The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-20
AFTER STEWARDS SCALP.
FULToN's TAX COLLECTOR TO BE
HAULED OVER THE GOALS.

HAULED Wv Iii lttE NOALSs
He Kept Too Much County Cash on
Hand-It Is Charged That He Dc
posted Money with His BOndsmen
in Banks That Were Not Accept
able to the COmmissiOners-Thi Is
His Second ohense and His Re
movaI VIII Be Asked.
Atlanta, Ca, Jan 19-The old trouble
between Tax Collector A P Stewart and
the board of county commissioners. which
caused a sensation last fall when the board
made the discovery that the tax collector
was holding out large sums of state and
county funds for the use of his bondsmen,
has been renewed and further sensation
al developments are looked for.
The matter has been suppressed in the
local papers as was the original trouble
until after it appeared in out-of-town pa
pers. when it was taken up and ventilated.
Tax Collector Stewart was depositing
the state and county funds in the defunct
Merchants Bank up to the time that
County Commissioner Adair exploded his
bomb. President Porter. Of that institu-
ton, was on his bond.
1t was reported. though without foun-
dalton. as subsequent events showed, that
the failure of the Merchants Bank was
precipitated by Tax Collector Stewart be-
ing forced by the county commissioners
TO draw out the money that he had been
allowing that bank to use.
Upon the failure Of the bank Mr.. Stew
art gave a new bond in a fidelity com
pany and for time things moved along
smoothly
The law governing the tax collector Of
Fulton county. requires that he shall
make weekly deposit with the county
treasurer and with the state treasurer. If
he should collect as much as $500 in any
one day for the state then the law makes
1t his duty to turn that over at the end
of the day. If il is necessary, to make
return every day of the week The object
of the law being to prevent the tax col
lector from having more than 5000 of the
states money in his hands at any one
time.
In reference to the collections for the
county, the law is that he shall turn over
TO the county treasurer, who has his Office
in the same building with that of the col
Iector, every time he collects g, 0O0 the OBJ
ject being to keep him from having more
than 5000 of county funds in his posses
sion at any time.
While President Porter Of the defunct
Merchants Bank was on the bond OF Mr.
Stewart, the county commissioners made
the discovery that he was in the habit OF
not turning over to the state and county
freasurers as the law required, but that
he deposited the money with the bank and
allowed it to have the use of it, returns
being made to the controller general and
the county treasurer only now and then.
The law makes 1t the duty of the coun-
~ commissioners to report such viola
tons Of the law to the governor. who
shall remove the tax collector, and 1t was
the proposition TO make this report to the
governor that brought this sensation to
light originally. The commissioners cast
q tie vote on the proposition.
During the latter part of December the
county commissioners found that Tax Col
lector Stewart had again been doing the
same thing which caused the original
trouble. He was called upon for his re-
port by the commissioners at the meeting
on Dec. 2, and did not make it,
At that time he had in his possession, as
the report finally made showed, S165, 900 for
the state and county funds, which he
shOliu nave turned over 10 the state and
county as he collected IL. This money was
on deposit to the credit Of the tax collec-
tor in bank.
After repeated efforts, the commission
ers succeeded in getting a full settlement
with the tax collector, but his payments
were made in checks for fractional
amounts Of the total, covering a period of
nearly two weeks, and the commissioners
are now considering whether or not their
duty does not require them to make a
formal report to the governor.
The matter has been placed in the hands
of the finance committee and a special
meeting OF the full board may be called
tomorrow to take the matter up
In speaking of the trouble this after
noon Chairman Adair Of the board of
county commissioners said that the tax
collector had finally settled with both
county and state, but the board would not
drop it on that account, because of the
fact that this was the second offense of
the tax collector. he having been put on
notice the first time that a repetition would
not be tolerated.
The bonds of the tax collector, said
Chairman Adair. amount to $4,000, but
the board is debating whether 1t can afford
10 pass over the case again, when the tax
collector is shown TO have held out of the
state and county treasures $163.00O Tax
Collector Stewart has submitted an expla-
nation to the commissioners, saying that
the returns were not made because he
had not had time to do 1t. as required by
the letter of the law. during the busy sea-
son OF December.
-S-oS
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