King County's Bond Fight Ends With a New Treasurer—and a Demand for an Audit

Without unnecessary delay the county commissioners yesterday morning proceeded to elect a treasurer to succeed Dr. Mitten, who had resigned, and J.W. Maple, who had forfeited the office. The result was the choice of John Riplinger, chief deputy during the past administration. The motion to proceed to an election was made by Nickerson, seconded by Heaton, and carried unanimously. Riplinger was nominated and elected, Heaton voting no. A motion was carried that Riplinger be notified of his appointment, and another that he be given until March 4 to file a bond. Heaton declined to vote for either motion.

The appointment caused a stir among Maple's friends, and the Referendum Club met in the afternoon at its rooms on Third Street to discuss the situation. Speeches were made and a committee was appointed to call a public mass meeting of taxpayers that afternoon. A stormy meeting of the club was held last night, and Commissioner Heaton was questioned by club members about the commissioners' action on Maple's bond.

Riplinger came from one of the pioneer families of Minnesota. He worked in the Dakota County auditor's office, learned the printing business, and later bought and conducted a weekly paper at Hastings for two years. He came to Washington in the late 1880s and lived at Connor for about a year. On August 2, 1891, he entered the treasurer's office as clerk under Byron Phelps. When Phelps was treasurer he made Riplinger chief clerk; when Dr. Mitten was appointed treasurer he kept him as chief deputy. He was married in October 1888 at Hastings, Minn., to Ada R. Richards, daughter of Dr. F.M. Richards. Riplinger said: "One thing that I shall insist on is that the treasurer's office shall be inspected. There has been so much talk about shortages and defalcations that, in justice to the people and myself, I think this should be done. I do not believe that anything is wrong, or that a single cent has been misappropriated, but the inspection of the books and accounts will quiet the public mind and convince everyone that the funds are as they should be. I do not care who appoints the experts—whether it be the citizens of King County, the Chamber of Commerce, or the county commissioners—but I will insist that the work be done."

The chairman of the board of county commissioners was asked whether the board proposed to take any action regarding the new bond filed by Mr. Maple. He replied that it was their intention to investigate carefully the new bond, its legality and the sufficiency of the sureties. They had given Maple all the time required to furnish a bond, and after a careful examination of the sureties had given him until last Thursday, then until yesterday, to furnish additional evidence. No justification of the sureties was furnished. They were therefore compelled to rely upon an abstract of the records furnished by the county auditor. The abstract showed that only about one-third of the entire amount of the bond could be realized as security, and the remainder was absolutely worthless. The commissioners gave the benefit of the doubt to Maple, but with such a large amount of the bond absolutely worthless they had no alternative but to reject it. He added that Dr. Mitten's resignation was due to technical grounds, and that the commissioners wished to do no injustice to Maple, but had a duty to the public.