Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-10-16
When Washington Told An Unfrufh


Documentary evidence has just been
discovered in Fairfax County, Va, to.
prove that George Washington was
not always regarded by his neighbors
as model OF veracity, says the Phil
adelphia Ledger. At the May term OF
the Fairfax County Court in 1850 nc
was publicly presented" by the grand
jury for swearing to false list of his
taxable property. In other words III
citizens of his home county officially
branded him as Il liar and tax-dodger.
The discovery of this record was
made by Capt II. S. Donahoe, edito;
Of tho Fairfax Herald. While seeking
data for Il history of the county, which
he is engaged in writing Capt. Duaa.
hoe had occasion to examine the an.
cient records of the County Court. and
here he unearthed day or two AGO,
startling proof of the fact that in 17CrI
criminal proceedings were instituted
against Washington for not entering
his property for taxation agreeally to
law. an offence which involved the
making Of n false oath.
On page 4C3 of volume entitled
'Liher A. the minute book of the
Court, Capt. Donahoe found the rcport
OF the grand jury of Fairfax County.
Colony of Virginia rendered to the
Court OH May 2, l76O. and in it. in
company with presentments for thiev-
cry and indictments for landing Quak.
ers, was the following:
I'VE present George William Fair.
fax. George Washington. John Car.
lyle, Daniel French Robert Bogges.
Catesby Cooke, Townshend Dade.
Sybill West. Garrard Alexander,
Jembima Minor, VIM. Ramsay, Ben.
jamin Grayson George Mason. John
Plummer. Daniel McCarty and Abra-
ham Barnes for mott entering their
wheeled carriages agrecably to law
as appears to us by the list deliv.
cred To the clerk of the county.
Tho word present" as used in this
| report carried in those days only a
slightly different meaning from that
OF the word "indict," difference
| largely technical.
Meaning OF the Charge.
"The old laws of the Colony of Vir
| ginia,' today said Walter Il. Oliver
OF the Virginia Legislature. and Il
prominent lawyer of Fairfax, "provid.
ed for criminal proceedings in two
ways; by indictment or presentment
In case of indictment the Kings co,m-
sci initiated the prosecution bringing
| the facts before the grand jury. who
then reported an indictment to the
Court; in case of prescntment. how
evers, the grand jurors proceeded on
| their own initiative without the assist
ance or intervention of the counsel.
They summoned witnesses, and, If to
the minds of the twelve the facts
showed the suspected person guilty
or crime. the case was presented
TO the Court, whereupon proper writs
OF apprehension were issued for the
accused. and the Kings counsel or.
dered to prosecute the case So that
so far rs the legal Specification of the
word means n gave criminal charge
by an authorized jury. present has
in this instance, the same force as
'indict'"
Further said Mr.. Oliver. that an
owners failure to enter any property
should have been. dealt with rs q
crime rests upon the meaning of tho
word enter in the fomal presenfment.
Under Colonial law an owner, unless
he was willing to permit the county
official to make n schedule of his tax
able property made out list of II
himself To protect the public reve-
nues against fraud the law provided
that. subjoined to the list of property
should he the following oath, taken
by the owner:
81. -, do solemnly swear that
the property entered in the foregoing
list is all. both real and personal, sub
ject to taxation of which I am seized
| and possessed In the county of -=
in the Colony of Virginia.
This oath was duly made and at
tested before an authorized official
The offence of swearing falsely to n
property list while really perjury, wa $
made separate offence by Act of the
| House of Burgesses. Thus ii was that
Washington was criminally charged
not with perjury. but with entering
certain property"
In short. the greatest of Americans
was believed on judicial inquiry and
| examination by IL substantial men OF
his county to be guilty of what is to.
day termed "taxdodging."
Yet he was in good company. The
William Fairfax presented with him
was n nephew of the great Lord Fair.
| fax. whose possessions would have
easily blanketed half dozen German
principaltics: and the George Mason
caught in this judicial drag net was
| afterward the author of the celebrated
Bill of Rights and the bosom friend Of
Joseph Jefferson.
Village Tradition Borne Out.
The tradition that Washington was
officially charged with swearing to a
false tax list for the purpose of evad-
ing the payment of taxes has been
passed around the gossiping circles Of
the sleepy old village of Fairfax for