The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-07-08
= > -T-lat 90 -'R-s q 4 ! 2 q. = = =
FOUND SH0R FAGE
Probers Of colIeton's Situation
Makes Report.
ARRAIGNS OFFICIALS
Report of Experts Who Made Study

Reoort of Experts Who Made Study
of the Affairs Of Several Of the
Offices of Colleton County Filed
With the Observation-Disclosures
Claims Ex-Treasurer Short $o,144.
The Columbia Record Of Monday
afternoon says Mr.. R. E. Hill, ap-
pointed by Governor Ansel, under
special act of the last legislature
to investigate the affairs of Colleton
county, today filed with the governor
his report finding ex-County treas
nrer d L. Smith short s5,144.1S, ana
severely criticising several former
and present county officers for loose
ness in methods and direct VIOLATIONS
of law. The report divides the Smien
liabilities as follows: Borrowed
money account s1,O31.62, bond ac-
count s2,45O, dispensary account
S1,662.56. oo,,n+,
Following his services as county
treasurer, Mr. Smith was memoet
Of the legislature, and was accused
hv Representative J. Wright Nash OF
snartanburg of appropriating MS
nrohib;tion bill and running 1t IN
nndsr the name of Smith as ruse
tn defeat the local option bill. Mr'
Mach made a dramatic speech 10
tn;fe his own baby" under the
Smith name, so as to save the day
for local option and put the old State
dispensary out of business MI.
Smith was at one time spoken OF as
a candidate for governor.
Accountant Wilson of the comp
tro,,er generals office, who has twice
checked up Mr.. Smith as treasurer
the final checking being when Mr.
Smith left Office, was surprised by the
renort of today. Mr.. Wilson offers TO
bet 500 each that each Of the three
items referred to by Mr.. Hill are IN
correct Mr.. Wilson does not oeile'e
Mr.. Smith is short at ALL tnat MI
Hill has made some error.
Governor Ansel will not take any
action on a report for the present.
The act requires the report TO De pup
lished in one of the county papers,
and this will be done. In the mean
time the governor will reserve ac-
ton.
The treasurer's Office was held py
Mr.. D. L. Smiths father, Mr.. a. X.
Smith. from 1899 till the spring OF
1900. when he died and was succeed
ed by D. l.. Smith, who was succeed
ed early in 1907 by the incumbent,
R. E. Jones, who the report hnds IS
conducting his office properly, except
that he has habit Of cashing claims,
(which is liable sooner or later TO
cause trouble if it has not already
done so. to say nothing Of the fact
that it is directly contrary to law.
Concluding to begin work in the
Office of county treasurer says the
report, I'VE called upon the county
auditor (held by A. A. Patterson,
Jr.) for abstracts of the duplicates
and copies of the settlement sheets
from 1899 up to the last settlement.
which was for the fiscal year begin
ming January /, 1907, and ending
June 80. 1908.
I'VE were Informed by that officer
that he knew little or nothing about
such papers, as he had only recently
gone into Office and had been kept
busy ever since in taking tax returns
and in making up his duplicates pre-
paratory to the next collection OF taX-
es, and that therefore he had not had
an opportunity or the time to ac-
quaint himself with the other affairs
pertaining to his office.
He did. however, point out to us an
indiscriminate mass Of papers and
books piled on top of tables, in dry
goods boxes, etc, in an utter state
of confusion. with no sort of dis
tipction between the papers of one
wear and those of another, saying
at the same time that they were in
lust the condition in which they
were turned over to him by his pre-
decessor.
After spending considerable time
in futile effort to obtain some re-
liable data that would be Of service
to us, we applied to the comptroller
general for the settlement sheets
filed in his office for the period to
be covered by our investigation, but
as he seemed somewhat indisposed
to allow these papers to go out OF
his Office. Mr. W. W. Bradley tthe
expert accountant employed by Mr.
Hill to assist in the investigation
went up to Columbia and made cop
les of them. save those for. the year
1905, which he was informed. could
not be found in the office.
Coleton having sold the Green
Pond and Walterboro road. for which
the county was bonded to the extent
of 100000, to the Plant System for
$4,000, is now entirely out of debt
with about $1,000 on hand TO meet