Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-12-28
pEFAuLTjNc TAX COLLECTOR or
TAYLOR COUNTY STILL
MISSING.
COUNTY TREASURER
ATTACHES PROPERTY
Secures Himself Against Loss by ssix.
ing Cash in Bank and Real Estate
Developments Show cass Gave No
Bond and That Book. Were Not
Examined.

Bedford, Dec. 2S.-No trace Of the
missing tax collector, Edward E. Cass.
as yet been discovered by the officers.
f.e was seen walking on the railroad
by William Scane, three miles south Of
town, the day of his disappearance,
but Scane attached no importance
to it.
The last trace of him is given by
Walter Levine who was in Creston at
an early hour Saturday morning and
says he saw Mr.. Cass board train No.
5, which is west bound.
The circumstances point to the
course of MI. Cass as having gone to
Hopkins on foot by way Of the railway
track Friday afternoon, a return on
the night train to Creston. At Cres-
ton he also conversed with Allen Ham
bin, whom he told that he was going
to Kansas City.
Cash in Bank 10 Attached.
In his proceeding in the district
court. County Treasurer Nye secured
al attachment of money in the Citi-
zen Bank, a piece Of property in
Athelstan. and all tangible property.
AS Mr.. Cass had been doing the work
without a bon the treasurer acted
Immediately in order to protect him
self, and he is of the opinion that he
has secured enough to make the short
age good for the two years under him.
Mr.. Cass had worked three years un-
der w. F. Evans, and the books have
not been checked as to that period.
1t appears that before leaving, Mr..
CaSs went to the bank and drew from
the account of taxes an amount above
what would check with the face of his
books. leaving a balance to a cent for
such settlement, or about $245. In his
personal account there vas about $500.
which was attached by the treasurer.
The amount of shortage a not be
told until a complete checking is made.
but under the first year of Mr.. Nye's
administration the t~reasurer's check
indicates a shortage of about $500.
Recall Suspicious Actions.
Since these recent developments 1T
is recalled by his friends who visited
him at the time of his illness last
summer that his mind seemed to be
affected and he suffered Authorizations
with reference to someone being after
him with a warrant. In this connec-
ton it is also recalled that his illness
was about the time George Poorman OF
Des Moines vas checking the county
Offices. 1t is thought by his friends
that the knowledge OF the SITUATION
bore down upon his mind to such an
extent as to force the mental break
down he suffered.
1t was only recently that there was
suspicion attached to the operations
of Mr.. Cass as tax collector. Mr.. Nye
found an instance of the payment Oh Z
delinquent tax, in which the man a
a receipt and there was no stub In the
tax book to correspond. This was
passed off with an explanation by the
collector that he did not understand
how 1t happened. but hat the whole
would be made good, viii n it was i'm
mediately
The treasurer made some investiga-
ton and found reason for going deeper.
The deeper he went the more he was
convinced that something was wrong.
When an accounting was made with
Mr.. Cass he would turn over his tax re-
ceipts. containing the stubs to the board
and the money he turned over would
correspond with the showing upon the
stubs. The alleged shortage is upon
receipts issued without a correspond
ing stub in hi book. The tax was
marked paid with a rubber stamp on
the tax book in the treasurer's office.
whether the stub showed 1t or not, and
only by checking the stubs with the tax
books could the difference be ascer-
tanned. and it was the beginning of
this process that was followed by the
sudden disappearance of Mr.. Cass.
Why No Examination.
T,.A ,-l,,, <bo ho1l-c 0f tho 1oynrfy tav
collector were not checked by George
Poorman when he was working as an
expert accountant on the books Of the
appearing to be no explanation other
than that he did not. He was COM
municated with this week by Super
visor Paul Hunter. who suggested that
he ought to return and do that work
but the supervisor was informed by
Poorman that he was thru with Taylor
county.
Much surprise has been expressed on
recount Of the fact that Cass had given
no bond for the period in question. al
tho his illness last summer had cause
Mr.. Nye to take the matter up and de-
mand q bond for he next annual pc
Rod. and this had been furnished.
While under the law the deputy tax
collector is an appointee Of the treas
urer, Mr.. Nye says that when he as
sumed his duties he found Mr.. Cass
working in hat position, and when he
was asked by members Of the board if
Cass would be satisfactory to him as
q deputy collector, he replied that 1t
would be all right with him II 1t was
right with the board. according to
MI. Nye's statement Of the situation,
and Mr.. Cass continued his work with
out interruption and also without bond.
BELArEp NEWS OF DEATH.