The age-herald., 1898-10-05
EXAMINER FOSTER
 MAKES REPORTS On the Books of Tuscaloosa County
 Officials. ALL IN GOOD CONDITION Circuit Clerk Prude Made Some Charge
 able Errors. HE OWES THE STATE s4ss.ls On Failure to Tax Up Feed Bills in Certain Cases Clerk of Coffee County is Short $323.oo
 on Same Error.
HE OWES THE STATE s4es.la

Montgomery, October 4.-(Special.)-1n ac- cordance with the instructions of the gov ernor, w. R. Foster, assistant examiner or public accounts, has made thorough ex- animation of the books and accounts of certain officers in Tuscaloosa county and reports his findings to the governor.
 After having made an examination of the books and accounts of MT. J. M. Humphrey, deceased, ex-sheriff of Tusca- loosa county, from the beginning of his term of office until his successor was ap- pointed Examiner Foster finds that he has made few clerical errors on his books as to dates of sentence of prisoners. On this account he is due the state the of SLOT.
 Examiner Foster has made a careful ex- animation of the books and accounts of E. Moore, ex-sheriff of Tuscaloosa county, from the beginning to the end of his term of ofice and found that by errors .x to dates of sentence of prisoners confined In jail, has over-charged the state thirty eight days for their food. On this account MT. Moore is due the state $14, interest to date having been added.
 MT. Moore states under oath that these errors were purely clerical and that he will at once make the amount good.
 Examiner Foster says he has made an
 
 c. s. Shirley, sheriff of Tuscaloosa county, from the beginning of his term of office to July 1st, 1S9S After a careful comparison of his bills angainst the state fQr feed and removal of prisoners, with both the rec ords in his office and those in the office of the clerk, we find that by few on his part as to the dates of commitment and sentence of prisoners, he is due the state the sum of $5.61.
 Aside from these errors, this office is in excellent condition, and is being run in a thoroughly business manner. Examiner Foster adds:
 Tn connection with this office as we'll as the office of sheriff in other counties of the state, I desire to call your attention to the fact that it Is often very hard to de- tern1ine the exact date of the sentence of prisoners on account of the failure of trial judges to properly date their minutes. For instance, the trial of a prisoner may begin on the 10th of the month and end on the 12th, the court minutes only showing the first date, whereas they should show both. Again, prisoner may be convicted on the 10th of the month and sentence not be passed upon him until the 18th, the court minutes again only showing the first date, and that, too, appearing as the date of con- viction and sentence"
 The assistant examiner says he also made careful examination of the books, papers and accounts of MT. J. o. Prude, clerk of the circuit court, ex-officio clerk of the county court and of the Tuscaloo-a county law and equity court, from the be- ginning of his term of office to July 1, 1896. He found that in several cases when de- fendants with sureties have confessed Judgment for fine and costs. that MT Prude has failed to issue executions for the so- licitor's fee, and as this money could in all probability have been collected, he charged him up with these items, which amounts to $54.SS interest to date having been added.
 "I further find that MT. Prude has failed to tax up and issue executions for feed bills in all cases where defendants and sureties have confessed judgment On this account he is due the state the sum of $444.33. interest to be added. These items could in my opinion have been collected. hence I have charged them to him." says the examiner
 MT. Prude states under oath, relative to the above as follows: q did not issue ex- cautions for feed bills against defendants in cases where they were convicted and sentenced to hard labor prior to 1896. be- cause thought it was defendants costs, and did not know that the law required that execution should issue. As to the case in which I failed to issue executions against the sureties of defendants for feed of prisoners, thought, as said above, that the fees for feed of prisoners was the de- fendant's costs, and not the states. and as the statute forbade a sentence to hard labor for these fees. thought and was advised that the defendants could not be held in jail till he secured them. Hence. when he gave confession of judgment, 1t covered only cost of state, exclusive of fees for feeding prisoners. I can state that it has never been the custom to issue exe- cutions in such cases, and I have simply followed the practice of my predecessors in ! of1ce."
 Recapitulation
 Amount due on per cent solicitors
 fees...... ....... ..............s 54.S6 Amount due on> per cent feed bils.... 4i43o Tota1...... .............. .............. S499.lS
 Circuit Clerk of Coffee
 Examiner John Purifoy has filed re- port with the governor on the condition of the books of w. c. w. Harper, circuit clerk of Coffee county, and reports errors in the following amounts:
 To amount as shown by exhibit A....$ 27 50 Accrued interest on same. :. .. .. 20 Amount as shown by exhibit B.. 259 50