The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-01-07
PALATKA. FLA. JAN. z, 1888.
FOR SERVANT HIRE.

TIE following laid before the Board at
its last meeting may need some explana-
ton:
Putnam County:
GENTLEMEN-Sheriff Geo. j. Zehnbar
has paid into my hands, as County
Treasurer, the sum of $50, being, as he
AYERS the excess of servant hire col
lected by him. / have asked of Comp
troller w. ID. Barnes instructions as TO
what account the said sum of money
shall be passed to the credit OF. AS yet
/ have received no reply from Comp
troller Barnes. s. j. kENNERLY,
Treasurer Putnam County.
THE PALATKA NEWS has uniformly
claimed that any sum taken from the
treasury for the hire of servants must be
paid out for labor rendered in return for
the benefit of the county.
For three years il has been claimed
that sums appropriated for servants by
the Board was an appanage of the Sher-
ifs office and these have been taken by
that officer even when no servant was
employed.
Year after year juries have sat and
have seen no wrong in this malappropri-
alton. The leak had become serious and
promised to grow still more dangerous
in the future.
The denunciation of THE PALATKA
NEWS aroused public attention to the
wrong, the Board of County Commits
sioners found that the Sheriff re-
fused to refund sums not paid by him
. = II
the conduct of the Sheriff illegal and
gave him till the LIST Of December to re-
fund all Indebtedness under this head as
fixed by committee Of the Board.
That committee reported debt of
over three hundred dollars.
Thereupon the Sheriff acknowledges
he has taken what does not belong to
him and refunds part. This is a plain
abandonment of the position he had be-
fore occupied-but if he owes part why
does not he owe all?
The Governor of Florida had ruled that
the Sheriff must settle with the Board
of Commissioners, and that he could not
interfere save to compel compliance by
the Sheriff ON pain of removal from Of
flee. Why then should the Sheriff pay
a part instead of the whole and why
should he make the following statement:
hereby certify that 1 have complied
with the request of the Governor of the
State of Florida and made statement as
required appertaining to the matter of
servant hire and forwarded the same to
him, and hold the County Treasurer s
receipt for the amount named in said
Sworn statement. Gro. j. ZEHNBAR,
Sheriff Putnam County.
Palatka, Fla, January 5, 1888.
Sworn and subscribed to before me
this 9Th day of January, A. ID. 1888.
Seal. w. G.. HARGRovE,
Clerk Circuit Court Putnam County.
The correction and punishment of
corruption in Putnam County has long
since become far more than a matter for
local consideration. Its existence is I'M
questionable-the only question is
whether the law can be enforced for its
correction. It's proofs are on the books
of Iecord-in the handwriting of the
guilty-in the knowledge of such honor
able citizens as Wimberly and Harp and
Thomas and Bancroft and johnson and
Stock and Loeb and many others. The
proofs are in the Court House where they
may be found by all who would seek.
II juries fail to find them as they
failed to find the indebtedness of the
Sheriff, then the consequences must rest
with the juries till the inevitable expos
ure shall come. We desire the contip-
ucd attention of the people to this
matter and will hasten the hour.