The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-14
.D|G DISCREPANCY IN
 LAPOOSA COUNTY
Officials Short Over $31, ,000
 From 1904 to 1911
COURT IS CRITICISED
Indebtedness Charged to Six County Officers - Examiner Declares Commissioners Defied Law.
 People Dissatisfied

Montgomery, June 13.-(Special.)- )-Dis- crepancies amounting to $3l,6O9.SO were found in the accounts of officials of Tal- | lapoosa county by State Examiner G. T. Sedberry in a report filed with Judge S. L. Brewer. judge of the Fifth judicial circuit, of Tuskegee, for a period begin ning December 22, 1904, and ending Sep | toinber 3O 1911. A duplicate of Examiner | Sedberry's report has been filed in the office of Governor ONeal. This indebted ness to the county of more than $31,0O0 Is charged to six county officers-G. J. Sor- rcll, judge of probate, being charged with | $30 III 20, the larger part of which result ed, according to Examiner Sedberry, "on account of warrants drawn on and paid by the county treasurer. for which there are no bills of any kind or other author- ity on file for issuing such warrants Other indebtedness is due the county in the following accounts: J. L. Reeves, ex-cerk circuit court, s1sl 50; N. S. Walk CT, clerk of tho circuit court, $145; c. L. Porter, ex-tax collector, $23O31; J. s. Knox, ex-treasurer, $66 and w. L. Rome. $s75.79
 Commissioners Court Criticised | Examiner Sedberry gives in his report a complete statement of the indebtedness due the county by Judge of Probate c. J. | sorrell. exhibits he,nS filed in his report | in explanation of each of the several amounts.
 | Examiner sedherry in his report holds the commissioners court of Tallapoosa | county largely responsible for the illegal draw'-~ If #sHHs and for the various .I-rleri Hs es F. Haa accounts, particular
 v bose af osa brrell, of the other
 ouniy oajaial explanation of the 1 lTdaliadleas at Jaae sorrell to the niaast of 4aH resulting from the .faWE af a4azEaHtf pr which there was iherts saam| Ar Sedberry quotes
 resolution at a.s nmissioners' court, Nlilch as lnalH ta stt at naught that see.aa f the esds rfs ding that all claims must laemiasa. pved, entered and fisl ffs passed on by the county eomclta aia1efs.
 lA thfs rasaalta 1i he commissioners for4f f aaf '4tFef iven authority to r 5t ef Y rant Tn payment of any and lell de1ts, claims, or demands against the county that may be presented, if he in his judgment thinks such debt, claim or demand is a just and valid claim against the county and before the claim has been passed upon by this court and all such warrants so issued and claims paid shall be accepted by this court, and said Sor- rell shall be protected in the issuance of the same just as if we the county com Fmissioners had passed upon said claim and ordered it paid while in session"
 "Defied the Law
 Examiner Sedberry terms this resolu- ton remarkable, illegal and absolutely null and void" Speaking further of the commissioners court, Examiner Sedberry says:
 "As to the acts and doings of the court of county commissioners of this county find difficulty in fitly describing such action. It appears to me that they have not only totally disregarded and utterly ignored the plainest requirements of the law, but have positively defied the law by attempting to supplant 1t by a resolu- ton of the commissioners court"
 In commenting further upon Judge Sor- rsll's indebtedness to the county, the ex- aminer says in his report that he called upon this official before beginning his examination of the affairs of the probate court, and received from him package of data, but found only very few prop erly ltemized and sworn bills"
 Examiner Sedberry declares that he re- gards Judge Sorrell and the county treas urer both jointly and separately respon- sible for the amounts of money paid out on warrants so clearly illegally issued"
 People of County Dissatisfied
 Examiner Sedberry concludes his report with the statement that the people of the county have evinced a strong desire to know what has become of the funds of the county Many of them say" de- clares the examiner, that only few years ago the county revenue amounted to only about $22,000 annually, and that while this state of affairs existed, tho county met all of it's obligations promptly"
 Now that the yearly receipts from all sources are more than s32,000, the county is heavily in debt and borrowing money most of the time to pay current expenses. It is not surprising that the people are O elriro why surh is the case"