State v. Corning
State v. Corning
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
During the year 1888, Henry R. Corning was the chairman of the board of county commissioners of Ness county. On the 7th day of February, 1889, an indictment was returned and filed against him, embracing three counts. The first count charged him with having on the 9th day of July, 1888, unlawfully, willfully and corruptly voted for and allowed the payment of $2,035 for the building of a bridge for the county, the contract-price of which was $1,850. The third count charged him with having unlawfully and
Upon a contract entered into between the board of county commissioners of Ness county, and Ed. Grant and M. G. Cowles, on the 8th day of June, 1888, Grant and Cowles constructed a bridge across the Pawnee river, near Riverside, for the sum of $1,850. On July 2, 1888, the board of county commissioners, in regular session, voted for and allowed the account or claim of Grant and Cowles of $1,850, for the bridge. On July 9, 1888, there was issued to them upon the account or claim so allowed, a county warrant for $2,035. This was signed by Henry R. Corning, as chairman, and attested by G. B. Barber, as clerk. On July 19, 1888, it was presented to the county treasurer of Ness county, but not paid for the want of funds. It was, however, regularly registered at that time, and paid on July 31, 1888.
If it were intended to charge the defendant with having issued a county warrant or order upon the account or claim of Grant and Cowles, when allowed, for more than the actual amount so allowed, dollar for dollar, such a charge should have been embraced in the indictment. There was a variance between the charge in the indictment and the proof offered, and as there was no proof offered under the first count of the indictment sustaining the charge that the defendant voted for and allowed any greater sum to Grant and Cowles than the amount actually due upon their account or claim presented, no offense was established against the defendant within the language of the indictment. (The State v. Spidle, supra.)
“The said Henry R. Corning, being then and there one of the county commissioners of said county of Ness, and being entitled by law to receive as compensation for his services as said county commissioner a sum not exceeding $100 during the year aforesaid, did then, and during said official year, willfully and unlawfully present to said board of county commissioners of the said county of Ness, divers illegal vouchers in evidence of compensation alleged therein to be due him, the said Henry R. Corning, for services as county commissioner of said county of Ness during the official year, in all amounting to the sum of $219, and thereby did there and during said year, willfully and unlawfully obtain the payment to himself of the sum of $219, as compensation for services as county commissioner of said county of Ness during said year, said sum being more than he, the said Henry R. Corning, was entitled to by law.”
Paragraph 1623, Gen. Stat. of 1889, reads:
“The board of county commissioners shall meet in regular session, at the county seat of the county, on the first Monday of January, and the first Monday after the first Tuesday of April, and the first Mondays of July and October, in each year, and in special session on the call of the chairman, at the request of two members of the board, as often as the interest of the county may demand: Provided, The pay for such services, including all regular and special meetings, shall never exceed the sum of one hundred dollars to each commissioner in any one year.”
Various accounts allowed to the defendant by the board of county commissioners of Ness county were presented in the testimony, but with the exception of two or three of the accounts, they did not show on their face whether they were for regular or special meetings of the board, or for services as county commissioner while attending meetings to equalize assessments, to levy taxes, canvass the returns of elections, or other like services; therefore, neither the third count of the indictment, nor the proof offered, clearly showed that the defendant received more than $100 as his compensation for services rendered in attending the regular and special meetings of the board of county commissioners of Ness county during his official year, commencing on the second Monday of January, 1888, and ending on the second Monday of January, 1889. We are therefore compelled to say that the verdict and the sentence of the defendant upon the third count cannot be sustained.
The judgment of the district court will be reversed, and the cause remanded.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The State of Kansas v. Henry R. Corning
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published