Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-11-19

past the Levy Court on motion of Mr..
Sutton, unanimously adopted the follow
ing resolution, viz;
WHEREAS, 1t Is alleged and currently re-
ported thut certain collectors OF taxes hereto-
fore appointed hnvo collected from various
taxgbles of this county ~ large sum OF money
nnd unlawfully withheld and retained the
same, and appropriated 1t TO their own use
and
WHEREAS, No subsequent action OF said COL
lectors can absolve them from their obligations
IN paying to the county any money unlawfuliy
withheld by them and duo the county; there
Reso'psd, That committee of i've be ap-
pointed 10 investigate said charges and pro-
coed without delay to take such action as shall
be necessary to recover from said collectors all
| money by them collected and unlawfully and
| fraudulently rotained:
| That under the above rected resolution the
chairman OF tho Levy Court appointed as a
| comintttee TO act hereunder Messrs. Sutton,
| Hutchinson, Hickman, Clark aud ellis.
Ihat the committee appointed under said
| resolution was never called together by the
| chairman thereof to take action in tho dis
charge OF Its duty, and on the seventeenth day
| OF september asst past, on motion of Mr.
sutton said committee was discharged from
| the performance OF any duty in the promises
Ihat Immediately upon the discharge Of
| said former committee the chairman of the
Levy Court, on motion of Mr.. Hutchinson, APP
pointed your committee to act under tho FORE
| going resolution in lieu of the committee so
| discharged.
That your committee on the twenty-elghth
Day OF september last past entered upon the
| discharge of Its duty, all of its members being
| present, and concluded its labors on the six
teenth day OF November instant, having held
| many sessions and devoted much time 10 the
| work with which Ii was charged.
Ihat after the most careful and painstaking
| investigation your committee finds that George
| w. Mckee, collector OF county taxes for the
| Southern district OF Wilmington hundred for
! the year eighteen hundred and ninety, re-
ceyed the taxes OF eleven hundred and twelve
| poll taxables in said southern district who
| were duly assessed with poll tax for the year
eighteen hundred and ninety. amounting 10
! iWelve hundred and ninety-four dollars and
slx cents, and thereafter unlawfuly aud
irauuulently made return to tho Levy Court on
the eleventh day of March, eighteen hundred
| and ninety-one. of all of said poll taxa bes Ms
delinquents; and that John j. Dougherty col
lector OF county taxes for the Northern district
| OF Wilmington hundred for the year eighteen
| hundred and ninety, received and collected
| the taxes OF sixteen hundred and ninety-nine
| poll taxables in said Northern district who
| were duly assessed with poll tax for the wear
| eighteen hundred and ninety, amounting to
Two thousand and forty-four doarA and sixty
cents and thereafter unlawfully and fraldu-
lenily made return to the Levy Court on the
| eleventh day of March, eighteen hundred and
ninety-one OF all OF said poll taxables as de-
| iinquents'
That the said George W. Mexico and John j.
Dougherty, late collectors as aforesaid, at tho
March tern. A. ID eighteen hundred and ninety
oae. o. me Levy Court unlnwfuily and iraudu-
iently claimed credit in their settlement with
| the Levy Cour. for Tho amount of the taxes Of
said poll tnxables so unlawililly and ftaudli-
ienily returned by them respectively as de-
| linquents, aud thai the Levy Court In Ignorance
q the fraud so piaeticed upon it by the said
| George w. Mckee and John i. Doughertv AL
lowed TO them as II credit the amount OF said
take as to which the said fraudulent return
was made as aforesaid.
That by reason OF said fraud the said George
| ". Mckee now owes TO the county, and is
| charReable OH his Official bond, after the maxi
| ing of all proper allowances for commissions
and payments heretofore nude by him the
| sum Of twelve hundred and sixteen dollars
and forty-two cents, together with interest
| thereon from tho twenty-third day OF ,Juns
| eighteen hundred and ninety.one, and that
| the said John }. Dougherty now owes TO the
county and II chnrgenbie on his official bond,
after the making Of all proper allowances FOR
| commissions,the sum of nineteen hundred and
| twenry-one dollars and ninety-two cents to-
| gethcr with interest thereon from the twenty
third day u June elghteenh hundred and ninety
| one in addition to the unpaid balance of his
account as settled by the Levy Court In March
| last
That your committee in pursuing It's inyesti-
| Cation afforded 10 both the said George W.
| Mckee and John j. Dougherty full opportunity
| 10 explain under oath the transaction inquired
ABOUT, both Of thein having been summoned
before your committee and appearing person.
| any as Well as by counsel; yet both tho said
George W. Mckee and John d. Doueherty, al
though lnterrogated generally and particularly
| by The attorney OF the Levy Court as well as
| by the members of your committee. positively
declined to answer any question touchng or
| reiaiil TO the said fraud practiced by them,
/ uhon the ground that their answers Ii given,
! might tend TO criminate them. That among
other witnesses who gave evidence before your
| COMMITTEES were three reputable and RESPONSE
| Bile citizens who testified positively and with
| out qualification to the payment TO tho sa.d
| George W. kee and John j.. Dougherty as col.
leetors Tor the year eighteen hundred and
ninety, Of the moneys 10 payment Of taxes
4 with which your committee finds the said
George ". Mckee and John j. Dougherty now
. q. on their oiliclal bonds; and neither
the chai acter nor the testimony OF said wit
nehses was impeachcd or assailed in any man
| ner.
That In addition TO the oral testimonv "A.
uuced before your committee, documentary
| evidence was offered To and received by your
| committee OF such character as 10 leave no
doubt Of the truthfulness and accuracy of such
| oral testimony
Ihat your committee, in order to ascertain
conclusYely the correctness of the result
shown by said oral and documentary evidence
caused chance selection 10 be nude Of the
names Of large number Of the poll iaxiLbles
| SO fraudulently returned as delinquents ia
aforesaid, and thereafter ascertained that
tax receipts duly signed and sealed
| by the said George W. Mcnee AMI
John j. Dougherty, collectors for the
| year eighteen hundred and ninety, were
| IN existence corresponding with the names NO
selected by chance; Ii being utterly impracti-
cable within any reasonable time md Without
entallng great expense upon tho county, 10
mud and cause to be produced all tax receipts
| given for taxes paid to the said George w
Mckee and John J. Dougherty as TO which
they claimed and were allowed q false md
fraudulent credit as aforesaid.
Your committee has deemed it its dutv.
IN view OF the unusual and grave character
| OF the fraud investigated to Law before
| your body without unnecessary detail the
| general nature Of the evidence upon which
| IL has reached the conclusions above stated
our committee, in closing its report.
would recommend that action be forth
! with taken, by the Levy Court, in order 10
| have the accounts of the said George w
Mckee and John j. Doughcrty iinally
| settled and determined in accordance with
\ the findings Of your committee
DAVID 7. HuTcnIsoY,
| JOHN w. JoLLs,
JAMES IL. CLARK.
REPORT OF THE DEMOCRATS.
The minority (Democratic) report
signed by Henry p. Hickman and
Andrew S. Eliason was then handed in
and read as follows.
70 nc Lc,D Cont 81 Ne,1 Castle coM.fD.
/ The undersigned, members of the com
mittee appointed to investigate certain
charges against George ~. Mckee and
John J. Hougherty, collectors of taxes for
the city Of Wilmington, respectfully beg
4 leave 10 report:
That while we are iii fullest sympathy
4 with the objects sought to be attained bv
| ADMINISTRATION and admit that the par
| tlal examination shows that improper and
corrupt practices in violation of law were
entered into by the said collectors
IN collision with other parties, some Of