Evening journal., 1921-01-12
SHORTAGE MAY
REACH $50, 900

Furman G. Cole. recorder OF deeds
Tor New Castle county; his fatner,
William g. Cole. deputy recorder,
ami Walter Babcock and Albert Fem
nlmore, clerks In the recorders ONCE.
werC arrested late yesterday and ara
each under 5000 for a hearing before
Magistrate Broman. on January 20. on
charges OF embezzlement or fees COM
ing into the recorders offlce.
The four men are specifically
charged In the warrants with the mis-
appropriation OF $4,000. but. It is said,
the amount viii be found to be nearly
s30OOO II the proportions already
found are borne out by further in
vestlgatlons.
The arrest Of the men came as 4
surprise In public cIncles. Captain OF
Detectives Robert Benson and mem-
Ders or his force and State Detective
/ Frank ]. Mccoy under orders OF Atty.
General Townsend. descended on tha
/ oillce or The Recorder of Deeds
shortly before o'clock last evening.
/ when preparations were being made To
close the ofilce for the night. Fee
books were seized and the oiilce doors
were guarded by the detectives sa
that persons could neither leave nor
enter the place.
The two Coles. Babcock and Fennl-
more, were taken TO the Ofilce OF At
| torney-General Townsend, on tha
/ second floor OF the Court House. and
there the four were held under bail
for their preliminary hearing bv
Magistrate Br0man. who arrived
there about 100 o'clock.
10 Is said that the alleged defalca.
tons may cover a period OF eighteen
months. Recorder Cole has been lu
lcharge of the ofilce for two years.
Special Deputy 10 Take Charue.
As a result OF the arrests. a spe-
cial deputy Is 10 be assigned 10 taxa
charge OF Recorder Coles office. while
a searching examination and audit Of
his accounts Is being made
Recorder Cole, through his counsel.
Philip /. Garrett. today offered M
Attorney-General Townsend 10 install
as special deputy. anybody whom the
attorney-ecneral mieht designate.
IL is understood that the attor.
hel-seneral conferred with the Judges
AZ noon regarding the appointment M
special deputy and II h exnecfed
4 that such an official viii be desir.
mated by the judges sometime this
As a further development action 10
leNpecied 10 be taken by Attorne,,-
General Townsend and the Slate indi.
lciarN FOR the appointment OF znecisl
! auditors to examine searchinrlv the
accounts OF every county oflcisl IN
order TO allay public sentiment Tbe
Judges nave authority, under an ex-
ls,,ii3 s,,d,,, is"' TO appoint two special
Atiorney-General Townsend 4, ,,,..
! reported today. is TO confer win H.
Judges about having some such e- ao.
iion taken. ao
City Council, in committee OF tha
wlole, tonight, also maye take some
, action looking toward a thorourh
audit or accounts Of all city depart
, In this connection It should be en-
/, phasized that there is no suspicion
: OF any financial wrong-doing In any
, OF The city or county Offices. except-
Z ing mat OF the recorder Of deeds, bul
!, there Is a feeling that such c0mpre-
, hensiNe audits should be made 10 fore
! stall rumOrs or suspicion fhaf NAV
!, crop mp as an aftermath OF deveiop-
4 ments In the recorder OF deeds Office
= How the discrepancies in RecOrder
y Coles onlce were discovered Is one
,, OF the mysteries OF the case. Attorney
= General Townsend refused 20 discuss
the arrests, and particularly declined
e 10 divulge how the alleged embezzle-
e ment was detected.
e 10 is reported that duplicate sets Of
u certain books, some OF them accurate
r and some falsincd, were kept in ihe
Ie office and that false reports Of fee col
e lections were made 10 the county
lf cOmntrollor The hoOks are now In
y Continued on Page Eleven.)