The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1894-10-18

advice and assistance of Others to
aid him in the discharge of the
duties of his Office, and was led
into the frand through ignorance
by the County Clerk and Deputy
Sheriff Howard.
For 1893, the first year of How
ards term as Deputy Sheriff, tho
county was assessed at n total val
uation of $4,435, 1876: since the de-
lection of the fraud the county has
been assessed for 1904 ut a total
valuation of 1886, 986, a falling off
in value of $3,509, $50.
81 will give you one instance as
a sample Of the manner in which
these offices are conducted. Anon
resident bona fide owner of tract
of land listed it in 1892, paid the
taxes and the land was sold and
bought in for the State and the
Sheriff credited by the sale. 1t was
again listed and sold to the State
for tho 1898 tax on October %,
1893, and the Sheriff credited by
the amount in his settlement, and
while the Sheriff has no right after
the sale to collect the redemption
money, yet OH February 20, 1894,
he wrote the party: "The amount
of taxes now due OH your 250-acre
tract of land in this county for
1898 amounts to $36.56. Will be
glad to receipt you for the sam,."
"On March IA, 1894, he again
wrote same party, saying: "The
statement of taxes given by me is
true ole, rs shown by the records
of my office; it includes fees, costs,
ETC." when in fact the taxes, inclu-
ding all costs of sale, were 1888.
1t appears from the same letter
that County Clerk Hammond had
collected some taxes and failed to
account for them, and the Sheriff
goes on to say in his letter: II
will see John w. Hammond at
once about said taxes, and show
him the mistake he has made. /
will at first write the Auditor of
Kentucky about the matter. will
see that he pays said taxes over at
once or return the money to you.
We have laws in this county for
the protection of such, aud it is my
duty to see that they are enforced,
and | will see that your money is
paid over to the State or back to
you. Now, before doing this, |
would like for you to appoint me
your agent or manager to take
charge of your land, and if you
have not got an abstract ] will get
one up for you in type. will do
all this and send yor plat of
your land, and 60 see this land and
examine same, the timber, ETC., for
one year for SIS in advance. / |
will assist you in making sale of
said land. All the Magoffin county |
lands are good farming lands, un-
derlaid with good coal. We have
a good prospect for n railroad in
this county, which, if we get, will
cross over one corner or near your
land. Your taxes for this year
1891 will not exceed one-third
the amount they are for 1898. If
you appoint me your agent, will
bring your land in this year as res
ident land, and have al! these
things Strengthened up, etc"
You will see by this letter that
if he is appointed agent he will
have the taxes of this party reduced
two-thirds, etc.
/ would respectfully recommend
that the attention of the grand
Jury of Magoffin county be called
to this case, also that of the Attor-
ney -General, that he may, if he
thinks proper, bring suit for the re-
covery of the money the parties
defrauded the State out of.
Respectfully,
W. III. GARDNER,
State Inspector and Examiner.
If yonr local ,onar hos frod an