The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-10-17
TO THE CITIZENS OF
THE COUNTY OF
SPOTSYLVANIA.

hIE< OOOlN Nj
SPOTSYLVANIA.
Ii il highly important, and II the right
aud privilege Ofeyery citizen oi this coun
~, to know how the offices Of this cluh
~ ARE conducted and carried on hy 10,
officials and TO that en IL ia uecessar,
TO have proper discreet and honest oth
cials 10 carry out and C. ,nduct the afialrs
of the respective offices in the county
There has been n great stir and excitement
over the office OF Clerk OF the County ana
Clrcnit courts by reason OF the departure
Of late CLERK, j. Z. IL. Crismond, which
has been about subsidized by the report Of
the committee appointed 90 look int"
and investigate the affairs of the Clerk =
office Of Spotsylyania, which report wac
handed in on the llth inst This report
shows "a shortage on part of Clerk Fri.
mOnd of about S3.9l0. Now il hecomrt
necessary first 10 SEE how it became pos
slbe for Clerk CriemOnd 10 have been
guilty of such shortage pom eNamina
tiOn of the Supplement 10 the Core O.
Virginia. See 5>S. il will Ice readily seen
:
guard around the clerk TO prevent him
from making improper reports and en-
tries, etc. The law reads
list The Auditor OF Public Ac ounts
be and he il hereby directed TO iurr 81
the CLERK OF each court OF record ia The
Commonwealth n BOOK. in which shall
ne entered all taxes aud other money b.,
longing 10 the Commonwealth collected
II which should bec0llected 10y said clers
which book shall be record Of the corr
4 which he is clerk The said BOON
.hall be 80 ruled that the taxes on deeds
suits, wills, administrations, and 50
iurth, and other public money collected
nay be placed in appropriate columns
Pad. 1t shall be the duty Of the clert
At the time he collects or l. required b,
statute to collect any public money L.
inter- the same upon said BOOk
"3rd. Ii SHALL he the DUTY of the AZ
,orney for the Commonwealth ON The
FIRST day of EACH MONTH 10 EN.
ANIME said BOOKS aad COMPAkL
he entries made therein during the PRE-
'EplNG MONTH with the records Of tht
curt and Clerks Office, ami having
.Ound the entries correct 10 CERTIFY
chat FACT below the last entry. stGi
ug in the CERTIFICATE the aggir
cate AMOUNT of MONEY EMBRACED
n said IN FRIES
ith lt shall be the duty OF each clerl
VI tie 2Sth day OF February AMI th.
LIST day Of August TO make out state
nent upon forms prepared by the Audi
or of Public Accounts OF al taxes anr
lther money belonging 10 the Common
wealth collected or which should have
oeen collected by him during the preceo
.ag six months. which SrATEMtN
HAVING been by the ATTORNEY FOR
he COMMONWEALTH compared witt
the said RECORD BOOK shall b,
.gned BY said attorney and said CLERK
,0d sent by said clerk To the Auditor OF
Public Accounts, but the clerk -nal
,Orth " It'll pay the amount collected h'
aim or which should have been collecte.
" him into the treasury after deduct
NJ acommission of five per cent thereon.
Now il can readily be- seen by any lm
partial person that ii this law Ia con
glied with that IL Is absolutely impussl
Ole for the clerk Co become short IN th'
settlement Il his accounts; that r.. D. Lee
!. Graves. attorney for the Common
wealth. had acted well his part. which j.
anjoined upon him los this statute Now
Z will be remembered that some thu
alter the departure Of Clerk Crismund %
.reat howl went out aod around thai
40 such book vas kept by him. yet upon
examination il is found that this BOON
: in the Office and W. @ kept by him but
that the only certiiicaf found therein }.
that Of 4 g. Rawlings, Common wealth
ATTORNEY before GRAY I. IN lNJS, whei
Chi law went into EFF e. Aud granting
chat no such book was ever Kept ID!
Clerk CrismOnd. was it not the duty o.
Attorney Graves 20 see that trlsmOnc
lid keep such book aud keep IL proper
is? when the law made il his duty 10 e.
anime same and compare it with The
records in the office, and from which saic
book the law requires reI-Ort-tO be mGfs
twice year by the clerk 10 the Auditor
If Public Accounts, and signed and GER
flied 10 by lee J. Graves Common
Sealth's Attorney IN the following letter
and figures, tO-wit
|. / 70 J. Graves. Commemorative
Attorney for Spotsy lvania county, sta
II Virginia, do certify that have com
pared the above sta ment with thi
RE ORD BOOK of Taxes and 0ttc
money belonging 70 the Commonwealth
objected or which should have been rOi
lected. by j. +. II Crismond. Clerk oltt,
1ounty Court OF Spotsylgania county
state Of Virginia, and do certify that tu'
said statement ia correct. Given under
my hands this-dsy Obj.
lee J. Graves
Commonwealth Attorney
The above form OF certificate WIS sign
d 10 oil Of Clerk Crismond reports
..,.. E.l-.arv DSfh IDO0