The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1911-08-24
ACCOUNTS
ARE SHORT
Audit Completed Of Books OF Es
Sheriff Of Preston County
Made Public.
OWES BOTH STATE
AND COUNTY MONEY
Over $4,000 Shortage Found With
Other Items Left TO Court
10 Decide.

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Special Dispatch to the fntellrenoer
KiNGWOOD. W. Va. Aug. pa
Following the principle that a public
officer Is not entitled To compensation
out of the public treasury unless the
law specifically authorizes its allow
ance. the report o. Chief AUDITOR
Everett \. Dover. filed with Tax Com
missioner Fred o Blue. and by him
He'd with the prosecuting attorney
and the county court at Kinkwood
Monday. shows that e~xSherifr VIII
liam NJ. ~Schaeffer. of Preston county.
owes the state of West Virginia S7249I
and the county of Preston s4.35lG9.
h aud cover the sheriffs settle
ment with the county court for the
years 1906. 1907. 1905 and 1909. for the
tax years OF 1905. 1906. 1907 and 1908.
In addition TO the above amounts
there are n number OF items that the
auditors hold are not due the county
until the question involved is adjudi.
Gated by the courts and the decision
Is against the sheriff.
The Largest Item.
The largest item which the audi
tors report holds should be paid to
the present sheriff OF Preston county
by %eN-Sheriff Schaeffer Is |Sl.Ol2.TS.i
r. is shown by the audit that Sheriff
Schleffer on March l.. igOS. and
April -, 1905. received from the state
auditor a total OF s3G.93i19. and AN
examination OF the sherifi's settle. !
mcuts with Preston county and the
school districts thereof discloses thar
Sheriff Schaciter was charged in the
ZOOS settlement for 1907 taxes and
accounted for S35.92l.il. Account not
accounted for and due the county.
>l,"l2'> The report shows that
the % d~iscrepaucy was caused by
the sheriff being chargd with less
than D correct amount In the fol
lowing funds kinSWoOd Railroad
fund. 1921. kincwood School fund.
Sl.7'. and Lyon School fund. SI.OlO.-
IL has been c~outsnded ever since
the first audit- were made that tho'
discrepancies have been largely due 20
The method OF keeping records and the.
custom of disregard for the letter o.i
the Ia" IN dispensing public funds in
an unauthorized manner.
Records Inaccurate.
In tho case Of Mr.. Schaeffer's ac-
counts as IN the case of other audits
many instances are found where the,
county owes the sheriff, while IT isl
p there are a number OF instances
where b is impossible to tell what
the finding should be. none is made
because the record are not available
20 ascertain MIA the mounts ought
70 10. This Us true in the road capita
lions assessed IN 1905. In his settle
ment in 1909 for the zoos taxes Mr.
Schaoffer accounts for se5C50 collect
cd I'm Reno district. but tho auditor
report they found no records Of road
81 Qitation taxes.
The sO.caiied excessive percentage
was not usually allowed the sheriff OF.
Preston county by the county court
An item of considerable .1.. but
which the auditors found 200 way al
a-cortaining rho correct amount. uas
.ihoiu'"rcst added io taxes after Janu.
arF !. 90 each of tho four Years Tl.
hiding 81 the auditor is for hut ono
month fro each year. while much OF 10
may lay" been for tao months or.
longer THE interest with 'hc .y.
c'r'i"n at s4u.. represents tine
amount du" th" stat. end makes
s'''."' "' fA' amount duo 'lr .HI.ts
Discrepancies Found.
Amonr ofh'r principal features OF.
'h" findings arc s.ft e. for di-rr.pau.
'' in tho ftN books for -lo four
years settlements errors boo addition.
go "' public service flAns csrtif.I
iD -h"r. for collection .r Ip not ar.
counted for. $'Et.-. correction OF
commits. ION received ou Ease, collect,
% otter February d. f,.- ..r.t.li
'0r l'.' ."-fIm1-"dI. 5,gi--.