Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1914-09-15
DENIES RUMOR Of
ALLEGED DEFICIT
Glen Ridge Council Gives Result
of Audit of Former Of
ficial's Book.

Because of rumors regarding the
condition of the books of former Tax
Collector John II. .Beggs, of Glen
Ridge, Councilman Alfred e. Hinrichs,
chairman of the finance committee,
took occasion at the meeting of the
Borough Council last night to deny
rumors rejecting on the honesty of
the former official There had been
talk of court action.
Mr.. Hinrichs in his report to the
council said that the audit on Decent
Der 81, 1913, which had been ordered
by the former chairman of the finance
committee, Charles Ames. had been
completed during Mr.. Hinrlchs's term,
and under his direction. A discrep-
ancy OF s9o405 was reported by the
auditors between the actual cash on
hand and that called for on the books
1T mt once took this matter up, with
the assistance of the auditors and
present tax collector, with Mr.. Beggs,
said Mr.. Hinrichs. II also notified the
American Surety Company, who we're
on Mr.. Besgs's bond.
Upon investigation, 1t was shown
that a large portion of this open pal-
anos was brought about by the action
OF Mr., BegRs In accepting unoertifed
oheeka In payment OF taxes re nao
marked the tax duplicates paid, gave
a. receipt TO the taxpayer and charged
himself with the checks upon his cash
hooks. and had reported the payment
Of the taxes to Borough Clerk John A.
Brown,
Checks Later Protested.
"These checks we're later returned
to him protested. Mr.. Begss then
sought to charge them back to the
borough, only to find that the bor-
ough> had already drawn warrants
against the amounts, and the colfec-
tor had no authority to reopen on
his tax duplicate tax which ne had
already marked as being paid ana
for which he had issued receipt;
Thus Mr.. Beggs was forced 10 make
these sums good and carry the checks
On his personal account until they
were made good. He showed me
number of such items on his BOOKS.
"Mr. Beggs informed me at the
onening of negotiations that he had
several hundred dollars on hand, coli
lected on like items after the closing
of his books as Of December 3l, 1913,
which he would turn over to the Dor
ough at such a time as the exact
shortage was reported TO nlm' Mr.
Beggs has turned over to the Dor
ough the sum of $a04.0b in cash, and
after the auditors had been satisfied
that the borough had received the
money and had deposited the same.
filed their report with the council,
which was published later In the an
nuaf statement Of the borough and
distributed to taxpayers" Mr.. Hin
fichs stated that when the correct
amount had been ascertained he had
no doubt but that Mr.. Beggs' would
pay 1t.
Taxes to the amounr OF $s469, for
which satisfactory vouchers showing
that they had been paid, has been
settled for. The amount yet to be
paid is $99.11, over which there is a
difference in opinion as to the cor
rectness.
Faith in Former oniolai.
THAT is all there is to the story"
stated Mr.. Hinrichs. There are
several cases OF poll and personal
taxes which the people claim to have
paid but as yet they have produced
no satisfactory receipts or voucher
to show the payment of same,
1T appears that Mr.. Beggs left
much of his work to q young woman
in his employ and depended too much
on his memory and scattered memo
randa."
In closing Mr.. Hinrichs said that he
was personally convinced that Mr.
Beggs had never Intentionally de-
prived the borough of one cent, and
when ii was shown to him that he
was in debt to the borough he has
always paid it.
A resolution was passed by the
council giving Tax Collector Francis
Burdette the right to use his dis
cretion as to whether interest and
costs on poll tax and personal tax up
IN 1a12 aho,1ld ha ma Id