Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-01-07
THE AUDITORS OFFICE.
ADDITIONAL REVELATIONS.
The Less bbeiy 70 b vsry Hsavy-case Of
the merehsHn Nstss.si Bank, sr Rieh.
msnd-- TIE Csusmistee.

clerks Of courts answers to their inter.
rogatories. From this source Of infor.
nation and from other sources relating
to other accounts, it is not easy to see
how the loss, by reason Of money paid
to Mr.. Smith and not turned into
the Treasury, can be under s75, 900.
That much seems pretty certain To
those familiar with the developments Of
the investigation, and the figures may
largely exceed this amount. Whether
the loss will fall upon the State or upon
the people who paid in this money with
out strictly conforming to law, will be
| subject Tor consideration Of the Lcgis-
lature, and possibly Of the courts.
A discovery has been made of an ir-
regularity that goes as far back as 1874
ten years ago; but it has not yet
been fully worked out.
Ii has also been ascertained that the
matter Of the rent of the Public ware
house, involving some eight OF nine
thousand dollars, was brought to the
attention of Auditor Massey just about
the time that he was going out Of office.
1t seems that Governor Holiday no
ticcd that the Auditors report did not
show that the rent had been paid in,
and he called Mr.. Massey's attention
| to the matter, and Mr.. Massey sent for
Mr.. Smith, but Mr.. Smith was able to
explain it satisfactorily.
A sale of q small amount Of State
bonds (where they came from is not
known has opened up new line Of in
quiry--viz., whether in the cases where
the Legislature allowed defaulting trea-
surers and sheriffs to pay up their in
debtedness in State bonds the bonds can
all be accounted for.
LOosENEss.
Some Of the clerks of the courts give
such loose answers to the interrogato-
ries that they will have 10 be question
ed again. There will hardly be any
disposition on their part to withhold
information, as where they have paid
and not been credited--that is, where
they appear delinquent-the Auditor
can proceed against them.
The investigating committee have
found, among other things, in Mr..
Smiths desk great number of ''pay-
in warrants warrants authorizing the
Treasurer to receive certain sums re-
ceived by Mr.. Smith, but which sums
it does not appear ever went into the
Treasury. The "pay-in warrants "
and the money named in them should
have gone together to the Treasurer,
and from the Treasurer to the banks.
Enough is known to. show that
large number of persons who paid Mr..
Smith tax on delinquent lands have not
been credited, as their receipts show
they should have been. These taxes
were generally small sums-s5, sl0,
800, $50, &C., &c. II is question
whether the general law applies in
these cases. 1t is by some said that
the law allows the Auditor to receipt
for money for delinquent lands. If so,
it differs from all other cases. In all
other cases the debtor must obtain a
pay-in warrant from the Auditor, take
the warrant to the Treasurer, who di-
rects him in what State depository to
deposit the money to the credit of the
State.
OTHER NEW CASES.
Major Robert Stiles, counsel here for
the Western Union Telegraph Company,
yesterday took to the Auditors Office
and exhibited to Mr.. Marye Mr.. Smiths
receipt for 81, ,S26. 38 paid to Mr.. Smith
by check for the company's taxes. The
receipt was dated October 2, 1884, but
the company is not credited by that
amount, so far as found.
The endorsement on the cheek was
made by the Acting Auditor. 1t has
long been the custom of the office for the
Auditor or Acting Auditor to endorse
these checks as they come in as mat
ter of course, supposing that they were
about 10 be turned into State de-
pository 10 the credit of the State.
Mr.. j. ID. Craig, the committees ex-
pert, who is gery familiar with all these
forms and proceedings, took the check
in hand for investigation, and ascertained
that it had been deposited to the credit
of the Commonwealth in the Planters
National Bank. II came in with a
batch Of checks, &C., amounting to over
$1,000, which sum covered number of
accounts, but the Western Union ac-
count was not one Of them.
Ii appears that Norfolk bank of
well-known wealth and standing has not
been credited with taxes paid for years
and years. Inquiry is also going on in
that direction.
THE COMMITTEE.
Mr.. Moon. who is chairman Of this
committee, is a patient, clear-headed,
hard-working lawyer, who will go to
the bottom of the matter, if possible.
His associates on the committee
Messrs. h. T. Barton and NJ. w. Ha-
zlcwood--are moved by the same pur-
pose, to discover what losses the State
has sustained +; what, if any, relief
should be extended TO those who have
paid and not been credited; and what
legislation and reform in aceount-keep-
ing is necessary TO prevent a repetition
of this sort Of thing.
Mr.. Smith is still in Jail. The grand
jury will take up some of the cases
against him next Monday.
in the Case of the Mer.