Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-10-01

was Cuiicu w tHe Stuuu. ne was nTSt
asked if he would produce his tax du-
plicates for 1890. This he politely re-
fused to do. II laid them before the
Levy Court committee at the proper
time" said the witness, "but ! decline
to produce them now"
Then Mr.. Bradford inquired: "Did
you not, on the Sd of January last,
receive from Daniel F. Stewart the sum
of 81, 600 on account of poll taxes ?"
III decline to answer"
"Did you notion or about March 10th,
receive from Daniel F. Stewart the fur
Their sum of $2,O62.20, as an additional
payment for poll taxes2"
II decline to answer
"Will you also state whether this
money was not paid for tax receipts,
according to their face value?"
"At the present time" said Mr..
Dougherty, II decline to make answer
to any questions touching this matter.
l Will not make answers that might tend
to incriminate me-"
"Are you aware" asked Mr.. Brad
ford, that there is statute providing
that a collector who receives money for
taxes and fails to turn it over to the
county is guilty Of embezzlement and
may be punished by fine and imprison-
ment, at the discretion of the court"
Mr. Dougherty-"I am, sir"
No one having any further questions
to ask, Mr.. Dougherty was excused for
the present.
STEWART GIVES FACTS AND FIGURES.
There was hum of expectancy when
Postmaster Daniel F. Stewart was called
and sworn. He started off glibly and
easily, and HIS story bid fair to prove
very interesting until 1t was broken up
by the lengthy and at times tedious
queries of Mr.. Bradford. But on the
main question at issue there was no
doubt about Mr.. Stewards testimony.
He said he paid the collectors the money
for the taxes, and in support he pro-
duced cancelled checks for portions of
the cash. These checks were payable
to bearer, but they were as convincing
as the check for 800 produced by ex-
Collector Neary in proof of his assertion
that he bought Fred Bach for 5000 to
editorially support Hickman for the
Levy Court during the campaign of 1888.
Postmaster Stewart said:
about the latter part of December or
the first of January, Collector Mckee
asked me if | thought the Republicans
| would be willing to pay the poll taxes
of their voters. / told him | would find
out. | then consulted with members of
the First District committee and they
| agreed it would be good thing. | re-
ported to Mckee, and he said he would
furnish list of persons who had not
paid their taxes. On January 3D.,
Dougherty and Mckee came to my
office. Marshal Mahaffy, Fred E. Bach
and | were present. There l gave 900
to Dougherty and $500 to Mckee, and
took their receipt for the same. The
payments were on account of 1890 tax
receipts, to be made out from lists pre-
pared by the collectors"
Here the famous receipt, signed by
Dougherty and Mckee, was produced
and passed around among the commit
teemen. "That is my private property"
remarked the postmaster, mot public
property"
"Oh, that is all right" rejoined Mr..
Bradford, assuripgly.
"Was there any understanding"
asked Mr.. Bradford, "that you were to
pay any less or more than the face value
Of the receipts5"
mo, sir; we were to pay for them at
their face value. The payment of the
81 500 was on account of the receipts. |
drew $3.50 out of bank, ON a check
payable to myself, and received $3.50
from Fred E. Bach"
The check for $3.50 was produced
and exhibited.
Mr.. Bradford-"Why did you not
draw checks in favor of Dougherty and
McKee?"
"They didn't want it that way" re-
sponded the witness, quickly. "They
wanted the cash and l paid them the
$1,000 in money. No tax receipts were
then delivered. 1t was never intimated
or suggested that this money was to GO
into the individual pockets of the col
lectors, without any accounting to the
county. The only understanding was
that the taxes were to be genuine and
proper qualifications for the men to
vote"
Mr.. Bradford-"Wh did you make
the next payment"
Mr.. Stewart-"On March 10th, in my
office, in the presence of the same par
ties. The lists of Republican poll taxa.
bles had been completed and the receipts
passed. l paid Mr.. Mckee $1,053.S0;
paid Dougherty Se,0e22O. This made
total of 81 $3.50 paid to Mckee and
$3,06220 paid TO Dougherty, grand
total of $4,616. In arranging for the
final payment drew check for 81, 425
which l got cashed; the balance wa;
given me by Mr.. Bach and Mr.. Feaster.'
"Why was not receipt for the entire
amount taken at this final payment
asked Mr.. Bradford.
al did not consider it necessary, as We
had the tax receipts"
"Ihe tax receipts were not made out
when we paid the $780," continued
the postmaster "The collectors fur
nished lists of the names remaining un
credited on their books, and these lists
were handed to the Republican com
mittee, who went over it nightly, select
ing the names of the Republicans. The
lists so selected were given to the collec
tors from time to time, and they made
out receipts for them"
"When the final payment was made
on March 10th, did you understand it t
be in full for the balance Of the taxes OF
account of the names on the lists 7"
Eyes, SIR"
"Do you know where these lists are p
81 suppose in the hands of the FRS
district committee"
rs there anything else connected
with this matter that you know of :"
"Not that can recall at present"
"Mr. Eliason-"Did you, on receiving
the list of names from the collectors
rely on it as being correct. without look
ing at the tax duplicates, to see If tn,
men were assessed or not?"
mo, I never saw the duplicates or tn,
error lists"