The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-18
SHORTAGE IN TAX
COL. HOLLINGSWOUTH'S
BOOKS SAID TO
Be S2S,6ls.26

The following from this mornings
Iampa Tribune will be read with re-
sret Dy the many friends here Of Mr..
). L. Hollingsworth, who. about rs
years ago. was principal of the Lake
land school:
Shortage of s2S,619.26 is laid at
the door of City Tax Collector j d..
f1oillngsworth in reports filed with
the Council last night by Mayor Nc
nay and City Auditor ]. A. Hans
Drough. Mr.. Hollingsworth. who
was suspended several days ago, was
not present, but. through John P.
wall, his attorney, filed an answer.
lie admitted that he was indebted
TO the city in large sum of money,
out the exact amount he was unable
10 ascertain, the records no LONGER
being in his possession. He offered
to give up all his property to make
good this shortage and asked the
Council not to have his name placed
on the official ballot in the city cleo
ton of June 6.
MI. Wall. speaking for MIR. Hol-
lingsworth, suggested that a commit
tee of the Council, to include Mayor
Mckay and City Auditor Hansbor-
ough as exofficio members, be named
to act with Mr.. Hollingsworth in
making the arrangements to secure
the amount of the Indebtedness,
either from MIR. Hollingsworth or
the bonding company. The commit
tee named was Councilmen Ander-
son, Henderson and Ramos. Mr.. Wall
stated that Mr.. Hollingsworth had
made a first payment of $4,000 yes
terday and. following the meeting,
said that Mr.. Hollingsworth's es-
tate was sufficient to meet all the
demands. This is believed to mean
that the bonding company probably
will not be sued.
The question of prosecution has
not been settled No move was made
by the Council last night in that di.
rection. City Attorney c B. Park
hill said that he thought an excep
tion should be made ON account Of
Mr.. Hollingsworth's offer of restitu
ton. Prosecutions of this kind ar,
usually begun by bonding companies
but Otto Stallings, representative o
the company which bonded Mr.. Hol
lingsworth for $4,000, said las
night he did not know what actor
would be taken. County Solicito
Jackson said he could prosecute il
case complaint was made to him b,
anyone or could prosecute on hi
own initiative, but did not care t,
be quoted on the spur of the mo
ment.
t 1.-The Council Chamber was file,
with citizens last night to hear tn
consideration of the charges. Rum
: ors that much larger shortage thai
S the $3,605 first reported by Mayo
Mckay, following an audit of MI
( Hollingsworth's books, had been cur
| rent, but the fact that the shortag
:, was more than $4,000 caused a sen
D sation, and there was general SUI
prise when an admission of a larg
S shortage was made, a big fight hay
. ing been expected on the floor of tn
Council In the careful wording c
! the answer, however, Attorney Wal
. while admitting that Mr. Holling'
= worth owes the city a large sum {
: money, did not admit the commits
= sion of any criminal act.
s "In the report filed by Nj. Ham
brough it was brought out that tn
alleged populations had been goin
on since Mr.. Hollingsworth's fir
term, when F. L. Wing was mayo
Y and it was alleged that in one il
: stance the collector forged the nan
4 of Mayor Wing and Auditor Han
brough to license, making a mi
= take in Mr.. Wings name and gettin
s the initials Of w" instead of Il
a L." For the last several years Il
names of the mayor and auditt
c have been printed on the licenses ar
&c only the signature of the collector
+, writing have been required, makir
% it easier to carry on the system Of a
legged frauds charged to Mr.. Ho
= lingsworth.
The investigations of the Audit
went back into 1910, and covered a
Ileged shortages item by item.