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NJNI H YEAR
SHROPSHIRE SHORT
«. ..I '■ "*" ~
Committees’ Report After Care
ful Investigation.
$328.18 AMOUNT OF DEFICIT.
.. »
Mayo Seay a'd the Officials
Have B?en Diligent and Un
tiring in Ascertaining Loa«
For the first time since the mak
ing public oi the scandal relating
to ex-Chief of PoliceJ. B. Shrop
shire, the people of Rome will
have given them the facts con
cerning the departure of the ex
chief, his acts, some of which are
to his credit, and also the facts
as to the immediate actions of
Rome’s excellent mayor, Capt.
John J. Seay, and his efficient fi
nance committee, Messrs.
Haynes, Morris and Reese, who
have labored diligently, untiring
ly and against disadvantages,
caused by the ex-chief leaving
only few traces behind him, in
investigating and turning on the
light as to the ex chief’s defalca
tions.
Shropshire obtained a two
days’ leave of absence, presuma
bly to attend the Peace jubilee in
Atlanta. He left Rome early
Tuesday morning, December 13,
on the Southern train and went
to Atlanta. It was expected that
he would return Wednesday
evening on the Southern. But
after arriving in Atlanta nothing
has been seen or heard from him.
The strange feature of the whole
matter, and the one which we
cannot account for, though never
before published, is that Monday
before leaving Shropshire turned'
over to City Clerk Halsted
Smith $900.00 licenses and taxes
collected by him.
When Shropshire failed to
show up at the expiration of his
leave of absence Mayor Seay
began to take immediate steps to
investigate the ex-chiefs affairs.
He first called in Councilman
Haynes, chaiiman of the finance
committee and Councilman Ham
ilton, chairman of the police
committee, and these three with
City Clerk Smith commenced an
investigation.
They first discovered that
Shropshire had destroyed his
stubs and other traces of finances
received by him, and it was then
encumbent upon Clerk Smith,
assisted by Lieutenant Guice and
afterwards by Chief Steele to
make out a new tax list, and in
quiries personally of the tax pay
ers of Rome as to how much
Shropshire had collected. This
was an arduous task, but the offi
cials were untiring in the per
formance of it, and reporting the
condition of things to the finance
committee who made a critical
investigation of Shropshire’s af
fairs and will on the second Tues
day night in January make thei
formal report which includes evr
ery cent that Shropshire has not
accounted for.
The report will be as follows,
except we do not publish the dif
ferent items for lack of space.
Rome, Ga., Dec. 22,1898.
To the Mayor and Council of the
City of Rome,
Gentlemen :—The finance com
mittee to whom was referred the
’ “instigation of the accounts of
and our Shropshire, recently
wavs find .
’III. ROME HUSTLER-COMMERCIAL
the marshal of the city of Rome,
report as follows:
We have examined the books
and vouchers left by Mr. Shro> -
shire, also stubs and memoran
dums and have compared them
with the books of the clerk of
council and of the deputy mar
shal. We have also a tax list in
the hands of Mr. W. Guice,
while he was acting marshal, and
in the hands of Mr. W. 11. Steele,
the present marshal, with in
structions to report the names of
all parties on the list who claimed
to have paid their taxes, and the
following is the result:
Police fines, $35.40; street tax,
$22.00; licenses, $64.25 ; realty
and personalty taxes, $151.28;
house rent, $3.25 ; not stated for
what account, $7.00.
In addition to the items of po
lice fines above mentioned, we
find that during the month of Oc
tober 1898 the sum of $113.00
was collected in police fines. Os
this amount $12.50 was paid to
the clerk of council. In Novem
ber and up to the 13th day of
December, the day upon which
Mr. Shropshire left, there was
collected $158.65 of fines. Mr.
Guice, the Deputy Marshal, re
ports to us that he has on hand
of this amount $114.15, leaving a
balance 0f545.00 and the items
mentioned in the list, already
given, which were paid to Mr.
Shropshire and not turned over
by him.
