The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-09-28
CROOKEDNESS in DILLON.
Grand Jury Observation-Disclosures
Observation-Disclosures for Auditor.

rnunty. sent his resignation to Gov
ernor Manning Friday, following an
investigation of his office by the D1l-
Ion county grand jury. The grand
iury's investigation shows that there
has been wholesale corruption in the
conduct of the government of Dillon
county and it is quite likely that dis
closures of a much more startling ma
ture may yet be made. A dispatch
of Friday from Dillon tells of cor
ruption. there as follows:
The report of the grand jury
which has been examining the affairs
of the Dillon county offices, made to-
day, involved the issuing of a bench
warrant for c.. G. Bruce, county au-
ditor, on charges of misappropriating
county funds; the resignation OF Will
liam C. McJnnis, county treasurer,
and the recommendation that COM
petent man be appointed to succeed
him. and a /reprimand for the sheriff
and the county attorney.
The grand jury completed its re-
bort and it was read by the solicitor
late this afternoon in the court room
before a large number of people who
were eager to hear it.
Except for small number OF cler-
zeal errors with no Intentional wrong
doing the clerk of courts office was
found to be all right. Some sugges-
tions were made as to the method OF
keeping record of receipts of his OF
flee. The judge of probate's Office
was found to be all right and this of
fcer was commended for the man
ner in which his records were kept.
The supervisors and county commits
! sioner's books were, found to be all
right except for the sale of merchan-
disc sold by themselves to the coun-
ty, which practice was condemned,
though it was felt from the investiga-
tion that the county had lost no
money by the transaction. The su-
perintendent of education's office was
found to be all right except the meth
Cd of handling entries of funds and
disbursements of the Latta, Dillon
and Pages Mill school. The auditor
found that he allowed overdrafts OF
different school districts at the close
Of the scholastic years to be covered
by trustees and individuals and that
they were carried till the beginning
: OF the succeeding terms at which
time the trustees and individuals
. were reimbursed. The county, how
ever, has not lost any money by such
practice, though it was advised
against it in the future.
The sheriff's office had been short,
but the sheriff made good all but
S1,405.97, which he claimed he was
not responsible for. He was repri-
manded for his negligence and asked
i TO keep better records and to collect
the delinquent taxes and to make his
entries properly.
The county treasurer's Office was
not gone into very deelpy, though it
s. not gone into very deeply, though it
of the county's funds himself. He
having resigned, the governor was
urged to appoint some one to succeed
! him whose efficiency would not be
questioned.
The county attorney, it was found,
had not paid his, taxes for 1912 and
1913, and part of the taxes of the
Hugh Price estate of 1913, he being
q trustee of the estate. The report
states that the county attorney did
wrong in so doing by inducing a
county officer to violate the law by
not issuing an execution on him for
them. The county attorney, however,
explained his course on the ground of
3 the depression and said that he was
not able to pay the taxes. He by MS
explanation sought to exhonorate the
county officer of all blame.
A bench warrant was issued late
; this evening as a result of the find
ings in the county auditors office.
This was done upon the recommends
tion of the grand jury. 1t was found
that c. G. Bruce, the auditor, had
misappropriated to his own use the
amount of 81, ,405.97, and the further
sum of s3,163.S1.
The masters Office was found to be
all right and his books properly kept.
LOST IN THE WILDERNESS.