The Glenwood post., 1923-02-01
1wentyseven Named on Liquor Viola
tions and Others for Ma|feasance
In the County Offices
BOOKS ARE IN BAD CONDITION

Gunnison, Jan. -Thirty-four in
dictments were found by the grand
JURY which has been deliberating in
Gunnison county since January Is, and
read by the foreman, Wilbur Curtis, to
Judge Logan judge of the Seventh
judicial district.
Twenty-seven of them are for viola
tion Of the intoxicating liquor law and
are directed against twenty-four de-
PENDANTS. Of these DR.. George Sulli-
van is county commissioner and NJ.
=. ilerrick is county treasurer, Mike
Welch is justice of the peace at
Crested rutte.
-Four indictments for malfeasance in
offict are made, namely, against ".
H. Whalen of Crested Butte, retiring
county commissioner this month, George
Sullivan from Gunnison and Ted
Knowles, commissioner from the second
district at Doyleville. Also malfeas-
ance i'll office is charged against c. G..
McWilliams, county clerk, and three
indictments of illegal contracting
against former Commissioner Whalen.
The grand jury investigated all coun-
ty books, with the assistance of three
social auditors from the state office Of
Auditor Stong, and report them all in
excellent condition, except the clerk
and commissioners.
OF the clerk and commissioners
books, the report says: cit is difficult
to imagine a worse condition than has
existed in these offices during the last
two years." Practically all the laws in
reference to the conduct of said offices
have been disregarded and there appears
wilful malfeasance in the conduct of
these offices. The report then speci-
fies great many delinquencies, such
as overdrawing funds to the extent
of Sal 900 in excess of the levies made
in 1922 and keeping no inventory Of
county property, and allowing them.
selves seven dollars.a day and expenses
and mileage in addition to their sala-
ries when attending state and district
road meetings."
The jury reports that they have in
vestigated 29s vouchers aggregating
over $4,000 passed by the board, of
which one-third were not sworn to
properly. The commissioners and
county clerk also paid for oil, gas, re-
pairs on their cars, and charged 1t to
the county road expenses, amounting
to $442.34 for Whalen, $57s.1O for Sui
livan and -709.71 for Knowles with
similar auto expenses and unitemized
bills for :" fees and expenses" for the
county clerk. 1t is alleged that the
amounts so Illegally paid out during
1921 and 1929 as specified in detailed
warrants quoted are $5,102.9s and re.
turn of the money is demanded. OF
this amount $311.35 is for double pay.
some being clerical errors only.
The charges of illegal contracting
brought against Commissioner Whalen
cover sales by himself to the board OF
such things as automobiles and tires
of which he was agent. There are
three of these indictments and convic
tion under them would bring heavy
fine and imprisonment. One account
of 1919 is for entertainment of mem
bers of the second highway district who
met in Gunnison last June and were
iavishly entertained. 1t later devel
oped that the bills were charged to tn,
county and that fully half Of then
were for booze.
The commissioners of the county
have never published the monthly rec
ord of proceedings as required by Law
and this matter is sharply brought tt
the courts attention. District Attor