The total result is as follows:
That while Mr. Shropshire was
marshal, there was paid to him
and not accounted for:
Police Fines i $ 80 40
Street Tax 22 00
Licenses 64 25
Realty & Personalty Tax 151 28
House Rent 3 2 5
On Accounts not given. 700
1
Total s3*B 18
We respectfully submit these
facts for the consideration and
action of the Mayor and Council.
(Signed)
B. T. Haynes,
C W. Morris,
T. J. Reese,
Committee.
On being informed of the con
dition of Shropshire’s affairs
Mayor Seay instructed City At
torney Uunderwood to proceed
to collect from Shropshire’s prop
erty and from his bondsmen the
amount of his defalcation.
The city attorney proceeded at
once and on last Friday evening
swore out an attachment on a
piece of property bought by
Shropshire from A. W. 1 edcastle,
located in the Fifth ward, which
is valued at $500.00 but on
which W- T. Cheney holds a
mortgage for $i 00.00. Ihe at-
tachment was levied last Satur
day morning.
On Saturday Messrs. S. S.
King and John M. \ andiver,
Shropshire’s bondsmen were
each : erved with the following
notice:
Dear Sir: —You are hereby
notified that J. B. Shropshire, for
mer marshal of the city of Rome,
has absconded, and that he is a
defaulter to the city to the extent
of $328.18. As one of his bonds
men, payment of this sum of
money is now demanded of you.
(Signed) John J. Seay,
Mayor city of Rome.
B. T. Haynes,
Chairman Finance Committee.
As will be seen from the facts
as stated above, Mayor Seay and
his excellent corps of officials
have been diligent and faithful
ROME, CEORGI MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY 2. 1899.
1 I
Judge Henry Sets Cases This
Morning.
JANUARY SUPERIOR COURT.
Several Important Cases to We
Tried Among the Chi«f«gt
is Suit en Bridges’ Bond.
Judge Henry met the bar at the
court house this morning at 10
o’clock and set cases for the
January term of the Floyd supe
rior court which will convene the
third Monday in January.
It will be noticed that the first
case to come up is that of Mose
ley et al vs Bridges et al. This
is a suit of the county Board of
Education against Rev. W. M.
Bridges ex-county school com
missioner, and his bondsmen of
recover the amount the ex-com
missioner is in arrears.
It will be one of the most in
teresting cases to be tried and
will be a hard fought legal battle
as there able counsel on both
sides.
The following is the regular
calendar of cases:
MONDAY.
Moseley et al vs. Bridges et al.
Moore vs. Printup & Co.
Manley M’fg Co. vs. Patton S.
D. & B. Co.
Stewart Bros vs. Darby
McDonald &Co vs. Edge and
Funkhouser, admr.
Richardson et al vs. Collins et al
Loeb vs. Southern R. R. Co.
TUESDAY
Trotter Bros vs. J. S Wyatt, Agt
McArver & Co vs, Turner, clmt.
Trepod Paint Co vs. O’Neil, clmt.
Broadway Nat’l Bank vs. S S
King clmt.
Holmes et al vs Berrv, clmt.
Bagley vs. Johnson et al
WEDNESDAY.
Everett, Redley, Ragan & Co vs.
R J Ragan, clmt
Holmes vs. Holmes Grocary Co
et al
Broyles Rec’v’r vs Hammond et
al, clmt.
Smith, et al vs. Brown, et al
Powers Paper Co vs. Smith, clmt
Reynolds, trans, vs. Woods, clmt
THURSDAY
Ahrens & Otts Mfg Co vs.
O’Neill Mfg Co.
McCall vs. Ware
Willingham vs. Southern R R Co
United Glass Co vs . McConnell,
sheriff
Barrett vs. Walker. L C
Lytle vs. City Electric Ry Co
FRIDAY.
Doe on Demise Atlas S &L Ass.
vs. Tutt, et al
Phililps vs. Southern R RCo
Watts vs Hughes
Pavlovski vs. Pavloski (2 cases)
SATURDAY —DIVORCE CASES.
