Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-04-09
Col. RenShaW'S Taxes.
THE COUNTY BOARD OF EQUALI-
ZATIoN DENIES HIS
PETITION.
He Has q Large Amount OF Money
Loaned in This County-A
Test Case to Be
Made.

James Andy Harrison, Assessor tor
Audrain County, assessed MIR. KEN
shaw s34.55o, the amount of money
that Mr.. Harrison found from the re-
cords that MI. Renshaw had loaned in
this county.
The Renshaw matter appears to be
an old story. The County Assessor
of Galloway County has Mr.. Rem
shaw's real estate in that county as
sessed, but writes that Mr.. Renshaw
says he does not live there and re-
fuses to give in his personal property.
Tho Assessor of st. Louis and the AS
SCISSOR in Virginia write Mr.. Harrison
along the same lines.
Mr.. Renshaw was in Mexico when
the assessment was made for this
county and, in fact, he vas here from
February 8 to July or August, and Mr..
Harrison found he had the amount of
money named above loaned in this
county on June l.
Mr.. W. W. Fry, as attorney for Mr..
Renshaw, appeared before the Board
of Equalization, filed his petition and
made an argument, which was denied
by the Court.
We publish the petition in full and
also Mr.. Renshaw's letter to MFR. Har-
rison.
The Mexico LEDGER has no per-
sonaI feeling in the matter and if it
had would not misrepresent Mr.. Rem
shaw or any other citizen, but, at the
same time, the fact remains that all
property should be assessed some
where.
The public schools, the city, the
county and the State institutions must
be maintained. The property owners
must pay to educate our children;
they must pay to support the police
force, the penitentiaries, the insane
asylums and all other institutions of
this class.
Mr.. Renshaw is we'll known to most
of the readers of the LEDGER as a
wealthy, upright, moral citizen and
nothing would cause more humilia-
ton to his friends than to be forced
to conclude that he was a sftax-dodg-
err"
Whether Audrain County will be
able to collect the taxes remains to be
seen.
RENsHAw's LETTER TO ASSESSOR
HARRISON.
MEXICO, Mo-, July 10, 1s95.-MR. j.
; A. HARRISON, COUNTY ASSESSOR: At
the suggestion of my attorney | here
: by state, in writing, my reason for re-
fusing to submit to you my personal
property for taxation in Audrain
county which reason is the best known
: so-tho low.
was not on the LIST day of June,
1895, or prior to thai date, a resident
of Audrain county.
| have never at any time attempted
to exercise any act or citizenship In
e Audrain county, and have never de-
clared to anyone during my visits
here that I was a resident, or expect
ed to be one.
d Now, on this question of residence
| would like to know whether there i
any better authority than myself. Tit
revenue law, under which You are re
Of CURED to act, see revenue law, t
id utes of Missouri, page 1881 state
. clearly and definitely that q man mus
be assessed in the county in which h
lives. This law, to which | ave re
a. ferred you, is the guide of all count
assessors, and not the opinion of Coz
: Stone. If a man does not reside !
- your county you have no legal RICH
to assess HIM.
The revenue law, in none of its pro
No visions, gives you the authority t
catch a man on the wing and put hi
on the assessors book of Audral
county. You ave given bond to dis
i'll charge your duties in n legal an
IN proper manner.
If YOU persist i'll placing my pei
sonal property, or so u OF II
- you can obtain upon uncertain OIL
he unreliable information, in the asses
or's book of Audrain county, and c
this in the face of my declaration tn
am not a resident of this county, ar
tie in the face Of the law exempting n
ect and compel me to come here from
" distance to contest your assessment
the courts, | shall look to you +
damages for the expense incurred.
IN am disposed to think you a
honestly mistaken in the view y
take of this matter. | rave no fear
being compelled 10 pay b tax II
should be levied, but would Xix
avoid coming here when the coul
ern meet to attend to it.
INC Yours Respectfully,
J. G. RENsHAw
RENSHAW's PETITION To BOARD
ern EQUALIZATION.
inc w. w. Fry, attorney for Rensha
- fled the following petition, which v
denied:
ern State of Missouri, County OF A
the drain-Iu the County Court, beft
the Board of Equalization, April
1896.
To the above Board:
the Now comes ]. G. Renshaw and
peals TO this Board and presents
- his petition and states that j. A. FL
:. rison, assessor of said county, on
- about the Sth day OF July, 1895,
lawfully and wrongfully undertook
tern assess your petitioner in said cour
to and placed upon the assessment b'
Y. of said county an assessment or va
alton of property in said count!
this petitioner to the amount Of 8
TT OF $50, as owned by this petitioner,
undertook to have him assessed
. that amount. Your petition asks
said so-called assessment be vaca
tern and adjudged void and satisfied
ct to the following reasons
y. That said petitioner at said I
" was not, and is not now, a resic
GntE N.nAN