The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-03-04
Reminders of RadicaIism.
Little Items Suggestive Of the
Days Of "Good Stealing
Special 10 TIE State.


Edgefeld, March 2.-The grand
ury, through their committee ap-
pointed TO examine the transaction of
the public officials, made their report
to the circuit court this morning
The work of investigation has been a
most arducus one-greater perhaps,
than was ever done by a grand jury
Of Edgefed 1t was proposed to al
low them additional pay, but they
declined.
Following is the full text of the
presentment
State of South Carolina-County of
Edgefeld
70 your honor, Ernest Gary. judge
presiding at this, the March term Of
court. 1896, we, the grand jury for
said county, beg leave to submit be-
low, as our presentment the report OF
our special committee:
Gentlemen of the Grand Jury
Your special committee to investi-
gate the books of the different coun-
ty officials. have submitted reports at
each term Of the court since our ap-
pointment, but on account of the de-
lay Of the sheriff's returns on tax ex
ecut;ons and the treasurers final set
tlement, we could not make our re
port complete in November. Com
mencing in the Office Of the treasurer
With the fiscal year 1892 SO, we as
celtained that the annual settlement
with the treasurer had been made
from the original assessment furnish,
ed by the auditor, and knowing that
money had been collected from par
ties whose property had not been
assessed, we proceeded to the labo-
rious task of aggregating the stubs
Of every receipt given in the county
for money collected as taxes We
find that the sums Of the stubs
amount to 81 ,043 % in excess of the
amount that had been charged in the
original assessment For the fiscal
year 1898 81, the same state OF
things exist, and with a similar iii
vestigation, as we made of the pre-
vious year, we found that the treas
urer had collected S3Os 81 more than
was charged to him by the assess
ment, thus making for the two years.
81 ,551.60 that has been collected by
the treasurer and has not been ac-
counted for These amounts for both
years were collected from parties
whose property had not been assess
ed, but voluntarily came forwardl to
pay their taxes. Upon examining
the settlement sheets we find no ad
ditionals reported.
The present treasurer has already
collected from a similar source about
100000 and has the amount 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 a lot of deputies, and
in great many cases, to a lot of
men unworthy of such trust, as the
facts below will show From various
townships without expense and with
very little effort, we have the follow
ing facts
IN Huggins School distric: all exc
curion for taxes went out against
Wcss Samuels, and the books Of the
sheriff aud treasurer are both marked
"non est. nula bona" aud we have
il, eur possession the receipt OF Dapn
ty j Z Weeb, showing that he col
ecIed s. 20 from Hess Samuels
In Pine Grove township the tax Of
Sophie Bart is marked nulia bona,
and we have Deputy j g Coghnfn's
receipt showing that he collected
S3 80 from Sophie Burt.
In Moss township Wiley Blanchard
hoo h.ou ,norL-oA non oct milo hono