The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-13
'HENR|CO GRAND
JURY ] .|' REPORTS.
After Lengthy Session Jurors.
Submit Their Findings to
the Cottrt.
GUILTY OF NO WRONG INTENT
However Handled tlllle County's.
funds KS i They Were
His O,v11p

( After continued service, the llcnrlt
grand j,iry concluded its. inNqstjgAyic
Of the Todd matter untls.lltlntlet III its:;t
port to the court yesterday morning, N
Tho jury has been engaged IN the II
uuily since yesterday Il week ago, ha,
ing. taken Just a week to come to son,
conclusion regarding tho ct,of the lat
treasurer Walter .. Todd, regarding III
county's funds. 1s''sa
The report which follows In full, show
that III the opinion Of tho jury, Mr.. rod
believed he was acting wit hln;his right
when he used the countS's funds as
they were his own, and that he was ire
from ans guilty intent. The report Is a
follows:
.'ro the Hon. r. Carter Scott. Judge
Of the Circuit Court Of lienriCo
County:
eve. the grand jury, appointed by
your honorable court, have duly con-
sidcred the questions referred 10 us IN
connection with the affairs of the Office
Of ". j. Todd,$l late trcasl,rer~of Hen
rico county, and the conduct q r. Him
self and any others IN his Office. beg
leave to report: a&il
ut appears from the evidence that
w. j. Todd, late treasurer, applied ,
taxes collected by him, IN part and IN
excess Of his commissions, III his per. Is
sonal use and iii his private business;
that he loaned same'$to sundry indi-&
3 riduals on his personal account and
responsibility; that he placed a por-
II ton Of such funds IN bank al interest
and collected or claimed such interest
as his&personal property; and that he
used funds belonging e, d the county
TO overpay the State or Virginia on
account Of State taxes which had not
Y been paid and became delinquent ap.#
parently with the object OF realizing
personally the benefit when such taxes
were paid later of the s per cent.
penalty. for nor-paSlnent within the
time required by lazy. and that on ac-@
count Of such use of the funds a def !
cit Of s25,354.39 was found at the time !
Of his death. .}s sSr
Always Paid Up.
eve find. however, TINT said treas
urer had at no time failed TO pay over
funds of the county as required by
warrents of the Board of Supervisors
nor to pay over to the State Of gVir-
ginia taxes collected by him..
i''Ve find furthermore that both the
State Of Virginia Fand the countyaof
Henrica are secured for all funds by
a valid bond far In excess Of the funds
in the hands OF said treasurer at any
one time. According to the. evidence
r of n Representative Of the surety COM
pany (Which was confirmed blythe
administrator ofA!the estate Of the
deceased trea surerS and also by athe
appraisal of theIasscts oftthe said
estate,as requiredSby law:9, such as
sets largely exceed the above deficit,
which Will be paid BY the administra-
tor, and II not so paid, the surety
company will neet>any remaining de-
felt Il -. 5i,tfTsF jg
eve fall TO find any evidence what
soever that any deputy, or employe in
the treasurer's office, orl any other
officer of the county, was in any man
ner aware Of, or connected with the
use of the public funds by the late
treasurer as above mentioned.
Scrutinize; Accounts.
I'VE recommend that the Board Of
Supervisors employ, or be authorized
and objected to employ, a competent
expert to install d system of accounts
and methods for the conduct Of every
detail Of the treAaurer's office and
that they also provide for thorough
auditing Of said ONCE two or more
times a year at irregular periods, with
a view to preventing, as far as pos
sible. the use OF public funds. in whole
or part, for any other purpose than
. that to which they belong
I'VE believe from the evidence be
fore us that the late treasurer had no
wrongful intent In handling the funds 4
as he did. but on the contrary thought
he was within his legal rights In
conclusion however. your grand jury
desires TO place on record It's decided
opinion that tho6use OF public funds
by any official for|any other purpose
+ than that fixed by law constitutes
mallcasnnce In office which would
justify his removal.
(SgnctD