The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-03
DUE
 OVER $6,OOO Report Submitted by Examiner Sedberry. OFFICIALS OF MARENG0 Careless Methods of Former
 Probate Judge. Other Omcers and County Commissicn- CTS Also Scored for Lax system. Judge Lockland Makes Public
 Result of Investigation.

 State Examiner Sedberry, which shows that S. F. Prowell. former Probate Judge of this county, Is due the county $6.30I.13.
 It wiu be recalled that Judge Prow- ell wasNfound to be due the State ap- proximately sS,0o0, and that this in- dcbtedness to the State has been liqui- dated.
 In his report to the Governor as to the conduct of State affairs by Judge Prowell, Mir. Sedberry used strong lan- guage. He said that he was guilty Of criminal carelessness." The report made on the accounts of Judge Prowell with the county is equally as severe. Reports were also submitted on other county officials and some of them are very interesting.
 The full text of the report is as fol- lows:
 Montgomery, Ala, February 22.
 Hon. John T. Lackland. Judge First Judicial Circuit, Grove Hill, Ala: Dear Sir-In obedience to instruc- tions received from his Excellency, the Governor Hon. R. M. Cunningham, is- sued in response to a legal and proper request, have made an examination of the books and accounts of the sev- eral county officials of Marengo County as between themselves and the county, and as required by the statute, beg leave to submit to you as Judge of the Circuit Court of that circuit the fol- lowing report.
 Since November 3rd, 1898, up to and including November 3oth. 1904, the af- fairs of this office have been adminis- tered by Hon. S. P Prowell. hence my examination covers the time mentioned | above.
 T regret to report that find the business of this office in exceeding great confusion. Carelessness. negli- gence and disregard of the plainest re- | quirements of the law are apparent on
 every hand. find that Judge Prowell
 owes the county a large sum of money,
 amounting in the aggregate, $6,S01.1S, | received by him from the various
 sources, from which the county raises 1 its revenue. for a detailed statement of
 which I refer to Exhibits A. B. e. 1 D,' E. IT. and e. all of which are
 hereto appended and respectfully re-
 Quested to be considered as part of this
 report. ment of all the county licenses sold
 from December 18th. 1898. up to and
 including December S1st, 1908. and money received therefor. and the amounts paid to the County Treasurer, together with the balance due the
 county on this account, amounting to $1,681.76.
 Exhibit B shows in detail the mon-
 ey received by Judge Prowel for
 county licenses during the year 1904. also amount paid to the County Treas
 urer leaving a balance due to the county on license account for the said year S1,733.75. Not one of the licenses
 sold during the year 1904 was ever en- 1 tered on the license record kept in the | Probate offlce for that purpose. Some | of the licenses sold as shown in this | Nhn ca | stub book, or book of license stamps l furnished by the State Auditor, many
 were not entered at all and though | Judge Prowell collected the money for
 same, he did not furnish the parties | buying them with the license stamp re- quired by law. The record of those sold and issued, was obtained from the license stub book. or book of license | stamps furnished by the State Auditor. Those sold and collected for, but not l issued my information is from the par | ties buying them, who exhibited to me written evidence of payment therefor. l Exhibit e shows total amount re- ceived for the county as tax on mort gages recorded in the Probate Ofice, none of which, was ever paid to the County Treasurer and amounts to | &Ae7.10.
 ''Exhibit D' shows total amount re-
 ceived by Judge Prowell for hire of
 county convicts, or hard labor account, together with payment to the Treasu- Ter leaving balance due the county on | this account of $2S5.12.
 Exhibit F. shows detailed statement of fines imposed in the county court,
 of which Judge Prowell was the judge, l together with the judges fees in each case, which by law should be paid to 1 the County Treasurer, which said fines and fees were either paid to Judge l Fr.s- faa | ed in his court for the several amounts. l Said fines and costs were Cor should have been) collected by Judge Prowell and paid to the County Treasurer for
 the credit of the fine and forfeiture i fund; also showing payments to the County Treasurer on this account, and
 the balance due amounting to $66O.71.
 Exhibit 'FV shows amount of money | wrongfulIy received by Judge Prowell as fees and for which no fee is au- l thorized by the code which said amounts, as shown in this exhibit, were included in bills, and accounts passed and allowed by the Court of County Commissioners without authority of law and aggregating $1,472.7s.
 ment or recapitulation of Judge ProwelIs indebtedness to the county of MarenRo which amounts to $6,3O1.13.
 Clerk of Circuit Court.
 'T have examined the affairs of this office as conducted by MT. c. B. Cleve- land and find the business of his office in good condition, all fines and forfeit ures collected by him have been paid to the County Treasurer, indeed he en- ioys the unique distinction of having paid the Treasurer $459.65 too much.
 "I am glad 10 report that he does not owe the county anything. but that fhe county owes him back the amount overpafd. have furnished MT. CIeve- land and the County Treasurer a state ment of this amount aggregating Ex-SheriR F. B. Glass.
 .I examined the accounts of ex- sberiff class from November 3rd, 1898, in sentember 1st, 1900, the date of his retirement from office. find that all anas and forfeitures collected by him nave been properly paid to the County Treasurer.
 q further find that ex-Sheriff Glass owes the county the sum of $29S for Tnonev wrongfully received by him as saes said items being included In bills allowed by the Court of County Com rnissioners for waiting on the Circuit Court. County Court, Probate Court, rouonissioners Court habeas corpus and preliminary hearings
 HThe law does not provide, authorize or charge against the county for any of the above services. I therefore aa r4F.. n