The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1914-08-20
A CARD.
Grand Jury Committee Replies to
Treasurer Cooks Statement.

Editor County Record
There seems to be some confusion In
the minds of many persons as to the
purpose and extent of the recent in
vestigation of the County Treasurer's
office by this committee. and as to the
manner in which our report has been
handled. In the communication from
Mr. j Wesley Cook, dated August 4,
ane appearing in The County Record of
August 6, breach of faith has been
directly charged to this committee by
him, and in order that the public might
have the benefit Of correct statement
of the facts incident to this matter, we
beg to set out briefly the exact condi-
tions connected with this investigation,
and the precise manner in which our
report was made and filed with the
Clerk of Court.
Prior to the summer term of Court,
which convened in June, rumor had
gained currency to the effect that the
Bank of Williamsburg had paid on the
county funds deposited with that insti-
tuition certain interest which had been
entered to the personal credit of Mr. j
Wesley Cook, and had not been account
ed for by him as County Treasurer.
We, the undersigned, committee, of
three, were appointed by the Grand Jury
to make the usual examination of the
county offices and especially to investi-
gate this rumor and ascertain its foun-
dation, if any, and make report of
our result at the next term of Court. 1t
must be remembered that this appoint
ment was made Immediately before the
adjournment of the Grand Jury on June
Is. Shortly thereafter We made efforts
to secure an expert accountant to ex-
anime the offices and assist in the in
vestigation. We arranged finally with
the Comptroller Generals office for Mr.
Louis A Searson, who failed to appear,
although two separate. appointments
had been made, and we were then ad-
vised by the Comptroller Generals
office that Mr. Searson could not meet
with US until after the first of August.
We finally determined that in making
our investigation of the rumor above
mentioned the services of an expert ac-
countant were not absolutely necessary
in order for us to ascertain the cor
rectness or incorrectness of the facts
charged in this rumor. On notice pre-
viously given we met at the County
Treasurer office, and were attended
bv Mr. J Wesley Cook, County Treas
urer, and Mr. E c Epps, Cashier of the
Bank of Williamsburg, both of whom
made voluntary statements to this com
mittee explanatory of the transactions
embracing the interest in question.
Beth of these gentlemen by their state
ments established the correctness OF
the rumor, it being admitted that the
interest was paid by the Bank OF VIII
lamsburg. and was entered to the In
dividual personal account OF Mr. Cook
and had not been accounted for by him
as County Treasurer when this rumor
originated and had been called to the
attention of the Grand Jury. During
the month of June, however, 81, 1872. 16
of the total interest paid had been
transferred by Mr. Cook from his per-
sonal account to his official account and
| properly appeared in his settlement
sheets for the year ending June 30.
There remained a balance which had
not been so accounted for at that time
for the reason that through an error by
Mr. Epps, Cashier, in furnishing Mr.
Cook with a statement showing the
amount of interest received up to that
time, he omitted to include in his state
ment this balance of $l84.87 which has
been accounted for and will appear IN
the annual settlement sheets for the
wear ending June 80, 1915. 1t will be
observed. therefore, that the question
whether this interest had been paid and
handled in the the manner indicated in
the much discussed rumor above men
toned was set at rest and unequivo-
cally established by the statements OF
Messrs Epps and Cook, all of which
further appears in the statement of Mr.
Louis A Searson presented at length in
YOUR issue of the 18th inst. These
facts were the foundation of the much
debated rumor, and, asindicated above,
were frankly admitted.
Two or three days after we COM
menced our injuries regarding. this
rumor, and after the meeting Of July Il,
Mr. Searsen came down to Kingstree
and entered into contract with this
committee 20 make an audit of all coun-
ty Offices. His work has been COM
pleted and his audits filed with this
committee. At the request of Mr. Cook
the aupit of his Office was made first in
order that it might be included as a
part of our special report on the Treas.
urer's office, Mr. Cook being extremely
urgent in his requests for the earliest
possible report. Mr. Searson's COM
pleted audit of the Treasurer's office
was filed with this committee on Au-
gust 3. whereupon we forthwith pro-
ceeded to outline and formulate our re-
port to the grand jury. Mr. Cooks in
sinuation that our report was purpose
ly protracted or delayed is without
foundation: for our preparation was
commenced on the date of filieg of the
audit by Mr. Searson and continued
without interruption until Wednesday,
the 5th inst. when the final draft of the
record was duly signed by each member
of this committee and placed in the Of
flee of the Clerk of Court properly di-
rected to the grand jury of Williams.
burg county. Prior to this time we had
indicated to Mr. Cook that when the
record was made up it would be pub
lished. but after referring the situation
to ATTORNEYS and securing their counsel