The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-10-26
Denies Shortage
In His Accounts

Walterboro, Oct. 21-Sheriff W.
B. Alderman, who was recently sus-
pended by Governor Harvey, handed
to the local paper today Statement
with regard to the suspension and
the charges which had been brought
against him: This statement materi-
ally differs from that which appears
in the daily papers of the 18th, based
upon a statement supposed to have
been made by the comptroller gen.
eral. 1t is the sheriff's statement that
no shortage has ever existed in his
office, and that the money that he
paid to the county treasurer on the
14th instant was a settlement with
the county treasurer brough about
by his suspension from office render
ing it necessary to make such a set
tlement.
The sheriff states that the audi
tors from the comptroller generals s
Office came here as much upon his
request as upon the request of the
solicitor, it appearing that both
parties requested these auditors to
come. Sheriff Ackerman also quotes
the auditors as stating to him that
no shortage existed for the reason
that he had on hand the funds nee
esary to cover the amount with
which he was properly chargeable
which amount, when the same was
approved by theauditors, was prompt
ly turned over to the treasurer.
In the statement given out by
the sheriff he states that the Sa-
vannah auditor who checked his Of
fee in the summer admitted that
his report was not correct, and that
he told the grand jury that the sheriff
could possibly explain quite a large
amount of the alleged shortage. The
sheriff claims that he did not make
a settlement at the time the Savan-.
nah auditor checked his office for
the reason that the Savannah auditor
admitted that his report was incor-
rect, and the sheriff wanted an Of
fetal checking by representative OF
the Comptroller Geenral's office be-
fore he made any settlement.
The sheriff's statement reviews
the entire matter from the time OF
the audit by the Savannah auditor
until the present time. Upon true
bill being found by the grand jury
the sheriff apeared in open court
and Immediately demanded trial,
which was refused him, it being
then stated that the case could hard
ly be reached at the September term
Of the court, because it was the last
one on the docket. However, the
court finished it's business about 3
O'Clock in the afternoon of Thurs
day, and again the sheriff, through
his attorney, demanded a trial.
Judge Gary, who was presiding,
refused to order the case for trial,
but stated that the Sheriff's rem
edy would be to secure special term
of court from the chief justice. Judge
Gary himself was requested to order
a special term and preside over it,
but this he declined to do because of
the large number Of courts he had to
hold during the fall months; but sug-
gested that relief could be secured
from the chief justice and that he
would join in a request that the chief
Justice order a special term to dis
pose of the matter. The solicitor at
no time has agreed to the holding of
a special term, and when the sheriff
and his attorney appeared before the
chief Justice at Abbeville the chief
Justice declined to grant the special
term until the solicitor would state
that he had no objection to it's being
held. In the meantime the shelf was
and another appointed in
his stead. Thereafter the audit by
The auditors from the comptroller
generals office, above referred to
was made, and the sheriff having
then been suspended made his set
;lement in accordance with figures,
furnished by the comptroller gen.
erals office, which figures he adj
mits to be correct statement of the
amounts properly chargeable to
him, but which funds he claims to
nave had on hand all the time and
% have been ready to pay over when
he proper audit was made.