Evening star., 1940-03-15
State Auditor Brands
Alexandra Court
Records 'DepIorabIe'
Docket Sheets Missino
And Receipts Omitted
From Book. He Says
~ the Associated Press.


RICHMOND. Va, March 15.-
State Auditor l.. Mccarthy Downs
reported today that an audit of the
Civil and Police Court of Alexandria
for the period March 3, 1886, to
September 30, 1899 showed records
"were In q most deplorable condi-
tion."
Mr.. Downs said ''it was found
that docket sheets were missing,
and some had been duplicated, that
cash book entries had been made
without showing necessary details,
that, in some instances, entries had
been made on the cash book some
two or five months after date OF
receipt of funds, that variations in
names between docket sheets and
cash book occurred, that in some
instances receipts of cash had been
omitted from the cash book
I'VE could find no evidence in
dicating that the bank accounts had
been reconciled between March 3,
1896, and September 30, 1889; in
fact, statements and Cancelled checks
Of the court for the month Of
January. 1887, were missing and
when our examiners left Alexandria
these records had not been located"
Filed in Stationery Cabinets.
The report said that various
checks and items of cash were found
In such places as stationery cabinets
and correspondence files, some dat
ing back as far as 1886.
'1t was disclosed" the auditor re-
ported, that 81 Civil and Police
Court checks were on hand. proper
ly drawn, representing refunds in
civil cases" dating back to 1896
and 1887.
1--WE could find no reason for the
withholding of these checks after
they were drawn" he said. This
matter was brought to the atten-
ton of Judge James r. Duncan,
who Immediately instructed that
the checks be mailed to the
payeeS.
in our previous report on audit
of the Civil and Police Court of
Alexandria, dated September l,
1896, we advised there was on hand
which was due to the city OF Alex
andria, and we recommended that
1t be disbursed. The current audit
revealed that $1,l97.12 of this old
balance had not been disbursed,
and nothing had been done until 1t
NoJlal thu attention nf
the court during the month of Sep
tember, 1899, approximately three
years later"
Cash Shortage Revealed.
Mr.. Downs also said in the report
that "all the remedies of the law
were not used" in an effort to COL
lect uncollected fines and cost in
the sum of 1859 so, including an
appealed case in the amount of SIG.
THE records disclose" he con-
tinued, that there was a cash
shortage of .$203.79 at September 80,
1939 This amount was made up
Of a number Of small sums which
the records indicate were collected
but not accounted for. The clerk
offered to pay Judge Duncan the
sum of $l90.79 of the foregoing
account, which Judge Duncan de-
clined to accept. The clerk stated
that the remaining amount of $13
was not his responsibility and that
this item was handled by the deputy
clerk The deputy clerk advised our
examiner that he did not recall the
transaction"
Mr.. Downs also referred to fines
aggregating $921.50 assessed by the
court and added:
Inquiry by our examiners re-
vealed that T. Brooks Howard was
attorney for these individuals, and
when interviewed by our auditor
he stated that his records indicated
that he collected some of the fines,
and that in other cases he had no
record of collecting it, but that he
might have done so and, further,
that he knew of no reason why
these fines should not have been
paid. Consequently he paid into the
court the sum of $921.50."
The auditors report said Park E.
Ticer was clerk of the court and
Douglas w. Staunton, jr., deputy
clerk for the greater portion of the