The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1882-04-13
OUR COUNTY TREASURER A DE-
fAUCTER.
$1,000 Of Public Funds Gone.

|
ing events that have occurred in this
community for long time. For sew
eral days it has been rumored about the
town and County that our County Treas
urer, Capt. D. B. Whites, had
DEFAULTED AND LEFT;
and the rumor is indeed too trnc. The
facts, so far as we have been able to as
certain them, are as follows: Capt.
Whites left Newberry Wednesday
morning, 9Th instant, on the up freight
train, saying he was going to see his
sister, in Abbeville County, having been
informed by letter that she was extreme
ly i'll.
1t is impossible at this time to do
more than approximate the amount of
the defalcation; it is about
$4,000,
about $4,000 of which belonged to the
County, and the balance to the State.
In addition to the money that he had
collected himself as Treasurer there
should have been in his hands S3,226.76
which was left in Bank by the late
Treasurer Jesse C. Smith. and which
was turned over to Treasurer Whites
by order of Judge Mackey the 18th of
September, 1877. This sum. we un-
derstand, was never included by Capt.
Whites in making his settlements with
the Comptroller, the matter being in
litigation. About $500 of this sum
belonged TO the County Capt. Whites
left between $500 and 5000 in Bank,
according to his own statement. The
total loss, as before stated, will be near
SS,OO0-S2.000 to the County and &c.
600 to the State. From what We can
gather Capt. Whites carried off very
little, i: any. of the public funds. About
$500 be had lent out to different per-
sons in amounts ranging from S5 up to
the hundreds-lent it out, in most in
stances, to persons from whom there is
little prospect of its ever being paid
back. The balance, except the amount
in Bank. has gone in some way-it is
useless to attempt to say how. 1t is
quite certain, however, that be has not
derived any personal benefit from the
default.
Capt. Whites has no property out of
which the State or County can reim-
burse itself for the losses. The house
in which he resided was purchased re-
Gently from MIR. Cline by Mrs. Whites,
and the cash portion-S500-was paid
with money that she got from the sale
Of a place that belonged to her in Pros
perity.
Capt. Whites bonds,nen are 4. l..
Wyse, J. B. Leonard, Francis Bobb,
Geo. M. Monts, j. P. Pool, j. G. Sligh,
J. J. Hipp, j. B. Clary and David
Hipp.
Capt. Whites was appointed agent to
collect taxes by Gov. Hampton in 1876,
upon the Recommendation of the Copn-
ty Convention after the Hampton gov
ernment was firmly established be was
appointed Treasurer, and has held the
position continuously since, his last ap-
pointment, by Gov. Hagood in 1880,
being upon the recommendation Of the
primary election.
Having been informed that Capt.
Whites left letter in the Post Office
addressed to Col. o. J.. Schumpert, we
called on him to see if we could get
any facts in the case.
COL. SCHUMPERT SAYS,
that Capt. Whites, in the letter, re-
quested him to protect his bondsmen as
far as possible from loss on account Of
any deficiencies ss County Treasurer,
leaving all notes and accounts he held
against parties in Newbewy, amounting
in gross to about S3,000-and request
ing him to call to his assistance any
other attorney be thought proper. He
accordingly called to his assistance Gen.
Y. J. Pope; and these two attorneys
now represent the Treasurer and his
bondsmep. Capt. Whites left. with his
notes and accounts, check on the
| National Bank of Newberry, payable to
J. P. Richardson, as State Treasurer. or
order, for SS92.77. The bondsmen
were apprised of the facts by Col.
Schumpert last Friday. The books and
papers of the County Treasurer are still
in the Office of the Auditor and Treasu-
rer of this County. The boadsmen do
not intend to shirk their responsibility,
whatever it may be.
We also called on Auditor Jno. K.
Nance to see if he had any information
| to give.
MAI. NANCE SAYS,
that he received circular from Comp
troller Bratton the 2lst ult., directing
him to have settlement with the Coun-
ty Treasurer, and directing the County
Treasurer to make his settlement with
the Com ptroller on or before the 9th
instant. He fixed the 9Th instant for
his settlement; but learned the 5th that
the Treasurer had gone to see relative
who was sick. He did not learn until
Yesterday of the trouble, and ne then
wrote letter informing the Comptrol-
ler. Maj. Nance received telegram
from the Com ptroller Immediately after
| mailing his letter, in which the Comp
troller asked that abstracts of taxes for
1901 be sent to him at once. From
this telegram it appears that informa-
ton of the default had got to headquar-
ters already.
We also called on Mr.. H. C. Moses,
who has been Clerk in the Treasurer's
Office for some time past.
Mr.. MOSES SAYS,
that the settlement sheets had been
commenced, but they had not been
completed; that he knew very little OF
the finances of the Office, his business
being to keep the books; but that he
has suspected for some time that Capt.
Whites was embarrassed. He says that
the S3,226.76, turned over by the Bank,
had never been included in making up
the settlements with the Comptroller.
! Mr.. Moses thinks the loss cannot be
less than $1,000.
We called also on Mr.. F. Werber,
Jr.. Clerk of the Board of County Com
missioners.'