The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1911-09-21
Every Official, With but One
Exception, Overdrew
His Salary.

speclal deputy sbhbe tAuhihoit "" 'hN
various county officials of Texas coun-
ty, who served from statehood to jan
uary, 1911, only one was found who
had not at least overdrawn his salary
limit, according to Mr.. Heinecke's iig-
uro's. The one exception was the coun-
ty surveyor, W. A. Ingram, vino is
credited with having conducted his
business economically, and OF having
kept within the salary limit. Part OF
the apparent discrepancies are explain
ed by the fact that nobody was abso-
lutely sure what salaries to draw, and
all such are carefully noted by the ex-
aminer.
According TO the report OF John Ne
Heinecke, special deputy state exam
incr. W. A. Ingram, county surveyor
of Texas county from November 10,
1907, until January 8, 1911, conducted
his office economically and kept within
the salary limit. Mr.. Heinecke also
filed reports on the other county OIL
GERS, but none OF them were like Mr..
Ingram's. Some OF them had only
overd rawn few dollars, according to
his figures, some are claimed to have
helped themselves to several thousand
dollars Of the county money, and one
is alleged to have been removed for
habitual drunkenness, and one Is
charged with having hidden his books
80 that they could not be checked up
An alleged discrepancy Of 1922 80
was found in the accounts OF j. j. flan-
agan, which he paid Immediately. On
the other hand, the examiner says that
he had trouble in finding the books oi
the sheriff, T. NJ. Latham, and that
"they were secreted, but traced to
local bank, and one OF them secured. /"
The report charges the sheriff with
having overcharged and collected ille-
gal and excess fees in the sum oi
$25l5.0 between June Is, 1900, and
January 4, 1911 and 1t is recommended
that be be ordered to turn over his
books TO his successor at once.
One reason that Mr.. Heinecke gives
for the overdrafts in salary is, that
while the county only contained about
1900 inhabitants, the county officers
were paying themselves almost al
much as those OF Tulsa county, with I
population OF over $4,000, and tota
valuation in excess OF 10000 900. II
fact. he finds that the officers wer'
generous to themselves, and in his re
port on the county commissioners
states, "That in allowing @. E. Hun
ter, chairman OF the board, S263 30; X
ID. Stratton s75, and AL Lawder 1925
for overseeing the building OF five o
six small bridges, it was certainly
generous allowance on their parts Il
their own behalf" In addition t
that, he finds that Hunter is $2l7.S
overdrawn, Stratton STA, and Lawde
122.90, most of which, he states, wa
included in mileage to adjourned an
special meetings, and for .unketin
trips to Guthrie, McAlester and Wood
ward
His figures show that W. G. Grow
county Judge, is overdrawn s249,9o o
his salary. due to his having taken
raise during the term Of Office; thu
ii. b. Denman, county superintendent
from October Is, 1869, TO January
1911, was overdrawn s00.s3, and thi
George T. Payne, the first county 81
perintendent, was not only overdraw
1890. 81, but that he had been remove
10y the board OF county commissions
on a charge of habitual drunkenness.
The report finds that ] +. Nowsor
clerk of the district court, DIRE
SI,82S l5 more than was proper, b
that il was In accordance with the o
der OF the court shat he draw his fe
under the federal fee bill. Coun
Attorney w. q, Hughes is claimed
have drawn more than was due hil
by erroneously computing his salar
and County Clerk l.. b. Sneed
charged with having drawn erroneo
salary to the county's loss OF Slfs Z
But the man charged with havi
drawn the most from the county i'll
gally is r. S. Cox, register of deed
who is credited with having over 49,
that he should return to the count
The charges are mostly for maxi
Beaver county records, $l,l2i.B5, a
indexing them, sl,9os,Ss. The exar
iner narrates that the last time t
books were seen they were lying
the floor in the janitors room, a
that on the same night, January
1911, the court house burned to
ground, absolutely destroying the
1t is claimed that the work was vii
out authority of law, and entirely u
less. s.-Oklahoman.