Goodwin vs. Goodwin
Davis vs. Davis
Thomas vs. Thomas
Wilson vs. Wilson
Caperton vs. Caperton
Matthias vs Matthias
Hooper vs Hooper
Harper vs. Harper
Woodward vs Woodward
in the performance of their duty.
It is further seen, that, though
Shropshire has absconded and is
a defaulter to the amount of
$328.18 that, strange to say, on
the day before his departure he
turned over $900.00 to City Clerk
Smith.
It looks that if Shropshire had
intended solely to steal he would
hardly have done this. His acts
are unaccountable and inexplica
ble. We leave every man to draw
his own conclusion.
LOCAL NEWS.
items of interest Gathered From
The Street Corners.
To-day was regular court day
for the Court of Ordinury, and
Judye I) ivis whs head over
heels in work; 111 a Idition to the
regular monthly routine busi
ness, the Oidinarv was busy re
ceiving the st mi annual returns
of the administrators and execu
tors in the county.
Holiday being over the school
hildren went back „o their
books this morning after two
weeks «.f luti and frolic. Supt
Harris i* much pleased with the
opening of ihe spring term, and
being refreshed by two weeks
recreat ; on the children went
back to their books with a will.
I'here are few cities of 15,000
inhabitants that can boast of as
healthful chin ite and condition
generally as R >tue. As an evi
dtnee of this them has not been
tn interment in Myrtle Hill
cemetery since December 15th.
This ia a record hard to beat.
The Rome district stewards of
the Rome district North Geor
gia Conference w II meet m the
Lp< ture r oin of the First Metho
dist church tomorrow morning
at 11 o’clock to arrange the
assessments of the (Afferent
charges f<>r the ensuing confer
ence year. Prominent Method
ists from over the district will
be present
To day being th 2nd of Janu
ary mere was a general chaug
ing art und at the court house
the newly elected county officers
.taking the place of the old offi
cers who retire to private life
earning with them the esteem
and be>t wi.-hes of the best ele
nu m of Fi vd c< unty. They
h >ve in de faithful officials anp
are good and true men.
To morrow is regular sheriffs’
sale day and much valuable
propertv is to be disposed of.
Besides the regular sheriff’s and
•ax sale-, there will be sold at
at public outcry several lots of
wild lands and s< me valuable
I property sold at administrators
sale Among the latter will be
the valuabl- estate ot the late
M Dwinell, who was Rome’s
pioneer newspaper man.
To-morrow night the Rome
fire department will meet in the
city hall and elect officers for
the en-uing year There is only
1 lie ti< kt 1 in the field and as it
has secured the endorsement of
al' the c inpan es in R me, will
be elected by a unanimous vote.
I’he following i- the ticket to b>-
elected: Chief, A M Word,
of No !., First Assistant Chief.
F Hanson, of No 2., Second
Assistant Chief, Robert Tippen,
of No. 4, Sec’v and Treas., J.
M O Retr, of IL <fc L
Th? county commissioners are
in session at the court house
today. Only routine business
is being transacted, except they
are to elect a new commissioner
to suer'ed Mr D. W Simmons
who took the place as clerk of
superior court today. There
are sever 1 candidates for the
place, among them being Messrs
R S Perry, J. C. Watts, W. F
Montgomery, W. F Jones and
D W. Copeland. At the hour
of going to press no election had
been announced, but the proba
bilities are that Mr. Perry will
be el*cted.
SUNDAY S SERMONS
Dr. J. F. Mixon Preaches at
the First Methodist.
VIEWS AT FIRST BAPTIST.
Large Congregations Attend up
on Divine Services in Home
Yesterday.
Though the chilling breezes
which came cutting and penetra
ting from the north yesterday, re
minded one that winter was here
in dead earnest, the accompany
ing sunshine caused everything
to appear bright and cheerful,
and so buttoned up in over-coats,
capes, sacques and hoods, many
Romans started new year by at
tending church yesterday morn
ing and good congregations were
present at all of the churches.
DR. MIXON AT FIRST METHODIST.
