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Show I "An $8,000 Steal Discovered I I The bounty frauds tho exposure of B which caused considerable of a sensa-B sensa-B tlon a month or so ago are not tho fl only frauds which havo been perpe-H perpe-H trated on tho state In tho not very B distant past. Ten days or two weeka H ago a steal amounting to about $8000 B was discovered in conection .with the B Utah World's fair commission. The B reporters of tho daily papers dug up fl the crookedness and tho details there-H there-H of but the kind of dallies we are af-M af-M Aided with in this state being run for B the purpose of hoodwinking and help-B help-B Ins to fleece the public instead of B protecting it, would not publish the B facts, but on tho contrary joined in B tQe scheme to hush the matter up. fl Tho legislature of 1893 made a 11b-H 11b-H eral appropriation in order that the H state should be properly represented B &t ttle big exposition at St. Louis. The H management of tho Utah exhibit and H the disbursement of tno fund created H by the legislature was placed in tho J hands of a commission. When the B fair closed and the accounts were H mado up it was found thero was a deli de-li Belt of about $10,000 and tho present J legislature was asked to make an ap-H ap-H proprlation to cover the deficit and H pay the outstanding bills. Tho com-H com-H mltteo of tho legislature to which the bill was referred mado a pretty search- kg Investigation with a view of dls-H dls-H covering how the original appropria-H appropria-H tlon had been spent and how there camo to bo so large a deficit. The result so far of tho inquiry has been to establish tho fact that tho 'name of Bx-Gov. H. M. Wells, chairman of ! the World's fair commission, had been, forged to warrants amounting to something like $8000, which money had been drawn from tho fund and not I use(1 io any purposes connected with I the exhibit, in fact that tho cash had Eone into tho pocket of some indivld- ual, presumably the person who com- mlted the forgery. The forged war- rants were dug up and when shown to Gov. Wells ho without hesitation Pronounced them forgeries in so far as nls name was concerned. Tho for-I for-I Series It js said are quite evident. An effort was mado to have Gov. Wells I eep 1lllet and not say that his I Damo hnrt been forged. Of course the 1 effort was not in the least degree successful. State Senator Willis Johnson has in his possession one of tho forged warrants for $2100 and although al-though great efforts are being mado to hush tho matter up it is expected there will bo something doing pretty soon. It is not possible that tho legislature legis-lature will make an appropriation to cover a deficit created by forgery and theft. Those who are most deeply Interested In-terested in tho affair being kept from tho public and that tho guilty party or parties bo not prosecuted havo influential influ-ential friends who it is believed will make good the money stolon. Threats havo already been mado to place tho wholo affair in tho hands of tho county coun-ty attorney, but so far it has not officially of-ficially been brought to tho notice of that officer. This plan of covering up fraud and compounding folonles has gone too far in this state already. This thing should be exposed and the guilty parties prosecuted. Tho members mem-bers of tho commission should seo to that. It is their duty to tho state and to tho people, besides they owo It to themselves as to a certain extent they are all under a cloud until tho guilt is fastened on tho guilty one. If it Is not brought to tho county attorney at-torney wo believe that official ought to take it up of his own volition. The public is entitled to bo Informed of everything ev-erything connected with this affair. Glossing over and covering up has a bad effect in every way. Turn on the light and let tho people know what their servants aro doing. Mororcharges havo been fllod against Jones, Davies and others who aro accused of defrauding tho public' In tho matter of bounty on tho skins of wild animal" Conspiracy to defraud de-fraud is tho l st accusation they will' havo to face. It is very probable proba-ble that tho stato will refuse to pay tho fraudulent warrants issued although al-though they bo in tho hands of Innocent Inno-cent holders. Tho theory is that tho stato Is neither legally nor morally bound to pay those warrants, but that tho holders of them may recover from tho county clerks or their bondsmen. bonds-men. Even if tho county clerk himself him-self was innocent of anything worse than carelessness he, It is claimed, is responsible for the official acts of his deputies. |