The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-12-27
DOUG. is ACCUSED
CITY ASSESSOR CALDWELL Is TIE
HERO OF A SENSATION.

HERO OF A SENSATION.
County Commissioner Harmon Delicately
Accuses Him With Getting Away With
a House While He was the Duly Ap
pointed. Highly Salaried Guardian and
Protector of the Property-He Does
Not Deny Anything, but Says He had
Authority to Do What He Did From
the County Commissioners.
Quite a sensation was caused at Tire
court house yesterday by a report that
was current there to the effect that City
Assessor j. D. Caldwell was into the con-
spiracy 10 defraud the county out of
taxes by selling houses against which
there were tax claims to farmers and
others who moved them away and thus
left the county to hold the sack. To
make the think worse it became general
ly known for the first time that Mr..
Caldwell is drawing monthly salary of
500 10 prevent that being done which ne
is now accused of doing himself.
The report gave rise TO other reports
Al Il give liic u
Wichita. for personal and public honesty,
terrible black eye. II is to be hoped
that they are not all true.
For some months back there has been
quite a combination of men, once hold
ing high station, which has been operat-
ing, as is now claimed, to rob the county
out of thousands of dollars in taxes held
against property. During the four or five
years last past times were quite hard, as
every one knows and many people could
not pay their taxes. The result was that
hundreds of pieces of property were sold
at tax sales and the county was compel
ed TO buy them it. Some slick individual
found out that he could pay one years
taxes, although there might be five years
taxes against the property and this gave
him a sembIance Of title at least He
then would sell the house to some farmer
or, to anybody else for that matter, and
pocket the difference. The houses were
generally sold to be moved and when
once moved the county could whistle for
,ts taxes, having nothing left TO col.et
from but a valuless vacant lot. The
men NO took the houses away were alb
solutely safe as the levy is made against
the real estate and cannot follow the
house when it is once taken off the lot
upon which it was located when the taxes
W dSSccStu I4ltlt we're 50 many
houses taken away and the county lost
so much that the county commissioners
hired Mr.. Caldwell, on account of his
knowledge Of the property. being city as
SCISSOR, TO watch houses of this character
and when any attempt was made to move
them away he was supposed to make the
fact known to the county commissioners
who. in turn, would prevent the house
from being moved until all the taxes
against it were paid The commission
ers at first prevented great many out
RACES of this kind through their own vigi-
lance as we'll as the vigilance of the
sheriff, but when. Mr.. Caldwell was hired
they depended upon him exclusively. Mr.
Harmon tells the story himself He was
found at his residence last night by
reporter for the Eagle, and he was still
very indignant at whatlle considered the
treacery of Mr.. Caldwell.
MIR. HARMONsS STATEMENT.
ION Friday morning early Mr.. Cooper
called at my house and told me that
somebody was moving a house south Of
Lincoln street on Fifth avenue and want
ed me 10 stop them, / went with him to
the court house and found that there was
taxes due the county, and / at once
summoned Sheriff Cone and sent him TO
stop the moving of the house till the
taxes were paid. When he came back
he told me that the man was from Che
ney and that his name was George Sam
pie, and that he said that he bought the
house on the 18th from j. d. Caldwell.
city assessor, for $40, and that he had
his receipt for the money. L could not
believe that Mr.. Caldwell had done such
a thing, and so l went myself and saw
the man and he told me the same thing
that he had told the sheriff, and / de-
manded the receipt that he had received
from Caldwell. In response TO my de-
nand for the receipt he showed me the
following:
Wichita, Kan, Dec. 10, 1896.
Received OF - forty (S40l dollars
for four-roomed house on lot No. 6, in
Perry's addition TO Wichita, fronting on
Fifth avenue.
,Signed) "a. HILBERT"
This morning at s o'clock | went n
the court house by appointment to meet
Mr.. Sample for the purpose of talking 10
him further and learning ali the facts in
the case. j found him in the sheriff's
office. Mr. Caldwell came into the hall and
asked him by what authority he sold |
this man that house. and what he had
received for it, and why he had not turn |
ed the money over 10 the county treas
urer. He said that Cooper had not paid |
his taxes and that he sold the house and |
ouid turn the money over in due time.
asked him why he had kept the money
week and if he intended 10 pay the en- |
are taxes against the property and take |
but a tax deed. He said he would nav
Tor one year and take out the tax deeS |
and / told him he could not do that: that |
ne had 10 pay the whole amount of taxes. |
went and instructed the treasurer ac- |
,ordingly''
Did the commissioners give him any |
authority to sell that or any other prop
9rty?''
They did not. They have no such au-
.hority to give. All the authority we
gave him vas 10 watch for persons NOV
ng houses and report to us so that we
;ould secure the taxes due the county"
is it true, as Mr.. Gene says. that Mr..
sample stated that Mr.. Caldwell advised
nm 10 take the house away on Christ
nas?'
MIR. Sample told me that Nr.~fssE3
veil told him when he sold hirn-tse house |.
N the 18th to be sure and get the house
way on Christmas day
Did Mr.. Sample say that Mr.. Cali-
vel told him that he had sold other
ouses in different parts OF the county"
Yes. Mr.. Sample told me that Mr..
'aldwen tod him that he had sold other
'ouses 10 parties about Andale and in
ne western part Of the county,
rs il true that Mr.. Caldwell and Mr..
F. Goode went 10 see Sample after
gu had seen him when they were load
ag the house?"
Yes. Mr.. Sample said they were there
fter l was there, and that they told him
D get out OF town with the house as soon
s possible. Mr.. Sample said TO them
hat he was 70 meet ne at nv offfcs !,
he court house this morning and tina.
aldweli told him not TO do it, but to
o on with the house.
Awarded