The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-20
TAMPERING WITH TAXES.
THE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION DE-
TECTs A BOLD FORGERY.
The Identity Of the Suspect Known
1t Was Not His Property, but That
of Another He Was Looking After
Changes Yesterday.


| cient cause to be indignant.
Some INSCRIPTIONS forger, and thereby a
thief, had been tamperng with the assess
ment book Of the Fourth ward.
The forgery is considerable one and
most clcyerly done, but not 80 artistically as
10 escape the lynx-oyed members of .ho
board.
The author OF this villainous piece Of ras-
cali,y is known, or at least the board are
very sure who he is.
There is no escape. The investigation Is
being carefully conducted, and there will be
no let-up until the forger is placed behind
the bars of the county jail
For prudential reasons the name OF the
suspect is withheld for the present, but the
public will hear II, and there will be no little
surprise in some quarters
In accordance with the assessment law the
assessors books have been open for the in
spection OF property owners for the past two
weeks. Everyone interested had a right 10
overlook the books, see the changes that had
been made in the assessment Of their prop
erty. and file protests against the Increase II
they so chose.
Under such an arrangement, IL could not
be properly said that the board had OK
elusive control OF the books, nor was II pos
sible for the five members 20 keep an eve on
the hundreds OF individuals who crowded
into their rooms aud went through tho books
OF tho various districts aDd wards
Yesterday afternoon, while Dr. Haynes
aud Mr.. Lcmaster were referring TO the book
OF the above ward, they noticed, with no lit
tie surprise, that "a certain property listed nj
n certain figure had been changed 10 much
smaller one, The change had been done in
ink, and the forgcr, In his zeal 10 erase the
first figure had scratched hole In the page,
and made an awkward looking substitute
out OF the second one. Besides the heavy
scratches of the forging pen, upon a close in
spcction, the other figures, so evenly made,
by the assessor, were disproportioned
When the board makes change they
write on the extended opposite page on q
parallel line changed by the board, nam
Ing the figures. This did not appear on the
extended line, but Gen. Williamson, one Of
Assessor Smiths assistants, when they went
over the books, before turning them over To
the cqualizng board, had written the origi-
nal figures in lead pencil in the Same line
just 20 the left Of the same figures in ink.
This was simply 10 indicate that the original
notes Of the assessment taken In lead pencil
had been increased from whatever the first
amount might have been 20 the sum fixed
been blurringly erased, and the first naught
extended with an upward stroke so rs to
make the figure q.
No member OF the board had made the fig.
urcs for they were unlike those OF any mem
bcrs writing. II has Dccn stated that they
were mad, that hardly expresses IL, and they
swOrc deep aud strong tOspare no mercy upon
the wanton scoundrcl who had outraged the
courtesy Of the board, and porpctrated a
nh .l, Ia. a. -.
The owners Of this magnificent property
were no parties Ia the Ubiquitous piece Of
work. Unfortunately for them they had
employed the inscriptions wretch 10 look
after their assessments, but no thought that
lac would commit felony, which will land
him In The ponitentiary for term Of years.
In doing 50. No doubt that lac demanded
and was paid. we'll for the, work that they
presumed he had honestly done.
The board readily recalled the logged per.
si-tcncc Of the individual "a have them re-
ducc the assessment la question: but they
~ pcrsistcntly refused 10 do 80. OF course,
while they are morally certain Of the iden.
tity ~ the forgery. 20 establish u beyond
all pcmdyonture Ia the satisfaction Of a
court, will require the complete identity 81
the forgcr's handwriting All the other cir
cnmsianee. will stoutly support the esiab-
lishmcnt u guilt.
This Is the only instance OF the kind that
the board has detected, and IL is fair 10 pre-
sumo that this Infamous rascal Is the only
one of the hundreds IT people who inspected
tho books, mean enough 10 take such an nd
vantage Of the board.
CHANGES YESTERDAY.
Eaton & Smith. Tenth ward. lot 20, block
10, $500 Ia sGDO, lot Is block n, 400 10 500.
lot 10, block Is 81 900 10 $500. lots ~ and %,
block ~, 5000 TO a.. BOO lot !, block ~,
500 10 500 lots aud 0. block 10, $1,000 10
500.
l.. II. Eaton, lot rs, block u, $500 to sGOo,
lots ~ aud II, block II, 1900 10 $500 lots
~ and "a, Al, 500 TO 81, 30.
Mr.. n. ]. Taylor. 5OKl50 feet, Carolina
street. t2oO0 to ~ .2Oo.
Thomas Fleming i0xi27 feet, west side
Main street ~ go Ia s2,OpO.
&. II. Crcamor 0OxiGO feet, 81, so 10 Al. 100
Caleb Cope, lots IS, 10 and ~, Olxl22 feet,
south side Georgia street, 500 10 -. 500
II. Z. Guion, oxiIO feet, Georgia street,
/ s6.DO ID $50
Lucy a. Tate. s.. Paul and Mckinley
streets SiOO Ia a., COZ.
Maggie H. Patterson, fsxii2 feet Third
street. o. on 10 ~. 30.
John ~ Penslerpasi. ii3xi5O feet, Carolina
and Main street.. 5000 ~ $1,000.
John u. fcnderYrasi, 7sxi07 feet, Clay and
/ Rayburn avenues. u. 80 10 5000
John A. signaigp is5tiSD feet east id,
Main and Carolina streets, from 5000 "a
/ SLIGO.
Patterson a GALLOWAY. isIre,l feet, broad
way street, bB.OOO b. $500
! 4 ]. Sinclair. two and eight.tcntlis ncrr,
on Walnut street 5000 Ia $500.
4. wnghts estate, 2JOSiis feet Ial,os,
street ti0pp to 200.
WIN. Woodruff, IT,, OoSeOO feet $500 Il
ssn
Thos 2. Callart 2ixiia feet east ala,
Third street tsOO 10 500
W. C. Bell iooHi7o feet Webster street
S2,00 to u 90.
Mr. Ellen Dorion. two acres In Fort Pick
cring, t5OoO 10 u, 900
John Mcfarland, lot 400 2Ss7o feet, blocl
81. u, go Ia 500.
V. ). Jackson, block ~ lot % s2Hi75 fect
a., tvo "a 30
}. " Goodbar oiSiis feet, Eighth ward
$500 a. g. tDl
Mis- Ella Gpy. lots 70 and o.. G2xlis feet
north side Adams street a, 30 to i,GO0.
:. A. Hackett, lot 5, block 81, 5oxiO feet
southeast corner Linden aud Wellington
structs, $500 Ia $500.
Mrs u Gobcr, llx2OO feet, Vance street
g.. 800 90 sluOa
Mrs Annie stroud. tGxisl north side John
sou avenue, 81, 50 la $500
Joseph Lewis, l0Nl3l feet, north side John
son avenue 81, 100 to ~ 80.
X. l. Cochran, rox2Jo feet, north sid,
Keel aud Main streets, $1,000 10 $500.
Mrs. Ellen Murphy 7ixits feet, cast sid
scccnd street, Chelsea, 5000 10 t20Oo
Mrs. Kate Doyle, 32Nils feet, cast side Sec
ond street, Chelsea. ~, so a. u 800
John II. Danbury estate. itsxiis, SiStl
and Keel streets. s3,SOOto ~. so
Patrick ONcil, iisNiis, Keel and Fiji
streets, a. 100 20 tlhOl