Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1879-11-13
ABOUT EXPERTS.
An Old Boskhseper Has semethisg
60 Say On the sukj .es.

EDrroR GOLD HILL News /: I have
learned that some members Of the pres
emit Grand Jury Of Storey county, in ar
informal discussion as to the propriety
Of employing experts to examine the
books and accounts Of county officers FOL
the past year. said that. "the eIamina.
ton Of the books Of county officials is q
farce" and gave as . reason for the as
sertion the fact that "the books Of
hodges, the Public Administrator who
preceded Mr.. Brodek. were examined by
an expert, and yet Hodges aitsrward
proved to DO . defaulter.",
Now. a. I examined the books Of Mr..
Hodges for the Grand Jury q year ago.
I wish. In order to vindicats myself and
incidentally to set right the Grand Juror
or Jurors who made the above. quoted
expression. to reprint my report to the
Grand Jury. aud which the Grand Jury
adopted and embodied 10 their report,
published In the Virginia Enterprise Do.
cember 90, 1878.
1.-THE books Of the Public Admins.
traitor show that very few estates oil do.
ceased persons have como into his hands
for settlement during his term OF of1oe.
As We have not been able to find any
accounts Of the Public Administrator on
Ale In the Office Of the County Clerk We
cannot report positively as to the condi.
ton OF the business belonging to this
Office. We were informed by the Ad.
uiuistrator that the neglect TO render
periodical accounts to the Probate Judge
Of the condition Of the several estates in
his hands has been because Of Q misun-
d~srstanding Of the requirements Of the
law"
In the above Il may be seen that the
expert found that Mr.. Hodges had not
complied with the terms OF the Inv, 10
that be had failed to render periodical
accounts to the Probate Court a. 70.
quired. and. because OF such neglect,
the expert could not report as to the
condition OF the business Of the Ad.
ministrator's office. III the examination
aud report the expert did all that was
required. and all that could have been
expected OF an expert. Tho duty Of
bringing Mr.. Hodges to Q compliance
with the Law belonged to others. The
expert bad no power or authority to ask
Mr. Hodges to show his bank account.
But even II hs had asked. and Mr..
Hodges had shown that be bad sufa.
cient funds to his credit In bank to
pay all claims against him there
q nothing to prevent him from be-
coming Q defaulter months afterward.
After the publication Of the Grand Jury
report before referred tn any person who
was interested in any estate In charge OF
the Public Administrator could have pc.
titioned the Probate Judge that the
Administrator be required to appear
before him aud render an exhibit OF his
official business, and the Judge would
have issued q citation requiring him
to appear In Court and render
an exhibit as prayed for. The Grand
Jury report wal read. however. aud
quickly forgotten. aud months aftsrwsrd
Hodges proved to be q dsiaulter. And
now. to show that the appointment Of
experts Is . farce" some wiseacre says
that Hodges books were examined by an
expert, and Yet. months aftsrward he
ran away with funds belonging to ss.
tstes In his hands. Great logic, that!
I am bold to say that the
expert In this case performed his whole
duty, aud that II other interested parties
had performed their duty. perhaps Mr..
Hodges would not have spent or run
away with funds belonging to dead mems
estates. AN OLD BooKxrrPER.
VIRGINIA. Nov. IS, 1879.