The Mena weekly star., 1917-03-15
BONDSNEN MAKE
 UP LARGE DEFICIT
". L. Parker, Formerly County Clerk, Lacked $1,SSO54 of Making Settlement With County in 1915
 and 19i6-S97.5S as Interest.

There was considerable stir in Polk county's official circles during last week as result of the action of County Judge A. E. Wear in bringing to head the matter of the settlement of W. L. Parker as coun- ty clerk for the official years ending October, 1915, and October, 1916.
 The order of the court recurring settlement forthwith was spread on the record last Monday. and showed that MT. Parker was indebt- ed to the county in the sum of SiS80.54. together with interest amounting to S97.5S, which was the balance due for fees collected in ex- cess of salary for the years named.
 Met Obligations in Part.
 The matter of this settlement had been pending for some time, and in the meantime Mir. Parker had been making an effort to meet his liability to the county, and from time 10 time did meet it in part. but when, after several delays. the peremptory order came to make settlement, he was unable financial ly to do so. His bondsmen then learned of the condition and after some negotiations signed note with him to secure the money necessary to meet the obligation in full, which was done last Friday.
 Aside from making settlement for the official years ending October. 1915 and October, 1916, Mir. Parker also made settlement for the months Of October and November 1916 during which two months the excess of fees above the salary and ex- penses amounted to S237.42.
 There were nineteen sureties on Mir. Parker's bond, but two of them. Prof. W. T. Adams and A L. Kirby, were eliminated. and of the remain ing seventeen all except NJ. NJ. Shields signed the note Mir. Shields on Monday offered to pay his pro rata of the liability on the note but when this was not accepted he Joined the other securities in sign ing the note. The bondsmen are: J. A. Thornton, M. F Olney, C. L. Loch- ridge, w. l. Green, R. H. Nall, J. I. Alley, Il. W. Finger, Clyde Cunning ham, T. R. Jones, Jr., w. L. Nichols, T. NJ. Dover, Eugene Cox, w. T. Adams, A. l.. Kirby, M M Shields, R. L. Norris. w. W. Rowton, J. A. Mackey and J. G. Jackson.
 Did Not Deny Liability.
 Tn justice to Mir. Parker it should Hr cta l,.4 1,, et q the liability, and in due time had hoped to iquidate the entire amount Tn fact, the data on which the order was based was taken from his own reports and records as passed upon by the Commissioners of Accounts in the examinations made in 1915 and 1916. The trouble was that he had gotten into such financial straits that he simply could not meet the liability.
 The question has been asked why this delinquency in accounts was not discovered by the accountants, who as representative of Reynolds, shannon X Bone made an audit of the county records in the summer of 1916. The fact of the matter is the report filed with the county court fully covered the matter up to the annual report of October 1, 1915. Under Exhibit "U'' of the report, covering the balance due. the report says: This statement shows that the County Clerk reported as due the county on October i, 1915, tb9 sum of Si ,957.i2 but on June 30, 1916, S6332i was still unpaid. S30627 was paid in July, 1916 but whether this is to apply on the old balance, or IS current collections. we are not m position to say" They further re- ported that the County Clerk has not paid according to reports"
 The Official Action.
 The order of the County court covering the matter is as follows:
 Tn the matter of w. l.. Parker,
 County Clerk, Settlement
 Annual Settlement for Year ending
 October i, 1916:
 Now on this day this matter com ing on to be heard upon the reports of w. l.. Parker as county clerk of Polk county, heretofore filed with the commissioners of accounts and the county court on Oct. fst, 1915 and Oct. fist. 1916, which reports as audited and approved by said com missioners of accounts show that said W, l.. Parker was due to Polk county certain sums of money col lected by him in his capacity as county clerk in excess of his salary and expenses and which should have been by him at once paid into the treasury of Polk county and re- ceipts for same filed in the county clerks office as directed by Act No, 76 of the Acts of Ark. of 1911, and this court doth find that said sums of money were not so paid as direct ed by said act, and have not been wholly paid at this time as shown by the following statement of ac- count:
 Amount as excess of salary and expenses which should have been