Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-30
Serious Charge Against a District
Government Clerk.
PERSISTENT POPULATION ALLEGED
Money Received From Fees Not
Properly Deposited.
INVESTIGATION GOING ON

.
office, and Clerk Frank H. Miles has been
arrested and suspended from the service
Of the District
Briefly the charge is the records in the
division which has charge Of tax certifi-
Gates have been falsified and certain fees
retained.
1t Is customary for prospective purchasers
Of property to obtain from the District
certificate Of all taxes due and unpaid
against the property. For this fee Of 50
cents Is charged the money going to the
credit Of the District. Where subdivisions
are made, the District upon order gives
the division having this matter Of tax GER
tifcates In hand authority to include in one
certificate all of the lots embraced in the
subdivision.
The plan of procedure, as developed in the
investigation. appears to have been to is
sue certificates and either not stamp them
or to make a false entry upon the books
of the District that the certificate was
ordered upon authority of the Commission
ers, and no fee charged. In this way it Is
claimed there was an opportunity to pill
fer, an opportunity. however. that never
would have existed had not an order Of the
Commissioners been violated.
This order directs that no money be re-
cetved by employees in the shape Of fees
but that all money exacted for fees of any
kind be paid at once to the collector of
taxes. for which "a receipt must be given.
1t Is alleged that this order has been vio-
lated. for the clerk was permitted to col
lect the fees and deposit them himself each
afternoon with the collector Of taxes.
1t is impossible, the officers say, to tell
how long this stealing has been going on.
Investigations Of the books are now in
progress, and all suspected cases are being
run to earth. Assessor Trimble, under
whom this clerk directly comes has been
called before the Commissioners and in
at anOfh Audit
Collector Davis have been consulted and
the clerks in the office with the alleged
dishonest clerk have all been closely ques-
toned.
When the matter was first called to the
attention of Commissioner Ross he imme-
ciately set about an investigation. Be
coming convinced after a cursory inquiry
that the charges were well founded he
him to make careful examination and
report the result Of his findings
Detective Weldon, it is said. first visited
the office and acquainted himself with the
methods used in issuing certificates. Hav-
ing satisfied himself as to the routine he
obtained a record Of the office and the fees
turned into the collector of taxes for the
past three or four months, the object be-
ing to find one case upon which to base
charge. 1t Is understood that he found
a hundred. The order OF the Commission
ers permitting the issuance of certificates
without fee was then copied, and all books
relating to the subject were closed, in order
to successfully prosecute the investigation.
Matters rested until last evening, when
Detective Weldon went through the books,
verifying the records. 1t is said that he
found unmistakable evidence of wrongdo-
ing. Securing list of the suspected cases,
he proceeded to further investigate them.
The names of the parties who had secured
the certificates were hunted out and inter-
viewed. They, 1t Is claimed, made the case
complete. and left the detective nothing
else to do but arrest the clerk. This was
done, ard Miles was brought to headquar-
ters, where he was "sweated" for over an
hour. He maintained silence, declining to
explain certain entries.
He was net locked up last night, but was
directed to report to the inspector this
morning He arrived on time and spent
most of the day closeted with the head Of
the detective force. The books of the
office where he was employed were brought
in and Collector Of Taxes Davis sent for
to compare the record with his own.
1t Is asserted that for two weeks every
move of the clerk has been watched and
every entry made carefully scrutinized.
sioner Ross, and finally when a number of
cases had been obtained, the detective was
sent for and directed to proceed and COM
plete the case.
In the Police Court.
About noon Detective Weldon went with
the accused clerk to the Police Court,
where Prosecuting Attorney Mullowny
called Judge KimbalPs attention to the
case. The warrant. which charged the
embezzlement of 50. had been sworn out by
Assessor Trimble, and it was upon this
charge that he was arraigned.
Il understand said Mr. Mullowny, that
Mr.. Miles wants to waive an examination"
What Is the charge?" Judge Kimball in
quired.
"Mr. Miles is an official of the District
government" responded the prosecutor,
''and the warrant sworn out charges the
embezzlement of So; but I understand an
additional amount will be included"
rs 1T your desire to waive an examina-
tiOn?" the court asked
Yes. SIR. Mr.. Miles answered.
Mr.. Mullowny suggested that bond in the
sum OF LOCO be fixed. This was agreeable
to the accused, who was not represented
by counsel, and the court made the order
hxing the bond at the amount stated and
sending the case to the grand jury.
The witnesses mentioned on the warrant
are Allen c. Walker, 1OO6 F. street: Thos.
H. Collins. 1903 5th street; Walter Hilton.
40 Louisiana avenue, and w. p. Lock-
wcoc. 10th and e streets northwest.
A Talk With Miles.
In conversation with Star reporter this
afternoon, Mr. Miles said:
There is little to say. am charged
with the embezzlement of So from the Dis
trict. 1 am not guilty. Other clerks in the
office handle money. Why was l selected?
They cannot prove anything. While knew
it was contrary to the orders of the Com
missioners to receive money, 1 was acting
under the orders of both Assessor Trimble
and Collector Davis"
When told that there had been a detec-
tive watching his work for weeks, and that
each case he entered on the books had been
Investigated. and a number Of irregularities
found, he said:
''Of course. 1 understand these people
who have taken out certificates will testify
against me. If they do 1 cannot help it.
My conscience is clear of any wrongdoing
understand they only have made out a
case of some s., which Is too paltry a
sum for me to worry about. Yes, 1 have
been arrested and put under 81 600 bond to
appear before the grand jury have
waived examination, and sent for Mr..
Tracy Jeffords to look after my CASE
Records Show Violations.
The disclosures made today In the tax
certificate department may result in max
ing trouble both for the assessor and the
collector of taxes. 1t is alleged that both
these officials have violated the Commits
sioners' orders in permitting the clerks to
receive money.