The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-07-05
PORTER DENIES
SHORTAGE EXISTS
Former Court Clerk Init
mates That He Is Be-
ing Prosecuted
DEPUTIES ALL HONEST
Not Hard to Find as He
Talked to CASSIDY Few
Days Ago Porter Says

with the positive assertion that
no shortage existed on the court
clc-S's records during his tenure of
office, John u. Porter. former court
ole-k. against whom the county com
migslOuers yesterday ordered suit he
brought for the recovery Of a So
s20S5 shortage shown 10y an audit
Just completed by Ed O. Cassidy,
DEPUTY state examiner, yesterday de-
clared that all funds coming into his
hands were honestly accounted for.
He said that since the "Check up"
started he had been unable to get
statement OF the proceedings and
had as yet been unseryed with any
papers in the matter.
Porter also denied that the ac-
count Of $4,000 in the Union Ma
tlonal bank was in his name but
under the term, court Clerk" He
made other denials of the audit re-
port made to the county commits
eioncrs Monday by Cassidy. Porter's
complete statement follows:
referring TO articles IN the local
papers stating among other things
that suit has been ordered against
me and my bondsmen for n shortage
OF s5,329.S5 / desire to state that no
such shortage exists. That all funds
coming into my hands as court clerk
were honestly accounted for. Any
publication OF that character carries
with It the implication OF fraud or
dishonesty whether so stated or not
and for that reason / make this
statement.
About June, 1920, the county ex-
aminer began checking the books Of
the court clerk but up to this time
] have not been able to get any
statement OF purported discrepan-
cies. Immediately after the first
publication. In The World. OF pur-
ported discrepancies | called FOR
list of items and was told by the ex-
aminer that he would furnish me
such list in due time. Up to this
date have not received any COM
munication whatever from such ex-
aminer nor from the board OF county
commissioners, except such as came
through the newspapers.
THE fact that the World is the
leading republican paper OF the
state. does not necessarily mean that
It has political significance.
MY predecessor was checked
about $500 short. l don't think he
was. lie has not yet been served
with any list Of items and no publi-
cation. SO far as / have seen, was
made of 1t.
ne measurement ludL uhNc
been hard to locate Is foolish be-
cause | have continuously resided at
1881 South Boston for the past l2
years and have telephone and mail
service. 1t is true | have not loitered
around the courthouse since by term
expired but have been at work try
ing to earn a living.
"Only last Saturday I was in the
courthouse and saw Ed Cassidy but
he did not mention that there was
any threatened court action or that
he had finished his report. / did
not then know of any action by the
board OF commissioners
"As 10 the deposit OF approximate
ly $4,000 in the Union National
bank. (then county depository where
the treasurer had probably S200,00O
n was made in the name of the
Court Clerk" and was not a private
account. The funds so deposited
were funds deposited with the court
clerk pending settlement of cases in
suit and were all disbursed as court
clerk, to the proper parties and none
OF it disbursed otherwise,
mo bonus, favor or accommoda-
tlons from the bank, nor from any
other source, were ever given,
.granted or suggested 70 me- At that
llnle, we ala not know tnat sucn
items were construed as court
funds"-and when our attention was
called 10 II the funds remaining and
not disbursed were formally trans
ferred from court clerk TO the aC-
count of the county treasurer and
the bank paid to the treasurer in
terest on approximate daily balances
for the time there.
I have absolute confidence in the
honesty and integrity of every dep
uty clerk who served during my
term. Tulsa county never produced
a more honorable and upright group
OF people and | will not believe that
any OF them practice ed petty lar
ceny" in office or elsewhere. All
OF them who handled moneys were
under solvent bonds.
Il challenge that we gave Tulsa
county as honest and satisfactory
a service as its people have ever had.
: Until after l have had an opportu-
fnlty to see and examine the items
charged cannot make further COM
ment.
Il may grow whiskers but am no
goat for sensational advertising or
other pftrpneaa