That this county has been shamefully, wan-…

chunk 505 · paragraph 1971

d for such ex- change and cancellation. That this county has been shamefully, wan- tonly and systematically plucked, ’plundered and robbed, the evidence is direct, positive and conclusive. The absence from the vaults of the office of all material bills, and of cancelled warrants (which could not be found and doubtless have been destroyed) makes difficult the determina- tion as to who profited by these nefarious trans- actions, but unless the officers signing and issuing these warrants were beneficiaries and participants in the illicit gains, no other person could profit by the fraud. In the proceedings of the board of com- missioners, at a meeting held December 12, 1888, the following remarkable order was made : It appearing to the board that the rubbish accumulating in the vault was occupying a great deal of room, it was ordered that “all old can- celled warrants, bills passed upon, and coupons and other valueless papers be destroyed to make room.” Thus destroying the best evidence of all transactions prior to that date, and rendering difficult any investigation into any affairs of the county during the years prior thereto. From the contents of the vault at the pres- ent time, it is apparent that there will not soon be any necessity of making a similar order.