The morning call., 1894-02-17
K q aSf1S, ms %srfst nna So St
RECORDS STOLEN.
The Tax Collectors Office
Minus Books.
Three Very Important Volumes
Wanted by the Expert Are
Missing From the Racks.

There has been considerable trouble in Tax
Collector Blocks Office ever since the $4,000
shortage was discovered b tween the Audi OF IS
estimates of the taxes collected and he amount
: turned into the city treasury for the fiscal year
1892 SO. Half of this period was in ex-Iax
Collector OBrien's administration and half
underthe incumbent. Tax Collector Block had
bis books exported, and was confident that the
error, IL such 1t only was, had not occurred in
his administration.
E The Finance Committee Of the Board of Su-
.pervsoFs was very anxious to locate the short
age aud employed several experts without re-
suit. About $1,000 has been expended in try
Ing To locate the mysterious error.
The latest expert employed was John Pettee,
who started out TO go over all the casbbooks.
Before he got through with this work II was
discovered that three of the cashboOks were
missing, cashbooks c, r and n. One Of these
was personal property and the other two real
esrate cashhoOks.
For this job PetIee got $3.50 and it took him
two weeks. Nothing was discovered OF the
error, and the missing cas- boo were of
QBrlen's term, 1892. Expert Peltee agreed
with he Finance Committee for $500 more to
go all over the assessment rolls and examine III
Ihe tags. He was engaged In this work during
all of last week. and had on Thursday got a.
fsr volume 8 Of the real estate roll. He
works from 4 O'Clock in the morning until g.
ana Then goes downtown to business.
NIe0 lax IOllec or BLOCK opened Dla once
yes erday an account was taken OF the books.
Ever since the disappearance OF the csshbouks
a strict watch has been kep on the books in he
basement. IL was found that three of the vol
umes had disappeared. One man could not
carry these three books, as they are very large
and thick. The Volumes missing were volumes
% and 40 OF the real estate and volume IL OF
the personal properly roll.
In few days Expert Pettee would have
reached the twenty-eighth volume. The per-
sonal property volume stolen contained the
Chinese. ana shipping assessments which Is a
Significant iact in connection with the matter.
The books were evidently taken by some one
who had possession OF key, as the doors were
found locked and the windows all barred.
EXuert Peuee was communicated with by
Telephone as IL was thought that he had Ia Ell
the books away He answered that he took no
books, and only used volume l9 thursday
night, which was found on his desk upstairs. S.
He knew noIhiag of the missing volumes.
Chief Depu Hiram Cook says ht saw the
volumes al O'clock on The previous day, ana
was looking over them.
Tax Collector Block informed Mayor Ellert
OF tile robbery OF Ills office and that ofhclal
promptly communicated with Captaiu Lees and
Chief Crowley, botli Of whom promised 10 do all
IN his power TO discover tn thief or thieves.
All OF me stolen volumes are OF OBrlen'S ad-
mlnistIatioD.
Tax collector Block and his deputies say that
the fact OF the volumes being stolen will cut no
figure ia the Investigation, as the original tax
volumes are ln the = udtoPs ufficy These re
found 10 De. ali safe, but were immedia ely
after he dls scqVeTy of the robbery locked I'D in
the Auditors vaults -. =.
Although there are duplicate volumes to
those stolen now IN the AUDITORS Office, Yet ff
the payments hau not been all check ed or not
carefully cEecked1n comparing tlie Volumes
there would be considerable reAsan why rhe
thief selected the three speciaf volumes men.
toned.
: The stealing Of public documents isa felony
and IL wifi &c hard with The thief if he Is
:. Caught,