Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1932-04-01
Berry E. Clark Removed AS
Clerk BY Montgomery
commissioners.

S0iA' CieTk OF the board, with S23 GAG
shortage in his accounts.
Inc report, covering peroid Of sixteen
years was presented to the board at q
meeting on Saturday morning and resulted
In the immediate adoption of a resolution
that:
Removed Mr.. Clark. chairman of the
democratic State Central Committee for
montgomery county from the clerkship he
mad held for twenty-five years. "believins
that the report shows Irregularities and
inefficiency in office"
Referred the auditors report to the
States Attorney "for presentation of the
facts and the evidence in support thereof
to the grand jury"
Called on Mr. Clark for complete exami-
nation of the alleged shortage and ordered
that immediate steps be taken to recover
the missing funds through the DISCHARGED
clerks surety bonds. which Lacy Shaw
board president, said were ample;
Named Mr.. Clark's assistant, Charles Y
Latimer, of Takoma Park, to be his suc-
cessor.
And appointed Charles A. Korbly. former
Indiana Congressman. as Mr.. Latimer's
assistant.
Mr.. Prescott said the report would be
presented to the grand jury Tuesday. Mr..
Clark has engaged as counsel Albert M.
Bouic, leader of the anti-Lee faction and
former States Attorney. and Thomas L.
Dawson. also a former States Attorney
and county Republican leader.
Mr. Clark. who is in his ffties. lives at
Rockville and is member of prominent
Montgomery county family. He has been
clerk of the Board of County Commissioners
since 1922, when he was deprived of his
joint post of treasurer and clerk by lesis-
lative act.
The auditors report placed the alleged
$23,9S6 as having occurred prior to May
z, 1922, and on that basis, according to
attorneys here, the statute of limitations
is in effect. The report also recorded an
unaccounted cash item of $2,225.97 in
Mr.. Clarks records for the period beginning
July |. 1881, and ending September 80,
1881. This open account item had since
grown to $2.896.27 and Mr.. Clark rendered
check in payment thereof. officials said
The audit of all the accounts and records
Of the Board of County Commissioners from
July 1, 1915. to September 80, 1881, was
begun six months ago in response to de-
mands from opponents of the faction under
the leadership of E. Brooke Lee.
The anti-Lee faction charged Irregular
tiles in tax assessments and collections
and misuse Of county funds. including the
divergence of $250.000 from a 1927 bond
issue for construction of new courthouse
here. 1t was charged by the Montgomery
Independent. of Rockville. that the $3.50
900 was used in the construction Of a road
located so as to contribute to the value Of
a real-estate development in which Mr.
Lee is interested.
None of these charges was borne out by
the Auditors report. which Gust $35.000
Investigations Of them by a Montgomery
county grand jury in 1880 resulted in libe
indictments against spokesmen for the
anti-Lee faction. The indictments latel
were squashed.
Though, the Ill page report says. "tht
accounts had not been balanced during
the entire (sixteen-years) period and wert
generally inadequate for the annual vol
ume of business transacted by the county.
the auditors were able to account for al
but nine one-hundredths of one per cent
of the $26.189, 940.2S collected in tn,
years under consideration.
The $23.986.63 unaccouted for cash
item charged to Mr.. Clark was found tc
have developed between July 1. 1915. and
May 2,1922. At that time the posts of clerl
and treasurer, held jointly by Mr.. Clark
were divided by legislative act. the offic
of treasurer becoming elective. The lat
DR.. John Gardner. of Clarksburg, was tn
first treasurer elected. He was succeeded
Seven years ago by ]. Forrest Walker, o
Gaithersbure, the present incumbent.
The auditors report shows a shortag,
only of 4S cents in the accounts kept b!
DR.. Gardner and later by Mr.. Walker.
The alleged $23.9S6 shortage attribute,
to Mr., Clark for the pre-i922 period is com
pounded of items from the tax collections
justice of peace fines. dog taxes, polio
justice fines. sale tax remptions, automo
bile license fees, tax sale certificate as
sienments and other sources.
Mr.. Latimer, whom the board named Il
succeed Clark, has been assistant clerk 70
two years and is in his thirties. Mr.. Korbly
appointed assistant clerk. was Democrat
Representative from the Seventh Indiani
district from 1909 to 1915. He has bee
practicine law in Washington since 1872
and lives in the Cabin John-Glen Ech
section of Montgomery county.
The audit. made by R. G. Rankin & Co
New York, showed. according to the repor
that all bond funds had been spent a
authorized and required by law, that tn
County Treasurer's records revealed no dit
crepancies and that tax collections an
accounts have been handled properl,
The Auditors recommended installation {
double entry system Of bookkeeping an
monthly balancing of accounts, The
study covered all the county account
and records except those of the Board Q
Education and the Circuit Court.
Some excerpts from the report follow
Our examination discloses that q pre-
per accounting had been made for all bon
issues and certificates Of Indebtedness.
I'VE checked the revised values on @
property az; n x list, which lists col
stitute the 1--i v.lue for the comput
: | ton of taxes chan1eable a9ainst proner