Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-03-26
THE AUDITORS OFFICE.
MORE TESTIMONY TAKEN.
How nr. W. u. smith ssss Lsss Of fsssTs
10 the BesA hisd~ry Rare Lesssssss.
The House speciaI committee was IN

How Nr. W. N. smith sspt ksss 81 faeSp
20 the Boob hisd.ry Rare Lsssesess.
The House special committee was IN
session yesterday and took the follow
ing testimony;
W. r. simons, sworn and examined,
BY Mr.. Moon, q. What is your resi-
dence and oecupas,cns
A. Richmond. Va; blank-book man
ufacturer.
q. Were any papers ever sent you by
Mr.. William r. Smith, late clerk in this
office, to be arranged and jaekesed; if
so, state the nature OF the papers and
when sentg
A. Yes, sir; Dir. Smith sent papers
there on several occasions, rs far ~ |
can recollest, running back two or
three years. lot Of papers requesting
that would have them arranged land |
know some Of them were endorsed and
put up in packagcs), which | had done
in accordance with his instructions by
the girls in my employment. | have .
number Of girls working in my estab-
lishment. | can recollect distinctly
looking at some Of them, and on one
occasion myself and my brother were
standing there looking at them at the
time, and he called my attention TO ono
paper, which was report of notary
public Of the city of Richmond, on
which he said "Tbese is man who
reports nothing, and TO my knowledge
he had some business 20 do for our con-
cern." That called my attention, and,
looking at them, found considerable
pile of reports Of notaries public. Once
or twice, on other occasions, found
lot of clerks reports. never read
them at all; J merely glanced at them.
! think they were mostly reports OF no
taries public and clerks.
q. What did YOU find in those pa
pers:
A. On one occasion when we had re-
ports put up there they brought me
down several dollars IN currency and,
| think, two or three checks. ! do not
recollect the checks. except think one
Was for $50 or 800, do not know
which. ! put the paper out of which
they came in special envelope they
were handed to mel ; put them in a
special envelope and brought them up
10 Mr.. Smith and called his attention
to it. The things papers) were brought
Jou. a., ,b a.. anil aft
they were arranged according to his in
structions they were sent back up here.
q. About the money
A. Qnterrupting) think twice they
found small amounts Of money in these
papers-two different lots.
=. When did you have this done for
| Mr.. SMITH
\. could not tell YOU To save my
life what time il was. think some OF
these papers were put up last spring,
and | think they were put up for him
once or twice the year previous: that
would be 1888, and I also think the
year before that. think ! have had
it done for the last three years.
q. DO YOU recollect the date of the
reports:
A. No, sir, ! do not.
q. We find that most of these re-
ports from notarics and clerks since
the years lS76-'71 are not arranged
and filed in any order; were the re-
ports filed or arranged by you dated
prior to these years!
/ A. could not state anything about
the dates at all These reports which
have seen here this morning, which
are lscketed, are in the handwriting OF
my sister Ii was when my people
were busy down there, and got her to
do that writing for me. | sent them
over to my brothers house, and ! got
her to endorse them. and they were
then brought back to the office and sent
up here.
q. You say the money and checks
found in these papers were brought to
: you by your employees:
A. Yes, sir.
.. What did you 10 with it;
A. put them in special envelope
and brought them up and gave them to
! Mr.. Smith.
q. You have spoken of your brother
having seen a report Of some notary
: public who he said had reported no
thing for the year, and he knew that
this notary had done some business
/ during the year. DO you know on
what notaries have to pay taxes, how
taxes come to be due by them 10 the
State. and whether this particular no
tary owed anything to the State:
A. wa, under the impression when
made that remark that they had to
pay on every affidavit they made that
( was what had reference to.
q. The law only requires notaries TO
pay taxes on seals. DO you know, Or
have you any reason TO believe, that
this notary had used any seals on which
he had net paid the tax:
( \. No, sir. do net at all.
+ Y. Please state who paid for arrsng-
ing and endorsing these papers, how
much was paid, and how paid:
A. could not tell YOU how much
now. That kind of work do great
deal Of for the State and charge by the
hour. ! could not say what time was
consumed in doing the work. IL was
all charged in my postage account
against the State by Mr.. Smiths direc-
tion. ! probably made no entry Of it
on my books, as it was done in over
time, and think drew the money and
paid it all over to my employees, who
had done the work.