The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1930-07-03
DEPUTY TODD CO.
AUDITOR ARRESTED
Lloyd A. Berg Sentenced to
State RefOrmatOry Follow
ing Shortage Discovery
FILTERED OVER $4,000
Money Had Been Collected for
State Game and Fish Dept.
for Licenses
(Long Prairie Leader)


AS a result of shortages discov-
cred in the county auditors office,
June 25, Lloyd A. Berg, deputy
auditor, pied guilty before Judge
J. A. Roeser in St. Cloud Wednes-
day night to the embezzlement of
1852 and was sentenced to an in
determinate term of not to exceed
ten years in the st. Cloud reforma-
tory. He began serving his term
Immediately following the sentence
on Tuesday when E. A. Stevenson,
of st. Paul, a member of the public
examiners office, found that money
received at the auditors office in
payment for hunting and fishing Ii
censes could not be accounted for.
Investigation revealed that this de-
partment in Mr.. Ramstad's office
was solely in the hands of the de-
putty auditor, who disclaimed any
knowledge of the shortages. A. r.
Johnson, state public examiner, was
then called to the village for
thorough check of this depart
ment. Examination of the books
continued throughout yesterday I'M
til in the afternoon Mr.. Berg vol
UNFAIRLY appeared before County
Attorney VIM. M. Wood and admit
ted that his populations in the aud
itor's office would amount to more
than $4,000. Mr.. Wood urged the
young man to admit responsibility
for the shortage to the examiners,
which he did, and spent the remain
der of the afternoon and early eve
ming, after being placed under ar
rest, in aiding the officials to I'M
cover the shortages in the Game
and Fish fund.
The deputy auditor admitted hav-
ing taken $1,643 from the money
given him in payment of fishing and
hunting licenses since the first of
the present year. The remainder
of the money. the deputy auditor
confessed he had appropriated to
his own use, was taken before the
first of the year, he said. None~of
the money taken was tax money.
The deputy stated that when appli-
cation was made for licenses and
payment made in cash, that this
money was withheld, checks tend
cred in payment being turned in
to the office.
Examiners visited the local Of
flee in the routine of their duties.
Remittances to State Game & Fish
Department for many counties in
the state have been slow and the
examiners were asked to check up
on this matter in order that these
funds might be returned to the
state more promptly. When check
ing the number Of licenses issued
at the auditors office here to de-
termine the amount Of money due
the state, it was found that the
number of licenses issued did not
correspond with the amount of
cash entered as having been re-
ceived. The deputy auditor dis
claimed any knowledge Of this and
when asked to produce correspond
ence with the state office in this
regard( said that the records had
either been lost or destroyed. Later
he made a complete confession and
County Attorney Wood, Sheriff S.
H. Adams and Clerk of Court Mrs.
Maude Clutches accompanied him
to st. Cloud last night, where
Judge Roeser pronounced sentence.
The events in connection with dis
covery of the shortages. Mr.. Berg's
confession of the irregularities and
his sentence to the reformatory
has provided the community with a
sensation. Mr.. Berg has resided in
the county practically all of his life
and for several years has been a
trusted employe of County Auditor
Ramstad, first as clerk in the Of
flee and for the past three years
as deputy auditor. He is a likeable
young man and had a wide circle
of friends, especially among the
younger folks of the community, all
of whom are shocked beyond ex-
preston by the developments in
connection with the affair.