The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-10-22
ST. PETERSBURG
OFFICIALS ARE
ARRESTED
r. r. Carter and w. l.. Strickland Ac-
cused of Embezzlement of
County Funds

Clearwater, Oct. pr. R. Carter,
justice of the peace Of st. Petersburg,
and w. l.. Strickland, deputy sheriff,
also Of the Sunshine City and working
from Carter's office were arrested Sat
urday night by Sheriffs ]. OFT Daugh-
erty and Powledge and brought to the
county seat.
Warrants, charging these officials
with embezzlement, or misappropria-
tion Of funds, were sworn out before
County Judge Leroy Brandon by Tax
Collector e. B. McMullen.
Sheriff Whitehurst stated that the
men had been released under bond Of
$500 each, though they are said to
have claimed that they we're released
on their own recognizance.
When asked for a statement by a
newspaper man in st. Petersburg, JUS
tice Carter said:
II have nothing to say now. 1t Is
nothing more than mix-up and l
will have statement to make later"
Deputy Strickland said:
cts a political scheme Of some
kind. There isn't shadow Of case
against us. If there Is mix-up, as
there appears to be, 1t isn't on our
part. will have more to say later
Carter and Strickland are said to be
anxious to have the preliminary hear
ing postponed, in order to give them
a chance to 60 into the records.
The warrants are definite enough
charging the Misrepresentation or en-
bezzlement Of $500 by Strickland and
$467 by Carter.
The charges are made in connection
with the collection of personal taxes
and license fees by Justice Carter and
Deputy Strickland, who have acted
for number of years as deputy tax
collectors in that end Of the county
It is understood that Justice Garter
and Deputy Strickland were severa
weeks ago removed as deputy col
lectors and Tom w. Parkin named IL
their stead.
The charges are alleged to have de
veloped in the collection of persona
taxes and license fees since the &C
cused men were removed from offic
as deputy tax collectors.
Evidence in the case will be base
upon data secured by Deputy Collet
. tor Parkin, who is alleged to have dis
. covered numerous cases where pei
: sonal receipts had been given by Del
uty Strickland and Justice Carter t
: persons paying personal taxes or |
cense fees, and for which no forma
= tax receipts had ever been issued b
y the tax collector and no record Of tn
- cash transaction shown in the colle'
tors books.
% In other instances cancelled check
- are alleged to be held by person
y who paid personal taxes or licens
- fees for which no license certificat
W had been issued from the tax cole
" tors license books, nor no formal ia
receipt sent to the taxpayer. In eac
- of these cases, it is alleged, the re
= ords Of the tax collector show \
items to cover the personal receip
- given by Messrs. Carter and Stric
- land
:" Specific cases mentioned by Depu
- Collector Parkin as having been di
~ covered as a basis for the charg
% were an item of $430 in personal ia
% es paid by the Harrison Hardware
Furniture company last February al
license taxes paid by the Plaza the
ter, the Star theater, Pinellas Was
hs company and S. d. Harris.
IT. Justice r. R. Carter and Depu
TIC Sheriff w. l.. Strickland were in toy
'n' from st. Petersburg this forenoon,
we no arrangements for a prelimina
ip- hearing have been made, so far
~. could be learned.
,ra