The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1905-03-06

The only development In the many
sided political scrap now on in Me
Cracken county since Saturday, was
supplementary letter from Deputy
Sheriff william Lydon to County
Judge Lightfoot relative to back tax
es County Clerk Graham is alleged
to owe the county. The letter is as
follows.
Hon. II. T. Llghtfoot.
Judge of McCracken County Court.
Dear Sir
Replying to your favor of the 4th
inst, regarding the investigation of
the books of Mr.. Graham which you
propose to make beg TO inform you
for your information in making this
inspection that when Mr.. Hines was
checking up the county clerks book
for the state that was called to his
assistance on several occasions TO
look up people for him against whom
back taxes existed on the books of
4 ~
instances | found parties who had
paid their back taxes to Mr.. Graham
which had not yet been entered as
paid on Mr. Graham's books at all.
For the purpose of this examination
| can furnish quite list of persons
who had paid back taxes to Mr.. Ora
ham, which payment he has not en-
tered on his books, or at least they
were not entered at the time Mr..
Hines was making his examination.
| can also furnish for this examina-
ton a great number of receipts Civ
IN by Mr.. Graham for back taxes
which he collected for McCracen
county from time to time since he
made his payment to the county
treasurer over two years and eleven
months since. | see from the news
per that Mr.. Graham and his friends
assert that | request this examination
for political purpose. This is not
true and Il does seem that man who
has collected the county's money
from month to month and has not
paid over a cent for over two years
and eleven months would have some
better excuse for not having done It
than his 'artful lodging" by way of
an assertion that my motives in re-
questing this examination as a tax
payer of McCrocken county was for
political purposes. and yet he makes
the bold admission that he always is
indebted" to the state, but he does
not tell the suffering taxpayers that
the law requires and expects him to
report under oath and pay over the
money he has collected at the close of
each month, and IT also would seem
that he would ascertain from his
books, If he keeps any, that he has
money in his possession which he
should have paid over previous to an
inspection to ascertain how much he
has failed to report and pay over.
| also desire to employ an expert
accountant at my own expense to
and | shall give him a list of all re-
ceipts that | have or that | can find
where the payment of back taxes to
Mr.. Graham has not been entered on
his books, and request your permits
sion that he be permitted to be pres
ent and assist the gentleman select
ed by you in checking up Mr.. Ora
hams books.
Please advise me Immediately If
you are willing to grant me this re-
quest.
Respectfully,
WILLIAM LYDON.
Judge Lightfoot today replied to Dep
uty Sheriff Lydon's letter as follows:
Paducah. KY, Mar. G, 1905.
Mr.. w. T.. Lydon,
Paducah, Ky.
Dear Sir
In reply to your favor of Saturday
evening will state that | have select
ed Mr.. Henry Hand to make the in
vestigation of the clerks Office and
the matter is now entirely in his
hands and will be conducted solely
under his supervision. If after he
has finished his investigation, you or
any one else is not satisfied with the
same, you are at perfect liberty to
have access to the books and papers
of the clerk to make any inyestiga-
ton you may desire.
assure you that my purpose is To
make thorough investigation, and
when the same is placed in the hands
of so good man as Mr. Hand, ! am
sure the people will be eminently |
satisfied with whatever he does.
Any assistance you may render by /
E,F ,.t 10.