $13,754.69 in
cash, 1t was apportioned between the
city, the school district and the
county, pro-rato to their losses. The
city was short on this amount $1,000
but 1t received only $506.50 in re-
turn. The school district had lost
$3452.80 on this account and 1t re-
covered in return $4787.85. The
county had lost on this account prac-
tically $1,000 and recovered only
$S460.6S.
Fisher Did Not Pay
If Fisher had paid in the amount
he contracted to pay, the total losses
would have been about $15, 200 plus
the cost of securing this settlement.
The county employed an attorney to
look after it's interests in the mat
ter, and he was paid $1,000. The
school district employed an attorney
to look after its interests and his
fees add to the losses of. the school
!. district. The city spent a few hun
dred dollars having their accounts
checked up to see how they stood.
County Loses 68 Per Cent
For every dollar that was believed
, to have been lost on account Of er-
rors in bookkeeping, 100 cents have
been returned. For every dollar that
was plainly embezzled, about 80 cents
have been returned, and there Is an
unkept promise of another payment
of about 80 cents.
Suit Filed but Nothing Doing
In consequence of the misuse OF
j the public money belonging to the
county, charge Of embezzlement
, has been filed against C. V. Fisher,
|, but it has not come to trial, nor even
to preliminary hearing, altho a
; couple of months have elapsed.
: What About the School Board?
In consequence of the misuse OF
: school moneys in sums varying from
; few dollars to $4,000, part of which
was paid back when exposure
seemed certain, and part of which
! seems hopelessly lost, the school
board, after a notably long delay
: passed resolution instructing theil
/. chairman to file a complaint against
' former treasurer, c.. V. Fisher, but
!. that has not been done. In conse
: quence of the failure of the board tt
7 sustain the dignity Of their position
y or the majesty of the law, this papel
! suggested that the school board re
!! sign, but stated that 1t would no
q press that matter upon them While
y suit was pending before the courts @
' this county seeking to do Justice
that no publication would be mad
that might in any way prejudice tn
cause Of justice or the interests Q
N the 4ccused. 1t appears that ther,