The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1923-11-01

stances, | will take for example the
case of Robert Stockley, who was
seen out with his gun on SundGy n
January or February a couple Of years
ago This was reported to Mr.. Ofutt
but he let the matter go until the fol
lowing June Court. Witnesses We're
then summoned before the grand jury
at the expense of the county. Mr.
Stockley was indicted, arrested and
placed in Jail. The case was set for
trial and after the witnesses for the
State, the defense having none, Lad
been in attendance for several days
waiting for the case to be called by
Mr.. Offutt it was finally brought to
trial. Mr.. Stockley's attorney very
promptly raised the point that viola
tons of the Sunday laws must be
prosecuted within thirty days and arc
within the jurisdiction of the magIs-
trates, whereas nothing had been done
by the States Attorney in this case
for three or four months and then not
before the magistrate. The case
hardly lasted five minutes before the
Court in passing upon the question
said that this was a very plain pro
vision of the law. Now it is possible
that the States Attorney did not know
the law, but at any rate this trivial
case was taken to Court and cost thc
tax payers Of this county quite a bit
Of money for we had to pay the costs.
| might give other instances, but this
is sufficient to show that Mr.. Ofutt is
not bullet proof when he speaks Of his
economical administration. Accord
ing to my calculations made from GER
tain figures given in last weeks Re
publican and which I have taken the
trouble to verify, I find that during
Nj. Offutt's term S39,786.63 has been
expended BY the county for the Court
fund, sheriff and jail expenses and
States Attorneys Office, while during
the term Of Mr.. Jones the expenditure
was S29, 901.G4, q nice little difference
of almost $4,000 il favor of Mr..
Jones. | wonder which was the most
economical? This also does not take
into consideration a little bill of moro
than 900 which the county has been
called upon to pay the Allegany Inte,-
hgence & Protective service for mine
guards brought into the county from
West Virginia at the instance Of the
present States Attorney, sworn in as
special deputies and given authority
to walk up and down the roads of
Garrett county with guns in their
hands for the ostensible purpose of
guarding the property of a certain
coal company which Mr.. Offutt repre-
sents as counsel, and have it on very
good authority from reliable residents
Of Kitzmllcr that this action and eX
pense were un necessary and anyone
who has read the recent opinions Of
Governor Ritchie and Attorney Gen
eral Armstrong know that it was il
legal. 1t may likely be true that Mr.
Jones sometimes saw fit to employ de
tectives, as has every States Attor-
ney for the purpose Of breaking up
of the law, but nothing like
this was ever before done in Garrett
county so far as | can recall.
Mr.. Offutt further comments on the
fact that Mr.. Jones now holds three
positions, which Mr. Offutt claims are
very lucrative that is, Examiner in
Equity, notary public and as Mr.. Of
futt says, tax assessor. This state
ment seems rather boyish and ridicu-
lous to me. | am told that the first
two of these offices are held by at
least three attorneys in Oakland and
that the compensation sometimes
to as much as S25 per year.
A very large salary in the mind of Mr.
Offutt. Perhaps he made more out
of them when he held the position
prior to becoming States Attorney.
AS to the third position mentioned,
Mr.. Jones is not and never has been
tax assessor, as Mr.. Offutt well knows.
The name is used by him simply for
the purpose of maliciously mislead-
ing the people of this county. Mr..
Jones is Supervisor Of Assessments
and as such has worked with the as
SCISSORS from time to time in carrying
out the orders of the County Commits
sioners and the State Tax Commits
sion as given to him in the conduct of
his office, and | am informed by the
Commissioners that Mr.. Jones has not
made any changes in assessments ex-
cept in carrying out such orders az
were given him and then only after
comforting with one or more of the
assessors. Anyone who has been
about the office of the County Com
missioners during the appeal terms
could not be otherwise than impressed
by the efficient manner in which Mr..
Jones has conducted the affairs of this
office and with his willingness to rec
Ommend changes where mistakes
seemed to have been made. l have