The age-herald., 1899-08-16
BOOKS OF FORMER
 SHERIFF WALLER Found to Be Due the State
 Sum of $465.18, RECONSTRUCTION OF LAW Is Responsible for the Shortage-R Rail- road Commissioner Caffee is for
 Harmony Above All Else in
 the Democratic Ranks
RECONSTRUCTION OF LAW

Age-Herald Bureau. Hotel Mabson. Montgomery, August 15.-(special)-As- sistant Examiner Cowan has filed with the governor a report on the books and ac- counts of W. R. Waller. former sheriff of Montgomery county. According to the re- port, Mir. Waller is due the state on ac- count of board of prisoners the sum of $465.1s.
 There is a question brought forward by this examination, which is of great interest to the state, as it is proposed to make r test case of it in the supreme court. Mir. Cowan reports that in his examinations he finds that MT. Waller collected from the state the sum of $2,S79 on account of board of prisoners. Upon the advice of Auditor White, MT, Cowan charged this amount back to Mr. Waller. MT. White holds that insanity Is not a crime, and hence under the code the sheriff had no right to charge this amount against the state, but should have collected it from the county. The fol- lowing extracts from the report will prove interesting:
 '.Mr. Waller took charge of the office August 15, 1892, and retired August 15, 1896. This examination has covered his entire incumbency in office. Some errors have been discovered which are fully set forth in exhibits A to E, inclusive, attached to and asked to be made part of this report. After a thorough investigation of the af- fairs of the office l am satisfied there was no intention of wrong-doing on the part | of MT. Waller and the errors detected are by no means a reflection upon his conduct in office. l find MT. Waller is due the state as follows:
 To board of prisoners wanted in e other states for whose board the state of Alabama was not liable, board of wrong persons arrested and board of defendants, who were held in jail after date of sentence as per exhibit A..... ........ ...... $19S. 30 To interest on same..... ........ ...... 75. .3S To discrepancies between mittimuses, warrants and the jail register as
 per exhibit C.......... ...... ......... 52.5o To interest on same.... ..... ........ 20.18 To removal fees improperly paid as
 per exhibit D....... COCO. ......... g. 3.S0 TO interest on same. ...... ... 7.l8 To board of prisoners held without authority as per exhibit E. 62. TO TO interest on same........ ........ .. A.S4 Total amount due. ..... ..... .$465. Is Tn addition to this amount, and acting under instructions I have charged back to MT. Waller the sum of $2,379, on account of bo9io ol pIiSOnerS Tn Jall during ms four years term .of office, and will be referred to later on in this report. I have included no interest in this amount. An -temized statement of this amount is con tained in exhibit B. During MT. Walters term of office Mr. A. J. Taylor was his bookkeeper and the jail was in charge of Mir. G. M. Powell. Both of these gentlemen are entirely competent and proffered me every assistance to make a full and thor ough examination of the office To the lat ter gentleman l am particularly indebted Tor valuable assistance in enabling me to probe into the management of the jail
 l have devoted much time and labor in the investigation of this branch of the office, and the board bills of prisoners paid by the state during their confinement Some idea can be drawn of the vast amount of work involved, when from the auditors reports it is shown that during MT. Walters term of office he was paid by the state the sum of 36,765 on account of board of prisoners while in jail.
 "Under former administrations and for many years passed, the state has been paying the board bills of persons affected with insanity confined in jail, and who were charged with no offense. These Ne- coming so numerous and some of them having been confined in jail for years at the expense of the state Auditor White began an investigation of the matter and reached the conclusion that insanity was
 
 liable for their board in jail. In this con- clusion he was sustained by the attorney general, that the several counties are liable for the indigent insane and was no charge against the state. Since September, 1897, he has refused to pay any of these claims and the expense of their board falls upon the counties where 1t legally belongs.
 Tn this item alone the state has been relieved annually of large amount. Dur ing MT. Walters term of office he received Al-t- I-...-k .-l- l.Ar fore stated, I have been instructed to charge back to him and allow the matter to come before the board for an adjust ment.
 '.Mr. Waller stands ready to make good the amounts found justly due the state.
 The Caffee Boom
 Judge A. E. Caffee, associate railroad commissioner, came over from his home in Marion today to be present at meeting of the railroad commission. Judge Caffee was besieged by friends and politicians to know if he were going to enter the guber- material contest. He was rather evasive of the question but said to me that the first he had heard of his candidacy was In The Age-Herald of last Friday. Judge Oaffee wants harmony in the democratic ranks in Alabama, and says he prefers to work to that end. He is an enthusiastic Bryan and free silver man, and seems to place these questions above personal ann bition. It is probable that he will not of- fer for the gubernatorial nomination. Yet he is thoroughly appreciative of the good wishes of his friends who have preferred their support.
 Judge Caffee was in high glee over the success of his horses, which are on the western turf this year. He is the owner of some of the best animals in tine south. Recently he has been west with a number of his horses, and at Peoria, H., his four year-old mare, Annie Caffee," the pet of his farm, won first money fin a very nice race. She paced mile in 2:12A. Besides this race Annie Caffee has been third in three other great races. Judge Caffee re- iaA s.cutor1ia,. zta 4.,