The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-01-19
ERASURES FOUND
in TAYLOR SB00KS
Wasat the Office Thanks
giving Day
AT WORK ON BOOKS.
Efforts Were Made to Effect Com
promise But Failed.
DEFICIENCY MAY BE GREATER.
Eeccipts, Othcr than those Authorized.
Were Issued for Partial Payment
Of Taxes = Lien or Accused
Mans Property was Renewed
But Figures Were
Placed Lower,
AT WORK ON BOOKS.
DEFICIENCY MAY BE GREATER.

Theodore J. Taylor is still missing.
While the alleged enlbezzcr may not be
u fugitive in The real sense Of the word,
yet his absence, and that absence re-
naming unexplained, makes Taylor ap-
pear in bad light.
a new feature has developed in The
situation. which on the face only adds to
the graveness of the charge against the
accused cx-deputy clerk. 1t has been
learned that Taylor was at the office
Thursday, November 80, 1879; also mat
lie was at work on "a set OF DOCKS. his
presence there and the work that he was
doing at that time is as yet unexplained.
One thing. however, is known, and mat
is the fact that the office was closed
on Thanksgiving day
1Crasures have also been discovered III
Taylor's books.
DEFICIT MAY BE LARGER.
There is also a rumor on the street
that the deficit viii he found 10 be
greater than AT first estimated, rs the
investigation proceeds and new facts are
brought To light. That this rumor has
some foundation is proved 1nasmuch as
''outsiie" receipts for taxes have MADE
their appearance. The issuing of receipts
OF this character is i'll direct violation oil
the r;llcs of the office. Some have al
ready been presented TO Clerk Waddili
for Identification and to be honored How
many more w:l be found in existence is
a question that no one is i'll position
TO answer.
Another feature has also come to light
IN effort TO compromise the matter was
made. This. however, was not done
by TAYLOR direct, but 4 member OF ms
family was the agent in the proceedings.
The effort failed, and the investigation
of the accused mans accounts WAS con-
timed The amount offered i'll the
compromise was not even ascertained, as
Mr.. Waddil refused TO entertain the
proposition 1t has been stated That
The amount which was to have figured
in this effort to compromise, had any
encoura cement been given. was in the
neighborhood of a thousand dollars.
CLERK WADDlLL TALKS.
Clerk Waddill, when seen last even
ing, stated that the thorough inVestiga-
lion of Tayior's books was still being
continued: how soon it would be COM
plelsd he did not know.
I'VE have" said Mr.. Waddil. de
ternlined to investigate the accounts from
the time Of his installation as deputy.
This was in 1881 The accounts have
been examined as far back as 1894, but
discrepancies have SO far been found
10 exist only since 1897 The first of
these. if ] am not mistaken. was located
in the entries for June of that cea-- We
have found conflicting figures in varlou:;
instances on the stubs of the receipt
book, and in the entries made III the
delinquent land book. from that time
until November q. 1S99.''
To what does the difference amount?"
he was asked.
The real amount OF the difference is,
u,
interest would reach total about Sl,000.''
DO you think Taylor could have gotten
away with other money!?
u hardly think So in view of the fact
that the books would show it. Many
years ago scheme VAS adopted by me
in the manner OF issuing receipts. The
paper on which they were made out was
Of particular color-a lead color-aild
each was numbered. The system was SINH
lar 10 HAT Of 4 check book. The number
being in duplicate on receipt ana stub.
In the years that the system has been
in vogue it had only in one instance come
TO my knowledge in which 4 mistake
had occurred. That was only for d small
amount. about s., | think, and WAS due
TO The failure OF the payment being en-
tered in the land book. The stub, how
ever showed it, and the was soon
detected.
Then again, if outside receints had
been issued BY Taylor. and the amounts
not entered upon ;he land book he would
have been liable to detection at any Time.
Tli. receipt would have been recognized
al once as not proper and no one, save
the person who had issued it, would have
hc,nored il or known its import. Then. If
tle entries had NOT been made on the book
in the instance OF the rcceipls being issued
properly The stub on the receipt bank
would have at once given evidence Of the
error.
Have You fepnd amy reccints for part
1ayrlcnt, and if SO, how were they is
suedo
Yes. We have. In most Instances they
were endorsements or the back of the tax
statement. but in two cases. outside re-
veipts or lnemorandnns of part payments
had been given. This WAS in direct viola
ticn OF the rules of the Office.
SHORTAGE DISCOVERED.
.'Mr Waddili'' I asked. how did you
happen 10 discover the discrepancies IL
Taylors accounts? Had your suspicious
been aroused by any act of his. and YOU
then examined the entries made?"
NO; had no occasion TO suspect any
thing was wrong. had always had the
greatest confidence in AR. Taylor. and
free TO say that no one WAS more
capable 10 perform honestly the duties Of
deputy than Mr.. Taylor I had noticed
hhe receipts and entries for November
"ith We're unusually large in number and
amount. ] looked them OYER. and on the
morning of the nest day checked off
with Taylor and found his cash all right.
On the evening OF that day, after office
hours, went over the entries and care
fully compared them with the receipt
stubs / found one small error, and as
j went on found others.
THE next morning, Wednesday. No
rember 29th, had a conference with
Taylor, and told him of my discoveries.
lie said that there must be some mistake.
told him there were other discrepancies,
and unlcs he could explain them sat!sfac-
torily VIC must part company He stated
that he thought the mistake could be
easily fActifjf6 on his; producing the stubs