The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-11
BIG SHORTAGE IS DISCOVERED Tax Collector Due inc State
 $2,64l.4. NEWTON FAILED TO REMIT Is Also Due Geneva County
 $2.846.87.
 His Total Shortage is $5,4ss51 and Impeachment Proceedings Will Be Instituted Unless Satis-
 factory Settlement is Made.

Unless R.. E. Newton. Tax Collector of Geneva County, makes prompt and satis- factory settlement with the State of d claim against him of s2. 64l.64 it is proba- ble Governor Jelks will direct the Attor- ney General to institute proceedings for his impeachment.
 In report submitted yesterday to Gov ernor Jelks upon the result of his exam- ination of the books and accounts of Mir. Newton. George F. Sedberry, Assistant State Examiner of Public Accounts, states that for the tax years 1900 and 1901 MT. Newton has failed to remit to the State $26i1.64 and furthermore that he IS due the County of Geneva $2,Sf6.S1 making his total shortage s. 5.4SS.51. The examiner says to meet these amounts MT. Newton informed him that he had only about sl,5O0 in cash and that he failed to offer any explanation of his shortage or his intention to settle the account.
 Examiner Seiberry uses plain languaEe in reporting to the Governor the condi- ton of the Tax Collectors office He says the books were in great confusion and that MT. Newton has not kept any account whatever of the transactions of Report of Examiner. and 1901 up to and including March 10. 1902, and Examiner Sedberry says: uI tnd that Mir. Newton is due the state or Alabama the sum of si3l.39 bal ance on the taxes for the year 1900 as ap- pears from statement hereto appended ana made part of this report further find that on the 10th day of March. lsoz, one of the securities on MT. Ne~.ops otnclal bond filled with the Judge of Probate of Geneva County a formal request to be relieved of further naoility thereon. I further find that on the a1 Eth day of March. 1902, Mir Newton ilieo another bond. which said new bond was on that date approved by the Judge or Probate of said County. I have there lore checked the books of Collector New ton to the. date last named in order to hx F, the liability of the bonds.
 i found the books in very great con- iuslon. so much so. indeed, that it has required much time and labor to exam inc them His original receipt books were in tine hands of deputy collectors in dinerent parts of the County and some time was necessary to notify these depu- ties to come in and bring the books with them After getting the possession of these books l examlped them with great care and have made up a statement of the result showing the amount of Mr NeWton's indebtedness to the State for the tax year 1901 to be $2510.25 as appears from exhibit hereto attached and made part of this report. Besides the above amounts due the State Mir Newton owes tne county Of Geneva the sum of s2Si6S7
 Cash on Hand.
 'To meet the above amounts now due the State and County Mir. Newton in- forms mo that he has on hand cash amounting to only about $l,5O0. thus it VIII be seen that there is quite a large shortage both to the. State and the Coun- ty. Why or how this shortage occurred MT Newton does not explain. I there lore TOT. peg leave to report the facts as I
 MT. Newton has kept no systematic or intelligent account of his transactions. indeed, he has not kept any account whatever of taxes collected by him cx- books used"
 The report is accompanied by exhibits carefully drawn showing the iteuized ac- count of the indebtedness of Mir Newton to the State.
 Governor Jelks declined to discuss the condition of the office of the Tax Collec- tor of Geneva County until he has had an explanation from Mir. Newton. It was learned that IS soon as the report of Ex- aminer of Accounts was submitted to hum the Governor wrote to Tax Collector Newton advising him that he would ex- pect him to settle the account with the explanation. of the condition of his office.
 Has Power to Remove.
 It was said that the Governor has the power 70 remove the Tax Collector from office and appoint Commissioner in his place or to direct the Attorney General 10 proceed 10 nave hlm impeached.
 Examiner Sedberry spent several days in Geneva County. He reported to the GcN ernor that with the execution of an oversight of $27.40 Hon. Ed Roach Pro bate Judge of the County had promptly remitted to the State Auditor all fees and that as soon as his attention was called to this error Judge Roach remitted this amount to the State Auditor.
 Many clerical errors were found by the Examiner in the books of former Tax Assessor w. T. Singletary for the tax year 1900 and Examiner Sedberry says these errors to some extent affected the result of his investigation into the ac- counts of Tax Collector Newton
 The books and accounts of J. O. Me Eachern. the present Tax Assessor. R. J. Purvis. Clerk of the Circuit Court, and George w, Black. Sheriff of the County, were found to be correct.