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Show BOUNTifFRAUD IS MOST GIGANTIC IN THE HISTORY OPTHSTATE OF UTAH Every hour of the investigation tf the bounty fraud emphasises the fact that It la not only the most gigantic, but at the same time the most barefaced fraud ever perpetrated in the State of Utah. Reports from several '-counties indicate indi-cate that the gang did not confine Its operations to Salt Lake and Weber county, although thejwofoounties are' the heaviest loseiCThat'.the gang was assisted in its stealing, by some one in the office of the County Clerk In at least two counties is no longer doubted by the officers. Without such assistance It would have been Impossible for the swindlers to have secured the amounts which they have drawn. , With but "few exceptions those who drew the heaviest certificates took the hides to the office of the County Clerk In a telescope . valise. On October IS John Ward drew a certificate from the office of the County Clerk In Salt Lake county for bounty on 120 coyotes, twenty-four wildcats, thirteen wolves, nine mountain lions and seven bears. : The bounty on coyotes Is $1.50, wildcats $1 each, while wolves, mountain lions and bears bring J5 each. Expert hide buyers buy-ers say that such hides. If killed at the time limit required by the law, would weigh about as follows: Coyote, .four pounds; wildcat, 'one pound; wolf, six pounds; mountain lion, five pounds, and bear from fifty to sixty pounds each. Mr. Ward's little bundle would have weighed between 900 and 1000 pounds, not a bad load for one man to carry in a valise. . . five years In the office of the County Clerk of Weber county, was placed under un-der arrest at noon Tuesday by Deputy Sheriff Sebrtng. - A close watch had been kept on Swan since the arrest of Jones Saturday night, but he was not placed under arrest until after the officers of-ficers had arrested A H. Conlisk, who is said to have made a confession lmpll-'eatlng lmpll-'eatlng Swan. Conlisk is a son of Former. For-mer. Chief of Police John Conlisk and ,for .several months has been engaged at the union ticket office In Ogden. Prior to that time he worked on the cut-off, from which place he brought his first lot of hides. The confession of Conlisk does not Implicate any , one else in Weber county who holds an official position. From the evidence at hand it appears certain that but one man was engaged in the work in the Clerk's office either in Salt Lake or Weber. The .heaviest purchaser of certificates in Salt Lake was the Home Investment company, of which Former United States Marshal Glen Miller is president. Most of the certificates in Weber county coun-ty were cashed by the First National bank of that city. There Is not a shadow of suspicion against either of these parties. The certificates were presented to them and they purchased them as they would any other city, county or. State paper. It was simply a business transaction with them. That the men now under arrest are the only ones connected with the fraud is not believed for a minute by the officers. offi-cers. The first thing to do is to secure sufficient evidence to make the arrest and the next thing Is to find the men. It Is asserted by. the officers that they have sufficient evidence to warrant the arrest of several persons, but the men wanted refuse to come forward and submit to that process of law. The first credit for the unearthing of the fraud Is due to Sheriff Emery and Deputy Sheriff J. C. Sharp. As soon as Jones . was arrested Sheriff Bailey of Ogden, Deputy Sheriff Sebrlng and Detective De-tective Pender took up the case In the Junction City, and have dona splendid work at that point Former Deputy Clerk David B. Da-vies Da-vies was seen at the county Jail at noon Wednesday by a Telegram man. Upon being requested to make a statement of his side of the case Mr. Davles said: "I have nothing to say except that I am Innocent of any crime and I will prove my innocence when the proper time comes. That is all i that I wish to say at the present time.' Upon being pressed for details of the alleged bounty fraud while he was acting act-ing as Deputy County Clerk, Mr. Davis said: "I have nothing to say' in reply to your questions. My attorney has advised ad-vised me not to talk with anyone on the subject and I Intend to follow his instructions. I can only repeat that I am Innocent of any crime and that 1 will be able to prove my Innocence. Further than that I have nothing to say." CoL M. M. Kalghn has been retained to defend Mr. Davles. The statement that Mr. Davies waa a deputy under County Clerk Eldredge Is Incorrect Davies was a deputy under former County Clerk John James and was retained in the office by Mr. Eldredge El-dredge as an extra clerk, but was not a deputy under the new administration. administra-tion. . . -., The record of Charles Jones in Weber county shows that he was also a strong man, as he drew certificates for about the same number of hides in that county. coun-ty. Ward and Jones are said to be the same man, which would account for the. wonderful strength exhibited. But did Ward-Jones or any other man ever take any such number of hides to the office of either- County Clerk? ' Officers say no. Then how was the graft worked? Several officers of Salt Lake and Weber We-ber counties were In conference Tuesday Tues-day afternoon. The question was put to one of them, "How did they work It V be replied: ' "Why, that's the easiest thing in the world after you understand it. They had a confederate in the County Clerk's office. If you will go over the records you will find that when these men's names first began to appear the amount of bounty which they drew was not a third of what It was later. After they had fixed the matter with the man who drew the certificates In the office they would appear - with a few hides and draw a certificate for ten hides for every one that they had brought In. . "But even this got too slow, and when they needed money they would notify their confederate in the office of the fact He would fill out the certificate cer-tificate and the mighty hunter, would drop in later and sign the stub. The certificate would then be taken to some broker, who would cash It at a small discount. Later i the two men would meet and divide the spoils. "A serious charge? Well, yes, I know It Is, but you will find out that the testimony tes-timony In the case will bear me out in ! statement" "Already two men have been arrested who were employed In the offices of the r County Clerks of Salt Lake and Weber. David B. Davles, who for four years was an employee in the office In Salt : Lake, was taken in charge late Saturday. Satur-day. Aa yet no charge has been preferred pre-ferred against Davies. He Is held as a witness la the case. W.-D, Swan, ior ' . , |
