The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-11-09
INDICTMENTS RETURNED
AGAINST COMMISSIONERS
Grand Jury In Special Session
Monday, Finds Three Indict-
ments Against Each Member
OF The Local Board
TOTALS ELEVEN COUNTS

The September Term Grand Jury,
called back in special session on Mon
day, found indictments against the
three County Commissioners of Gar
rett county, G. Blaine Giessman,
Cheston H. Browning, and Paul M.
Friend. The indictments charge
"malfeasance in Office" N. C. Fraley,
States Attorney, stated. If found
guilty of the offense the County Com
missioners would be ousted from
office.
The bond was set by Chief Judge D.
Lindley Sloan at $4,000 for each Com
missioner. Warrants for their arrest
were issued to Sheriff ]. W. Owens,
on Tuesday morning and the neces-
sary bond was furnished in each case
the same day.
There were three indictments
against each Commissioner, as a re-
suit of alleged infractions of laws
passed at the 1889 Legislature, Mr..
Fraley stated. Two indictments
charge that the County Commission
ers purchased some culvert pipe upon
two different occasions, in violation of
the 1889 law requiring them to adver-
tise for bids for any purchases made
for more than $780, The indictments
charged that the purchases were for
$1,240 and for $661.50. The third in
dictment charged the County Com
missioners with writing county orders
upon the contingent fund levy in vio-
lation of Senate bill 3O6, passed at
the last session. There were nine
counts in this Indictment for specific
orders as follows:
To H. P. Stuck as administrator
for W. E. Giessman estate, $355.00;
three orders to Orus M. King, for
road labor, $28532, $29125, and
$474.76; two orders to Benny Epstein,
attorney, for $500 and $73.50; one
to the Alban Tractor company for
road drills and machinery parts,
$266.07; to Stanley Fike, bulldozer
operator, $115; and to the Welfare
Board, $1,O34.68.
Both Mr.. Giessman and Mr.. Brown
ing were in their offices Monday,
Tuesday, and Wednesday this week
conducting the business of the regular
semi-monthly session. Mr.. Friend
was at his home recuperating from a
recent operation.
Both Mr. Giessman and Mr.. Brown
ing asserted that the County Com
missioners' office, under the present
board, had been conducting the bust
ness of paying county orders and pur-
chasing supplies the same as in pre-
vious years, and that they had been
advised by their attorneys to issue
orders from the contingent fund levy,
the same as had been done by pre-
vious boards.
eve have done nothing Intentional
ly to violate any laws, Mr. Giessman
said, "and we feel that our case will
be properly viewed by jurors and peo-
pie when the case comes before the
court in December" The petit jurors
are being called to report for Monday,
December 4.
Mr.. Giessman continued, eve feel
that all the 1889 laws regarding the
conduct of this office We're passed as
spite laws, the same as much other
legislation of Senator Friend, and
that it is unfair to enact laws which
regulate payments of moneys in June
or July, when the annual levy for
the county is made in January"
The county levy this year was made
in January and laws affecting the dis
tribution of funds were passed late in
the Legislative session and were not
approved by the Governor until in
April and May.
Mr.. Giessman pointed out as an eX-
ample the magistrate law, which
made it mandatory for the County
COIlllllSSlOISlS W pay oelallCo VI
magistrates and constables, when
there had been no provision made for
such an item when the levy was made,
as the new law was not passed until
several months later.
Mr.. Browning said they had at
tempted to carry on the county's bust
ness properly in spite of a certain
group that had been attempting to
have them ousted for inefficiency, and
they had tried to carry out the spirit
of the laws, regardless of why they
were passed.
The $4,000 maximum purchase law
without asking for bids, which he said
had been passed to keep them from
purchasing more road machinery. He
said they had received prices on cul-
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