The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-01-27
OFFICIALS IN HIGH JACKSON CENSURED State Examiner Reports Dere-
 fiction of Duty JOHNSON SEEMS DOOMED Erastus Parsons Is Confident of His Nomination-PolI Tax Payments
 Small All Over the
 State.
JOHNSON SEEMS DOOMED


 G. F. Sedberry. hands few hot ones to certain officers of Jackson county. He has discovered that Tax Collector ". D. Rorex has collected for the month of December. S1515225, but reported only $6.721. Il; that the report was made by the deputy tax collector as if it were the collector. and also asserts that the probate judge certified to the report though he knew it was not made by the collector as the law prescribes He also says that the collector violated the plain requirements of the law in per hitting his deputy to deposit the money in a bank for an indefinite time instead of sending it to the treasury where it be- longed.
 The examiner then suggests that little wholesome discipline along legal lines might not be amiss that other off cers who are inclined to be careless in their duties in dealing with the reve- nue department of the state, may be warned.
 Text of Report.
 The report follows:
 q find that the treasurer had just cause for making the complaint; the collector having failed to report full amount of his collections for the month named, and for such failure he gives no proper ex- cuse The fact is, the collector himself did not make the report at all, but per mtted his deputy to make it for him. The deputy going before the judge of probate and making affidavit to the cor rectness of the report signing the name of the collector and the judge of probate certified the same as though the affida- wit was made by the collector him self
 The examiner here quotes the law gov erning the payments by the tax collectors to the auditor. No. 40S5 of the revenue code, and continues
 eInstead of complying with the require ments of this section, the collector failed to make any report at all but left the matter in the hands of his deputy, who reported an amount largely less than half of the actual collections due to be reported and paid to the state treasurer as more fully appear in statement hereto appended and asked to be considered as a part of this report.
 "Al of the parties connected with this transaction, namely: W. D. RoreX, tax collectors L. w. Rorex, deputy collectors and w. w. McCutchen, judge of probate seem to have placed themselves in awk- ward D. Rorex, In failing to comply with the plain reauirements of the law as to filing report of his collections, and permitting his deputy to deposit a large sum of the states money in bank which he did do to be used by said bank for an lndefi- nite time, instead of sending 1t to the treasury. where 1t belonged. Second, MT. L. W. Rorex. in that he went before an officer and signed another mans name to H., hn hinnCalf making to a. report which he was bound to know was not correct. Third Judge w. W. McCutchen, in that he officially signed and certified to a statement and sigma ture to an affidavit of a man other than the one whose name appeared thereto.
 DereIictIon of Duty.
 "In conclusion, I beg to submit the foregoing report without recomm endation, other than to say there appears to be A manifest derelictlon of duty by the officers named and I suggest that the administration of a little wholesome dis cipline along legal lines might and per haps would be beneficial to the public service and be an object lesson to other county officials inclined to be indifferent or careless in the performance of their duties in dealing with the revenue de- partment of the state.
 The statement submitted shows the following:
 Amount reported by the collector to the auditor for the month named, $6,72l.1; amount collected from Southern Railway company, as appears from stub receipt, and not included in report, $4SSS. .57; amount collected from Nashville Chatta- nooga and St. Louis Railway company, January 1906. and should have been in- cluded in December report, S4,0n.97 total s15,152 25. Amount collected from the two railroad companies and not reported In December, as it should have been, $S,4SO 54.
 Johnson Seems Doomed.
 It is understood unofflcially that there will be no interference at the capitol in death sentence of Will Johnson of Gads- den, convicted of participation in the as- sault and murder of Mrs. Jane Smith near Gadsden last July. Some days ago the governor respted Johnson until Feb ruary 9, at the request of number of leading citizens. with view of letting the best show possible be made for him. Since that time the pardon board has gone over the evidence and taken all the facts and testimony into consideration and it Is heard that it will not reeom- mend any change from the edict of death fixed by the court So far as can be learned the members of the board think that the evidence justiies the verdict and will not seek to change it. The matter will go to the governor from the pardon board and there is no intimation of what he will do though he will likely be gov erned by the opinions of his advisors in the matter However, he may, if he choses act entirely independent in the matter.
 Parsons Is Confident.
 A Journal special from Washington says:
 .'Erastus J. Parsons Is confident that his nomination to be United States dis trict attorney for the Alabama middle l district will be favorably reported to the Senate on next Monday.
 He expects to leave today for his | home in Alabama.
 Tt is reported thlS morning that Sena- tor Kittridge disregarding certain state ments affecting Parsons residence and l the law practice and did not lay them | before the committee, and 1t is now said | that these statements including letter l of Judge Jones will be placed in the hands | of each member of the judiciary commit | tee.
 MT Parsons was nominated for Uni ted States district attorney to succeed Warren Reese, and a strong fight has been made on his confirmation by MT. Reese and his friends
 Paying Up Slowly. sample of the indifference on the part of the people to paying poll taxes is found in the reports of tax collectors from Madison. Jackson and Etowah counties as made to the auditor of the state Though the collection of taxes be- gan last October 1, and have been going on all the time since neither one of the three counties mentioned have, so far the Q auditor is informed uafd a cent of poll