The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-10-09
NO OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
His Books Carefully Examined By
Committee.
TIE "OVERCHARGCS" THAT THEY FOUND
The Investigation Grew Out OF the Discovery
That Mr.. Rogers Made More Oct Of
His Office Than Anybody
Else Ever Did.

The news OF the SUIT GIucItd
brought against him by the county
commissioners FOR the recoNery OF Ger
! tain fees brought ex-Hegister Of Deeds
j. j. Rogers 10 the city yesterday. lie
| came to consult lis attorney Mr.. j. {.
J.. Harris, and after a conference with
him, he said:
u regret that anything has been
published in the papers about this
case. for | fear ii may be misunder-
stood | had hoped it al might be
settled without q suit in court. Every
| dollar that / received in fees from the
county during my term of office was
first investigated and passed on by the
commissioners and a voucher Wa reg
| ularly issued for it. | nov have all OF
these vouchers. If any of them are
Illegal. and Investigator SO proves,
why ! have no desire to retain the
money obtained on thcfn, though in
most Of tie eases | paid out the fees
received to clerks hired WHO did the
work.
AS [ understand ii, there is no
charge of criminality IN the suit. hut
simply a charge of misapDlication
Of money by the commissioners.
This charge. | do not believe can be
sustained. in any view Of the case
rs stated yesterday Mr.. Rogers is
charged with having received $500
! (S250 & year for two years. for making
out abstracts for the State board OF
eoualilation-a duty that should have
been performed, under the Law, BY the
sheriff.
The making Of this abstract" he
explained. was q long and arduous
task. The sheriff could not perform
it without hiring a number Of clerks,
and 50 the commissioners turned the
work over to me to have it done. L
hired clerks and did If, and was allow
ed $3.50 each year therefor. The mon
ey did not 90 into my pocket, but INTO
the pockets Of the clerks who did the
work.
Speaking Ct this part Of the county's
claim against Mr. Rogers, his attorney
said:
1T must be remembered IN this con
ncction. also. that the county has not
lost Il cent Of this $500, for il has
made the stat" pay it and there
IS rcnding in Wake county court RIGHT
now a suit brought by tho State N'rcas-
urcr to recover it.. IN addition TO this.
the county Of Wake has for = LONG
HaHaHcr Of years. under Democratic
IS WI! IS Fusion administrators, made
the State pay for making cut its tax
abstracts. This was done before the
State board Of equalization was cstab-
Iislcd and has been done since. until
the amount aggregates about s., 1000,
and the suit above referred to WAS
brought by the State Trcasurcr to re-
cover tho entire amount.
Until that case is decided in favor
of the State, the county can have no
cl"iHa against Mr.. Rogers: and even
,hcn, ] cent see what the county can
base lis claim on. Tho work i2"s been
done and the county must pay FOR il.
People can't be expected to do its
work for lrOthiag."
The remaining 5000 OF the claim is
made IN OF various items. Principal
among them being oscrcharCes for or
ders, overchaGc for recording the
school censGs. and cverchargc for re-
cording election returns.
The charges against Mr.. Rogers were
madc by the commissioners after thor
ou@h examination Of his books and
. accounts by . committee appointed for
that purpose. This committee was
composed Of County Attorney Arrnis-
tead Jones, Commissioner Willard
Mia! and Mr.. =. X. Partin.
: rs q matter Of fac5 the records in
the office cf the register Ct deeds show
t that Nr. Rogers received. for the last
9 two years he was in office, abor;
t $500 for bis services as clerk to The
beard OF county commissioners. This
vas S o mach more than any previous
& register Of deeds had ever received
: that ii excited comment and an inycs-
tigation was demanded.
: The committee BEGAN is work last
spring, but tho H"publirans charged
4 that tie Investigation Was for political
j effect, and further examination OF the
4 books was SUSPENDED until since The
{ election.
At q recent meeting OF the commits
sionrr@ the committee rcporiI-t the
0 following cycrchar@cs Charges over
O and abpc the regular fces) made Iy
Nj. Rogers against the county:
Excess for recording ten bonds. 50. "a
Excess for recording ten bonds. go
Excess for work on 'Scheduic b.. 7oGo
carriage to county home......... 2Ga
OvcrcharsC fer recording sI~eriif's
le settlement .............. 49,. goo
e CvcrcharGc for recording Shcriff'3
settlement ............ ........ 1906
e Making abstract of tax list for
= board OF equalization. 25O.G(
leI Orders G36) minutes. .$13 so
Notices % at Is cents. -
n Recording $3.50. ........ 60
I'D 1i.95
Charged for this work.. 341O
q OveTcharge for the above......... 19.1t
Y, OvcTchargc on ordcr5........... $50,
iy GForchargc on ordcrS........... no,
Notices (2o) at 15c........ S3.75
Orders (63), minutes-..... $50
sc Orders (2SS) issued. ....... $3.50
t, -
ve 1855 5
Charged for this work.. 62.55