The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-10-02
SHERIFF HAD
FAT TAlNGIIN
MlNGO COUNTY D
Tax Commissioner
Makes Serious
Charges

CHARLESTON, w. Va, Oct. -
Alleging a shortage of over $4,000 on
the part of ex-sherfn E. E. Musick,
Tax Commissioner It. G. Townsend,
ex-oficio chief inspector and super
visor of public Offices, presented to
the county court of MIngo county
the report of Accountant Everett A
Dover, who audited Musicks accounts
as sherif covering the years 1905 to
1909, inclusive. Gross errors are
pointed out in the former shertff's ac-
counts, in some Instances mistakes
OF over $1,000 being made in single
items, though the accountant reflects
upon the honesty of no one, simply
presenting the conditions as the audit
showed them. The report only cover
ed Musick's accounts as county treas
urer and did not cover tie irregularE
ties alleged to have been made in
the Jail accounts for which Musfck was
recently indicted, tried dnd acquitted.
Al report on the latter will be made
later. During each year,of Musick's
incumbency as sheriff. according to
the report, he was paid more than he
was legally entitled to, the greatest
Irregularities occurring in tae year
1907 when they amounted to some
$1,000. The irregularities and dis
crepancies occurred in various ways,
ranging from improper methods OF
calculating the total amount of taxes
to charging excessive interest oil
orders and failing to pay such inter
est to the holders of the orders.
Just what will be the outcome of the
audit of former Sheriff Musick's ac-
counts is question. Tax Commits.
sioner Townsend presented the ac=
countant's report to the County Court.
Musick will be asked to reimburse
the county and State. A grand jury
will be convened in Ningo county
next week, and it is expected here that
certain matters in the audit will be
presented to tlem In the meantime
the public accounting department. will
continue the examination of the books
of the other offices of the county, In
ending the Jail accounts of Musick, on
which he was tried and acquitted on
charges of falsifying few weeks ago.
After the auditing in the accounts of
Mfngo county are completed the wnrl.
will be taken up in other counties.
This is the first audit of public ac-
counts under the public accounting
law OF 1908, and hereafter the accounts
of every county, district and munich
patty will be inspected annually. The
rules laid down in this audit by Ac-
Dover will be carried out by
him and his associates in future aud
its.
Before leaving for williamson, Tax
Townsend stated thai
he was well pleased with the result of
the first audit, and reiterated. ais dec
laration of few weeks ago that time
would prove that the public account
ing law is one of the best on the stat
ute books OF the State. Though the
law was passed in 1905, there was no
made until at the ias'
session of the legislature to put the
law into effect. That appropriation
was $4,000, and the first investigation
revealed discrepancies in excess OF
that amount.
"In making these audits we Will
know neither friend nor foe. ,rici or
poor" declared the Tax Commissioner.
'aThe public accounts must be correct
ly kept or those concerned must take
the consequences"