The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-23
REPORTS ON DALLAS
COUNTY OFFICIALS EXAMINED
 BY MIR. 0oRMAN.
h Statements Filed with Govsrne' He Says They ars compsesnt and Hnacisut-old Claims
 are Adjusted.


 John T. German, State Examiner of Public Accounts, has returned from sei- ma where he went to examine the DOCKS and accounts of oficials of Dallas Coun- ty Reports upon his work were filed yes tsrday with Governor Jelks.
 Thes ubstance of the reports of the Ex- suainer is that the officials of Dallas County are competent and efficient but the clerks of the two courts have made some errors.
 By especial direction of the Governor, Examiner German also made an exami- nation of old claims of the State against Circuit Clerk Theo Lacy and J. B. Evans Clerk of the City Court of Selma. He recommends an adjustment of the claims.
 The reports submitted on the books or Hon. P H. Pitts, Probate Judge; F. M Blackwell Sheriff, and c. P. Morrison Tax Collector, and Brief. In each case TX aminer German says the omciai is co'h- potent and eficiAnt"
 During the administration of Judge Pitts. Examiner German says N1,47S.25 was collected from licenses and an error of 50 cents only was made. This small amount has already been remitted to the State Treasurer.
 The report on Tax Collector Morrison covered the period from October l, lsOo, to October 1, 1so2. During this time, MT. German says Mir. Morrison was charged with the collection of $l56,3i2U7. including special taxes and poll taxes, all Of wnich he collected or properly accounted for.
 The report on Theo Lacy, Circuit Cierk, ,s from August 1. 1900. the date of the last examination. to September 3o' lsV| I~- aminer German says:
 MT. Lacy Is a competent clerk but does not discharge some of his duties in ac- cordance with law and some Of his DOCKS are imperfectly kept He does not enter his cost bills and removal fees on the execution docket and issue executions therefor as required by law"
 The State sustained no loss by these oe- linouincies, the Examiner explains, ana MT. Lacy was not charged with the amounts. He has promised to comply with the law in the future.
 Tn his recapitulation Examiner German shows that Mir. Lacy is due the State .s5Ss. .5S on account of this report. The report on J. B. 7vans, Clerk of the City Court of Selma, covers the period from August 1. 1900. to September So' lSoS' Examiner German says:
 MT Evans Is a competent officer but fails to comply with several statutory du- ties and some of his books are imperrect- ly kept He fails to enter his cost bills and removal fees on the execution docket and issue executions therefor as reqmr- ed by law
 The Examiner adds that as the State sustained no loss by failure to issue exc cutions, he does not charge him with these amounts.
 In his recapitulation Examiner German charges MT. Evans with s6SS-30, divided as follows: Final records SS5.So Solicitors fees, sentences worked out s3S7.6o Soli- citor's fees where defendants are working out sentences s3i5.
 Examiner German also examined and reported upon the books of the late Hon. F. c. Wood, Probate Judge; J. H. Lump kin, ex-Sheriff, and I. W. Barker, for mer Tax Assessor. He 5ays each Of these were painstaking and competent officials and he found their accounts correct.
 As the result of his special examination into the old claims against Clerks Lacy and Evans MT German says to Governor Jeiks:
 Tn compliance with your instructions. I made a special examination into the claims of the State against Theo Lacy. Clerk of the Circuit Court of Dallas Coun- ty. and J. B. Evans. CIerk of the City Court of Selma
 '"rhese claims are based upon the re- ports of Assistant Examiner Cowan filed August If, tneeS TSpOTbS iner Cowan charged that MT. Lacy owed the State S2S5 and Mir. Evans S1 .3S0 on Solicitors fees These reports fully ex- plain the peculiar and anomalous condi- tions in Dallas County, relative to the collection of Solicitors fees. where de- fendants are sentenced to hard labor.
 Under a local law all costs including Solicitors fees. where the defendants are sentenced to hard tabor are paid into ths hard labor fund Of Dallas County. While the clerks are charged with these Solicitors fees, they cannot collect them under the law. until they have been al lowed by the Commissioners Court.
 Clerks Lacy and Evans have been quite negligent about the collection of these claims and the consequence is the State had collected nothing on them since MT. Cowans reports were filed.
 MT Cowan charged the whole amount of Solicitors fees accrued in all of the cases enumerated in his reports, and the State would have been entitled to the full amount thereof had all of the con- victs worked out their sentences in full and had the county received the costs in full. In most of these cases, however the county received only $6 per month for the hire of convicts. which is at the rate of 20 cents per day. while the law requires that convicts shall be allowed 90 cents per day in working out costs. consequent ly the county received only two-thirds of the costs in most of these cases, includ- ing Solicitors fees
 Then a number of these convicts died soon after they were sentenced the coun- ty receiving only a small part of the costs in some of the cases and in others none
 The State Is legally entitled to the amounts actually collected by the county for Solicitors fees and Clerks Lacy and Evans are only liable TOT the amounts col lected by the county.
 Tn the cases enumerated the report on Mir. Lacy. s1S5.S Solicitors fees have been collected and on the cases enumer- ated in the report on Mir. Evans, Sl.01333 in fees were collected. These were the amounts they actually owed the State in these cases
 had examined and allowed $aSS.3S in Mir Lacy's cases and $64332 in MT Evans's 8 cases. They had not remtted these amounts as there had been no final al lowance by the Commissioners Court for the balances due the State.
 Orders were passed by the Commits sioners Court to- pay Clerks Lacy and Evans the above named amounts previ- ous to the administration of Judge Pitts but the matter had been neglected. Judge 'Pittss attention being called thereto he promptly issue a check to MT. Lacy for $l3S 8 and to MT. Evans for s643 8 which they remitted to the State Treasurer on the 18th inst. This leaves a balance of bn dua hy I,apy on theaa