The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-03-11
BAD STATE OF AFFAIRS.
T4iEV5RY AND LACHE5E IN THE
COUNTY OF EDGEFlEuO.


Treasurer aud III. Present sheriff and il
Ra>cally Deputies.
EDHEFIELp, March 2-Court con
vened here today, Judge Ernest Gary
presiding. The following special pre-
sentiment, which created a sensation
was made by / committee of the out
going grand jory. The criminal dock,
ct is lighter than usual, the chances
being that it will occupy only a por
ton of the week.
\ STARTLING EXPOSE
The grand jury submits as its pre-
sentiment the following report of its
special committee:
Gentlemen of the Grand Jury: Your
special committee to investigate the
books of the different county officials
has submitted reports at each term OF
the court since our appointment, but
on account of the delay Of the sheriff
returns on executions and the treas
urer's final settlement, we could not
make our report complete in Novem-
Der. Commencing in the office of the
treasurer with the fiscal year 1892 90,
we ascertained that the annual settle
ment with the treasurer had been
made from the original assessment
furnished by the auditor, and know
ing that money had been collected
from parties whose property had not
been assessed, we proceeded to the la
borious task of aggregating the stubs
of every receipt given in the county
for money collected as taxes. We
found that the sums of the stubs
amounted to 81, 043 23 in excess of the
amount that had been charged in the
original assessment.
For the fiscal year of 1S93-94 the
same state Of things exist, and with a
similar investigation as we made OF
the previous year we found that the
treasurer had collected $50S.37 more
than charged to him by the assessment,
thus making for the two years 81, 551,
60 that has been collected by the treas.
urer and has not been accounted for.
These amounts for both years were
collected from parties whose property
had not been assessed, but voluntarily
came forward to pay their taxes.
Upon examining the settlement sheets
we find no additionals reported. The
present treasurer has already collected
from a similar source about $500 and
has the amounts and names of parties
properly entered upon book for this
purpose. This fact itself bears out the
correctness OF our examination.
The tax executions are given out by
the sheriff to lot of deputies, and in
a great many cases to men unworthy
of such trust, as the facts below will
show. From various townships,
without expenses and with very little
effort, we have the following facts:
In Higgins school district an execu'
ton for taxes went out against Wess
Samuels and the books Of the sheriff
and treasurer are both marked Non
est. nulla bona" and we have in our
posse ssion the receipt of the deputy, J.
r. Webb, showing that he collected
81. 40 from Wess Samuels.
In Pine Grove Township the taxes
of Sophie Burt is marked ''Nulla DO,
na," and we have the deputy's, J. 9.
Cogburn, receipt showing that he col
lected $3.50.
In Moss Township Wiley Blanchard
has been marked Non est, nulla bo-
na," and we have the receipt of A. V.
Morgan, constable. for S. for taxes
and penalties of Wiley Blanchard:
IL Mobley Township D. w. Harris
is returned on the books nulla bona
and we have the receipt of W. L.
Rhoden, deputy, for 1885, collected
from D. W. Harris for taxes and pen
alties.
W. G. Wood was given the execu-
tions for Collier Township. Execu,
tions were given to him against him.
self and brother, 7. B. Wood. In
stead of paying his, he marked it as
having been paid by receipt 1.170 OF
treasurer and marked 7. B. Wood,
with receipt of treasurer, 5,053. We
examined the stubs aid they show
that the receipts for these numbers
were for other parties and that Wood
mas OSlrauOeu LQe CCuuty.
This same deputy had an execution
against negro, Lewis Holmes; sold
his clock, bought it and he or his faith
er, has the clock to-day, and returned
Lewis Holmes Cant be found"
These facts gathered without e1pense
convinced us that something should be
done and not wishing to assume the
responsibility of involving the county
in the expense of investigating every
township in the county we decided to
investigate one township thoroughly,
and we employed reliable man sent
him to Merriweather Township, with
no intimation from any one that it
was worse than any of the forty town
ships and school districts in the county.
We found in Merriwether Township
on the execution book Jesse Schultz,
marked Mon est, nulla BONA" can't
find, and we have receipt of the depu-
ty, W. E. Busy, for IS, collected
from Jesse Schultz for taxes and pen
alties.
Tom Johnson is returned on the
books Non est, nulla bona, can't
find" and we have the receipt of W.
E. Bussey that he collected $3.50 from
Tom Johnson.
Jack johnson and Richard Johnson
are both returned on the books N. E.
and n. B., and we have the receipt Of
w. <. Bussey showing that he collect
ed S5. IS from Jack johnson and $5 SO
from Richard Johnson.
Oliver Patten is returned n. E., n.
B., and we have Bussey's receipt show
ing that he collected S. 40 from Oliver
Patten. We have positive evidence
that W. E. Buzzey collected in Merri-
wether Township more than thirty ex-
ecutions and returned them all IN. E.,
n. B." and that more than $3.50 was
paid to him in this township, Of which
not one cent. was turned over to the
county.
The sheriff certainly ought to have
known that Bussey was not making a
proper settlement and should have re-