The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-10-20

D hl HlifANl ~ shtR NRNHN@
oorNr, Court REPORT
To The Hon H. T. Waller. Judge OF the
County court OF Spotsylyania County,
Virginia.
The undersigned commissioners hereto
fore appointed by orders OF your honor
entered at the August term, l9uI. "i the
County Court of Spotsylvania. acertited
copy OF which is herewith filed marked
Exhibit order" did in pursuance oi said
order on August e. 1903, and thence 10
August p. inclusive, and on August -.
1903. and thence To September ] >, lHu3,
inclusive. and on October q, and thence
TO October H.. 1903, inclusive, proceed
To execute the order of your honor :
court devoiing five days of the said time
IN All examinations Of the office OF the
Clerk of the Circuit Court oiSpotsylvania
and beg leave TO report ~ toliows:
|. The Clerk Of your hOnors court
=. n. Crismond, failed to properly Keep
the book of record of moneys belonging
To the Commonwealth a. required by the
Act approved March .. loyN. anu tht
Attorney for the commonwealth iailed
10 examine the said book aud certify the
same a. required by the said Act.
statement in writing of the said Com-
monwealth's Attorney is entered with
fhis report. marked Exhibit Graves, ~
part hereof.
2. Owing TO the failure TO keep the
seid book OF entry. a. required, your
committee experienced the greatest am
cplty in making the examination oil the
said Clerk office; and all deed had 10
be and were examined by your committee
fro,a July l. 1881. when the said Girls
mond became Clerk. until February -,
1913. the time to which under the law
the said Crismond made his last report
prior 10 his departure from the county.
For a like period the committee made an
examination of the Order Books, the
Will Books. Fiducisry Records, all erin
inal warrants, the Justices Judgments.
docket Of fines and their receipts, alsO
All delinnuent land records and records
~ sales of and at tax sales and OF receipts
| for delinquent taxes and levies under the
hand of said Crismond. brought nby the
people OF the county and the owners OF
/ land in the county and papers on HE IN
the Office Of the Clerk.
closed the fact that the clerk Jailed Tor
many months and in instances Tor Year,
TO spread at large on the Deed BOOKS
deeds lodged in the office Tor record ana
in many instances the said Clerk Jailed 10
mark redeemed delinquent land after
the same had been redeemed ~ which
latter instances. a. discovered by your
committee. the Deputy Clerk, Mr.. 4. ii
Crismond. would mark the lands re
deemed" when 90 requested byyour com
mittee.
Your committee found further that 10
the matter Of tax on deeds, wills, ad-
miniAtratiOns, fines, seals, ,redemptlOns Oi
delinquent land and criminal costs, the
Clerk did not keep any accurate record
for wears kept no record at all, and 10y a
most diligent comparison OF the reports
of the Clerk TO the Auditor with the re-
suits arrived at from Information gather
ed by your committee from all available
sources your committee cannotsay that
rbey have reported all money due
the State and county; nor do they say
they have not reported all, they simply
report what they find and in instances
notably in the matter OF deliquent levie'
due the county, your committee can only
report mo record" Of any payment anC
leave the matter TO be decided by th'
court. Many redemptious OF lands wer'
made prior 20 the qualification OF Treas
urer billiard and should have been psi'
by the Clerk to County Treasurers Col
bert or Alrich, but whether the none!
was 30 paid your committee Is unable U
say. since the treasurers' books OF ex
Tfeasurers Colbert and Alrich are no
in the Clerks Office, nor do your commit
tee know where they now are or hav
been. In many instances the Clerk re
ceiyed money in redemption ofdelinquen
land prior to February 20, lS93. whe
Treasurer billiard qualified as such, an
in his sreport TO the Auditor, the sal
lerk reports the money as eomiDgto hi
hands, really years afterward, when I
nave charged him by bis own report t
the Auditor, which il patiently incorrect
the committee must necessarily have Of
sumed that the Clerk Did not report an
nav the delinquent levies to treasurer
nrior TO Treasurer billiard. In these II
stances the committee report mo record
and leave the law involved to the homo
D.. able court.
+ Very few deeds admitted to record ha'
= ever been examined" by the said Clei