The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-01-12
Judge Merrick to the Grand j ury

ed in time for publication last week with
the report of the Grand Jury:
G,titnttn Of Me Grand Jry:
Your report Just made, after hearing
from your committee appointed some
time ago to investigate charges of irreg-
ularities in county officers. has been read
and considered by the Court. You de
serve great credit, gentlemen, for the in
terest you have manifested and the pains
you have taken to discover the true con-
dition of affairs and remedy the evils, If
any eNisteds Especially does your com
mttee, Messrs. Bowie, Emack and Web
ster, deserve commendation for upon
them has chiefly fallen the labors OF this
investigation. Your task was not an easy
or pleasant one, for you were called upon
to inquire into the public conduct OF &C
Quaintances and friends, and, in some in
stances. accounts We're SO confusedly and
badly kept as to render it next to imnossi-
Bile for you to report the true condition
of affairs. er'n h- 'rpert employ Il seems
to have been unable in the time allowed
him, to unravel the interlaced and OBJ
scure condition of things existing in thu
Commissioners Court during the years
1891 and 1892 Whilst your report deals
in very strong language, at times, the
Court believes, it understands that it is
your wish to make plain by the language
YOU use, that there is a shameful looSeness
in the conduct of the offices mentioned is
beyond all question; that numerous viola
tions of the law have been discovered, is
equally beyond doubt, and that errors in
the settlements made with one of the eX-
County Treasures have been discovered,
which has resulted in the return to the
County Treasury since your investigation
began of over So 900, shows that your in
vestigati,.ns, limited as they have been,
have yet brought forth present substantial
fruits.
l take it, however, that your report
means to say, that as the violations of the
law seems to have been the result of want
of knowledge, carelessness, and the dis
position to follow customs of long stand
ing, rather than the result of willful,
deliberate wrong doing, and as the evil
dence before you does not show any will
full or corrupt use or perversion of the
public monies, that therefore you do not
feel called upon, at this time, to present
the parties involved. In this view the
Court is disposed to concur, believing
that at present the ends of justice, and
public good will be answered by the
course you have thought proper to adopt
As to your suggestion that other grand
juries take up and complete the work you
leave unfinished for want of time, | will
say to you this-what you have done is
but the beginning-we must and shall
have honest administration in our local
affairs. Officers of both political parties
are alike at fault They seem to forget
they are the servants of the law.
uope they will not miscoHstruc your very
charitable construction of their acts. Let
them take warning and be wise in time
This condition of things must stop, and
the time, is now. Thanking you again
gentlemen for your pains taking investi-
cations. now finally discharge you and
wish you Il happy return to your homes.
Mr.. John P. Ayers, expert accountant,
submitted the following report to the
Grand Jury committee:
UPPER MARLBORO, MD,
January 3rd, 1900.
M'ssrs r Icing Bo,ci~, G. G Emack, F. p
JT'bster, C,mmittee Of Grand Jury
GENTLEMEN:-Und instruction from
yourselves, and with your assistance,
have made an examination of the books
of the County Commissioners and the
same with the Treasures as far as practi
cable in the time at our disposal.
Mr.. S. G. Townshend was Treasurer
during the years 1892, 1898, 1894 and 1895,
and the result of the inspection of them
was claim against him of twenty two
hundred and fourteen dollars and one cent
($2,214.O1.) A summary of the account
was sent to Mr. S. G. Townshend who
Came here the day after its receipt and,
when convinced of the business of the
claim, paid the County Commissioners
nineteen hundred and twelve dollars and
tifty-ive cents ($1 9l2.55) and admitted
the balance-three hundred and one dol
lars and forty six cents (S301 46) leaving
that amount for future settlement.
The warrants for the four years were
properly drawn and charged, and the large
warrants, drawn to the order of T. E.
Williams, CLERK, to reimburse bond money
and pay Jurors, Bailiffs and Witnesses
were accounted for, see schedules No. l.
2, 3 and t.
Mr.. P. P Castle was Treasurer for the
years 1896. 1897, 1898 and 1899. The war
rants for 1896. 1897 and 1898 have been
examined, found correct and properly
charged, and those drawn to the order of
Mr.. 7. E. Williams and Mr. J. 7. Fisher,
Clerks, accounted for, see schedule No. ).
The business connected with the levy of
1899 has not SO far been examined, but
will be done at once, and an account
stated, as between Mr.. P. P. Castle, Treas
urer, and the County Commissioners, for
the four years.
The checks drawn by the County Com
miSsioners and Messrs. T. E. Williams and
j. T. Fisher, Clerks, during the eight
years, viz: from January, 1892, to Decem
Der, 1899, have been examined and with
the exception of some few discrepancies
and errors agree with the levy books,
check books and bank books; this exam
nation being mainly done by yourselves.
| have thoroughly examined the receipts
to and disbursements from the License
Fund for the past s years. The first six
years, under the charge of Mr.. T. E. Will
liams, showed a shortage of fifty dollars
and twenty cents ($5020), see schedule
No. &, and the last two years, under the
charge of Mr.. J. T. Fisher, showed sur
plus of five dollars and thirty five cents
$3.50, see schedule No. 7, and being so
very near correct did not think it neces-
sary to further examine
Monies have been paid out of the License
Fund other than for Roads and Bridges,
which tends to increase the nucleus of
oohu ui'lCN luuu dull uCCICdSC llldl Ol Tic
license fund, and | would advise that fol
the future nothing but Road and Bridge
accounts be paid from it There is now
to the credit Of the License Fund in the
Bank of Southern Maryland the sum OF
twenty hundred and seventv-tive dollars
and sixteen cents (S2 01516)
The certificates for Jurors, Bailitfs anC
Witnesses, returned by Mr.. T. E. Williams
are IN excess of the warrants and checks
drawn to him for that purpose, see SEIZED
ule No. s. | cannot account for this un
less some previously paid have got miXeC
with the latter ones. These Ger iticate:
are now being paid by the Treasurer direct
who takes credit for them in his reports
which Is the better way.
A considerable amount of the Bon,
money S25 0OO) of 1888 was expended be
fore the end of the year 1897 but the con
dition of the books at that time are sucl
that | am unable to state for what purpose
About five thousand dollars of it Wa
brought over into the year 1892.
The issue of bonds in 1892 $50, 000) wa
largely used in paying old liabilities o
the county, see schedule No. 9, and OF
| March lst, 1893, there remained for gen
eral use $40, 5000 in the Citizens BAN
| .f /