The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-05-25

record; that they failed to re-
quire Of him sworn monthly re-
ports; that they had not re-
CURED Sheriff Mcleod to settle
the State taxes in January, &C
to law, and that in June,
1907, Sheriff Mcleod owed
of State taxes for the
year 1906 the sum of $14, 273.
81, and that by reason of his fail
ure to pay said amount the pub
lie schools of the county had been
out of the use, during the year
1907, and were in June, 1907,
still out of use, of 1920, being
Robson county's pro-rata of the
appropriation made by the State
for the benefit of the pub
lie schools of the county; that
the settlement of the county tax
es was delayed, year after year,
until September, and until the
new tax books were to come into
the hands Of the sheriff.
~. Said report further dis
closed that Sheriff Mcleod not
only made no monthly reports,
but that he kept no books of &C
count; that he kept on hand tax
es collected by him, in violation
of the law; that he failed to col
lect the B" and "C' taxes, as
required by law, the amount of
these taxes collected and account
ed for by him for the year 1906
being only $764. 80, whereas, for
the succeeding year there was
collected by Sheriff E. C. Mcneil,
of these taxes, between So, 500
and $4,000.
co.. Said report further disclos-
ed that eX-Sheriff Mcleod had
been collecting the public taxes of
the county for one year without
having had receipts in full from
the State and county treasures
!. for the preceding year; that he
! illegally withheld from the coun-
= : ty treasurer the public taxes Of
y RobesOn county at time Wher
!. the county was paying interes
i on its Indebtedness. This idebt
= edness, or a large part of it, wa
! due to the bank of which Sheriff
" Mcleod was president, and i
;, was admitted by j. W. Carter
> under oath, in examination of tn
- said Carter, who is now, and 70
r some years has been, chairman
= OF the board of county commits
i sioners, the said examination be
> ing before the board of audit an
u u finance, that the county of Robe
u son was paying interest on it
! Indebtedness at a time Whe
T. Sheriff, Mcleod either had, Q
/ should have had, public ia
l. money Of the county to have al
= piled to said Indebtedness.
. (0. 1t was further shown in sal
l report that Sheriff Mcleod ha
- illegally used the public monte
- of Robson county in his privat
H. business, and the board of aud
y and finance, about January Is
i 1908, furnished to the board {
- county commissioners a copy {
" the evidence of Geo. B. Mcleod
y taken before the board of aud
i and finance in June, 1907, in whic
u evidence it was shown that II
d said Geo. B. Mcleod was aske
e the question, while being examil
ed before the board of audit ar
q finance, as to whether he hs
5 used the public monies of Ro7
d l eson county in his private bus
u ness, and that he replied theret
II first, that that was a matter f,
" private individuals information
II and upon being pressed for {
u answer, declined to reply, on Il
ground that his reply might i
dee criminate him, and refused
nc give the board of audit and
~ nance any information as to thi
i (8). That in a purported rep
V Of the board of commissioners
H. the report of the board of auC
~ ", and finance, which reply was pu
~ lished in The Robesonian on Fe
"a ruary Sd, 1908, the said reply
~ ~ the commissioners being publis
ne ne ed side by side with that of &c
.s o B. Mcleod, both of said repli
49, being prepared, as affiant is
10: formed and believes, by attorne!
f o0 some of whom were acting at
~ same time for the commissions
w. so Of the county and Geo. B. McLeC
w. ,9 the following language was US
lho in reply to the finding Of t
,ile board Of audit and finance tt
7 5Ip3 Sheriff Mcleod had failed to S
az tie the county taxes within
time required by law: But as
+bo taxpayers Of the county kept
r 'rnc money in their pockets, as t
o a. has Injured to their benefit,
~ VI they have had the use Of tn
VI, ull money, as all taxes have be
e us| properly accounted for and pa
= l'; 10 and as no one has suffered on
Up 10 count of the delay, we do not
. &c how any reasonable complaint (
"a a" be made on this score". T
b on statement, made by the board
. ,o;r county commissioners, was in
1oa, teeth Of a finding made JUS
pc, pc few days before by the DO
t tle Of audit and finance that at
1 .le time there Was 81, 776.21 due
] ont eX-Sheritf Mcleod to this cou
a m0, and although they stated
10 ~ published, as herein before c
n olie tanned, that all taxes had b
rbo1 p operly accounted for and p
+L,t; IL their answer, filed in this c;
-OllC n,n Mo-. l2 tho1- c,,-oon 4