upon  the  orders  made  by  the 
board.  He  claimed  entire  ignorance  of  the  ir- 
regularities herein  reported  before  they  were 
brought  to  his  notice  before  the  grand  jury  (as 
did  also  Mr.  Carpenter)  ; Mr.  Bragaw  also  had 
the  most  implicit  confidence  in  the  integrity  of 
the  clerk.

Mr.  Thomas  W.  Cobb,  who  was  chairman 
of  the  board  during  a part  of  the  transactions 
reported,  and  a member  thereafter  until  March, 
1890,  is  now  a non-resident,  and  did  not  appear 
before  the  grand  jury.

Mr.  Jo  E.  Sheridan  has  been  a member  of 
the  board  of  county  commissioners  since  March, 
1890,  but  we  have  not  discovered  any  irregulari- 
ties occurring  since  he  has  been  a member  as 
occurred  before.  Yet  he  might,  as  such  com- 
missioner, by  examination,  have  discovered 
what  investigation  by  the  grand  jury  has  dis- 
covered.

The  legal  advisor  of  the  board  of  commis- 
sioners, Hon.  J.  A.  Ancheta,  district  attorney, 
must  have  been  lax  in  the  performance  of  his 
duties,  else  he  would  have  discovered  the  ap- 
palling condition  into  which  the  county  finances 
were  being  plunged.

The  most  profligate  extravagance  charac- 
terizes the  purchases  made  by  the  agents  of 
the  county  in  the  past  two  years,  and  bills  for 
supplies  at  prices  far  in  excess  of  those  charged 
to  individuals  have  been  allowed  and  paid.