The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-09
ROSBOROUCH SPEAKS OUT.
Deputy Park Wanted a War
rant for the Auditors
Arrest.
REPLY TO AUDITOR wH1DDEN.
The Secrets of Alameda's Big Scan
DIAL Are Fast Coming to
Light.

The County Treasury shortage is the only
topic of interest at present in Oakland.
While the amount of the deficit is small,
the circumstances surrounding it and the
standing of all the parties involved, have
created much curiosity regarding the
guilty party.
Myron Whidden, the Auditor, made a
statement, published in yesterdays CALL,
which would seem to exonerate him. But
ex-Tax Collector Rosborough made a
plain worded statement yesterday which
gave details and facts.
1t has now transpired that Leo Park, the
deputy whom Whidden indirectly accused,
made demand on the District Attorney
for a warrant for Whiddens arrest.
Alex Rosborough, who was Tax Collector
till the end of the year, is now wharfnger
at Jackson-street wharf in San Francisco.
His version of the story is as follows:
'The circumstances point conclusively
to one man. The beginning was when my
term of office expired in January last. My
successor, James Barber, asked the Board
of Supervisors to allow him an expert to
go over the books. He was refused, and
then got the Grand Jury expert, Snow.
My accounts were gone over, and when
Mr.. Snow completed his work they told
me was $133 short. That is to say that
the figures as furnished by the Auditor,
Myron Whidden, as to the amount charged
to me and the amounts which should have
been credited did not balance to that ex-
tent. Very fortunately had saved all the
tax-receipt STUBS which belonged to the
office. The expert got through his work
in the latter part of February, two months
after | went out.
II told them at that time that would
pay the shortage if it existed, but would
not do so until it was shown by my stubs
that / owed it. / shall stand by those
stubs, for they show to a penny every dol
lar taken in on each day of each month
right through. Now, when the expert
checked up the books he made record of
every unpaid tax bill on the books. When
Barber made his final settlement in July
he found that his books did not balance by
$1100 When the discovery was made that
the books had been tempered with there
had been number of bills stamped paid
in the books which were marked with a
date stamp which was different from either
mine or BARRIERS.
1.-THE investigation went on. 1t was
found that the tax accounts stamped with
this stamp were dated paid November 26,
the ldSI Gay Vi Lly TAX COilcCtIOuo. Lively
one of the entries which were thus feloni-
ously marked were for bills which bore the
paid signature of Myron A. Whidden. He
says he paid the money to my deputy, Leo
Park. Park told him he was a liar to his
face. Whidden did not deny it. The
false entries were made in those books
when they were in the posses sion OF Bar
Der, months after / went out of office and
when Park was not in Oakland.
Then there is this, that neither Barber
nor District Attorney Shook have seen fit
to tell, Myron Whidden received the
taxes from George Schmidt of Berkeley
and not for two months afterward did the
receipts go to Schmidt. Whidden sent
them to him.
Another thing: Whidden says he re-
ceived this money and handed it at once
over to Park, who would then date the
bills and return them to Whidden to in
dorse as paid. That is absurd on its face.
We had a paid stamp in the office. 1t
would have been easier for Park to have
used that at once, received the money and
turned the paid bills back rather than fuss
with dater.