The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-02
No Intention of 'Yrongd0- ing, HOwever-g.m mount
 Reached S24S2.90
EVANS SUBMITS HIS
 REPORT TO O'NEAL
Escambia Board of Cou ty ConHis; sioners Wrongfully sxpend
 $SdS0. S0.6O-OfficiaI Not
 Due State Anyt ing

Montgomery, January s-lSpeeia Officials of Eseambia c nnty erred
 the expenditure of s2,4s sg0 during past three and four years. accordi to d report of Aasistan Examiner Public Accounts Frank Evans. whil was today submitted to Governor Elm 1 met oNeal. The same l rgaboo of lega technieallties that is t6ubling MobileV | county to the eEaNt6H of k5O000, and Autauga and Nasa counties to the extent Of abouN eePe each. was found by the examineito atist Tn the south l Alabama count afiE. ,fhioH ae reported | Tn no instart sad ahe examiner, | docs it appeslz that here was any intention, on t4e paN of the officials. to wrongfuly feoeiH or expend the public moneys. In etery case. the ex- penditure was raade tnder an interpre- tation of the law to1trary to interpre- tation by the atser3ey general under whose legal direction these findings are presented"
 Commissioners Err Also In addition to tie s2.4S2.9o which the examiner in tho Eseambia report credited against the persons receiving the funds, he finds that the Escambia board of eommissioners, erred in ex- pending $s,4s0.6O for support of paupers, outside of the poo,house. Thus es- tablishing and mai taining a pension system lie says, without authority of law" The amount is not counted against the commiss oners, though it is ! m was incorrectedly e, pended Inasmuch as paupers are not olvent the amount could not Dc accre lted against their names
 The s24S2.90. wAich the examiner. alleges to be due thA county of Escam/ bia Is charged in fle following sums: | Aga nst physiciaiis st4.f0. against banks for receiyit4 iatasst money s242.ee; against JS Raiet ex-aheriff. s571.75; aeaiffst W k Fhns1 D. iermer sheriff. s77b7a; ae&msL a,se is.1, .aA AFsgsseIa sg 1 brooks, TrobI aea rsrsft isk the Southern alt st isS ,onn ooirnaus, | Sls5,75; agaihs& A ,3annaT qsHsf intendent of eal& fg1H ioe, aaslns @ F. Howell stafes asent. st25 Tn regard to tlli iten harged ai sinst physicians, fne ,eNan1iier potets out that they were lutNed to receive for amount Showed other witnesses. viz: $1 90 per day. The examiner charges that they received however, So in each case exceedinE the amount allowed by law.
 Item Against Banks - Regarding the amount of interest money charged against banks, the examiper points out that the county treasurer is likewise responsible with the hanlss for permitting the appropriation as author ized by, the board of commissioners with out authority of the law for the borrow ing of the principal The $57l ID charged against Sheriff Raley, who held office from January l. l906, to May s. 1911, Is de- rived as follows For the keep of dogs, sll9 50 excessive collection from the fina and forfeiture fund, sS30.50 and collected from prisoner fees, in excess of amount allowed by law. $1is.75. The rest is in- terest money.
 Against ex-Sherf Fountain the amount alleged to be due is as follows; Collected from prisoners in excessive fees, from fine and forfeiture fund. in excess of s54Q; for the keep of dogs, S2S5 TO-
 The S7l alleged to be due by Tax As- sessor Mcclellan is attributable against him for permitting the board of commis- sioners to pay him that amount on per diem basis. rather than on a commission basis. for clerical and similar services. Probate Judge
 probato Iu1se NJ. F Brooks is charged with $34s 79 on the ground that he pur- chased such office supplies as not cov- e ed by the low.
 The Southern Beii Telephone company is chargee with na<fag collected that amount on warr4nt of the county com missioner Tor telephoae equipment. etc.. when such eIuipment ls not permitted by
 
 The county .ree surer is made jointly re- sponsble.
 superintendent of hf cation J. D. oBrannon is charFea ssa having pur- statutes: State Agent M. r. Howell is charged with an adding machine pay ment of $f25.
 The board of county commissioners is generally charged with the issuance oe warrants not authorized by law. nearly every one of the above expenditures hav- ing been issued upon warrants drawn by them against the permission of the state code The names of the commissioners reported on are rot mentioned in the res port
 The examiner encioses in his report various opinions of the attorney general in which it is officially held that the purchase of typewrters, ice and other such articles and commodities are not authorized by law.
 The examiner's investigation of the Eseambia officials shows that none of them is due the state any money. Clear bills in this respect are given Tax As- sessor Mcclellan. ex-Sheriffs RaIey ssa Fountain, Probate Judge Brooks, clrcn,f Clerk C. F. Rankin, Tax Collector ". Holland and Superintendent of Edueaton a, Rrannon. The word clear Is written against their names.
 ,f,F>r,,C,CCcCOCOO S NR. UNDERWOOD WILL 2 C washington, January 1-tSpeeiai.' C oscar Underwood has almost, en- 2 C tirelv recovered from the recent at C = tack of indigestion that confined C C him to his bed and his room for 2 C several days to regain nis iost v