Rev. J. F. Mixon, D. D., the
newly appointed presiding elder
of the Rome District, preached to
a large and appreciative congre
gation at First Methodist church
yesterday morning.
The sermon was one that was
filled with deep thought, which
was developed and applied by
the preacher in a plain, practical
way, making a lasting impression
on the minds and hearts of the
congregation.
Dr. Mixon’s subject was “Hy
pocricy,” and his text was : “The
voice is Jacob’s voice, but the
hands are the hands of Esau.”
Gen. xxvii: 22.
He said in substance: “The
Bible is the grandest of books—it
is the grandest book. Between
its lids are found the greatest of
truths. It deals with history and
biography of good men and bad,
poor men and rich, but it deals
with all alike and in every in
stance utters the truth. Biogra
phers and historians, yaa—l re
gret to say even preachers
sometimes strain a point and even
speak falsely to bolster up a
man’s character when it is weak,
but this is not so of the Bible it
deals with all alike and points
out the sin and wrong doings of
even its greatest characters that
we may prefit by their lives in
shunning sin.
For instance take David who
bad brave Uriah slain, or Jacob
who practiced deception, both
reaped as they had sown, and the
lessons of their transgression are
given to us—lighthouses and
buoys to warn us against unseen
dangers. The Bible practices no
deception, and makes no man
good where he was wicked. It
teaches throughQut the great
principals of truth, as taught by
Him who declared himself to be
“the way, the truth, and the life.”
“Every proposition is true as a
whole, or false as a whole, or
mixed, part true and part false.
“Every man in his life is true
as a whole, false as a whole, or
part true and part false.
“The Bible, however, recog
nizes only the true and false,
and he that is both, that views
life and things solely from a pol
icy point of view must take his
place with the false as be cannot
be among the true.”
Dr. Mixon then spoke of hy
pocrisy in social life, business
life and political life, saying that
if Jacob’s had lived today he
10 CENTS PER WEEK
would make a good professor in
the school of present day politics,
which has the voice of patriotism
but the hands of a demagogue.
He then pointed out the im
portance of being true, and said
that a Heaven of eternal bliss
awaited those who followed the
teachings of the Bible.
Rev. J. H. Eakes, the pastor,
preached an excellent sermon at
the evening hour from II Cor.
vi:i.
STEREOPTICON VIEWS AT FIRST
BAPTIST.
Dr. R. B. Headden,the pastor
of First Baptist church, preached
an interesting sermon at that
church yesterday morning. Dr.
Headden’s topic was “Laying up
Treasures in Heaven.”
In his discourse he depreciated
the eagerness with which men
endeavored to lay up treasures on
earth at the expense of laying up
treasures in Heaven.
He also pointed out the im
portance of laying up treasures
in Heaven “where moth and rust
doth not corrupt, and where
theives do not break in and
steal.”
The sermon made a profound
impression and will no doubt be
t)ie means of doing much good.
Last night the large auditorum
of this church was packed to
overflow by a large congregation
who came to hear Dr. Headden’s
lecture on the life of Christ,
illustrated with stereopticon
views.
The lecture was beautiful and
delivered in this beloved pastor’s
own peculiar style which is so
tender and loving, and always
tends to cause every member of
his congregation to fall in love
with “the mm of Gallilee.”
The scenes were life-like and
no doubt the large congregation
was impressed by their beauty
and realism.
COMMUNION AT FIRST PRESBYTE-
RIAN.
There was no regular preach
ing service at First Presbyterian
church yesterday. At the morn
ing hour the New Year Com
munion service was held and a
most delightful hour was spent.
Every member partaking of the
bread and wine emblematic of
the breaking .of Christ’s body
and the shedding of His blood.
There was no service at the
evening hour.
For low price drugs
you will go to Jervis &
Wright, you «/vill find a
large stock of chewing
and smoking tobacco,
cigars and cigarettes,
pipes, etc.
Prescriptions will be
filled with the utmost
care and promptness
at the up-town drug
store of Mess. Jervis &
Wright. "1 he low price
rule applies to pre
scriptions also.
At the low price drug
estab Ishment of Jer
vis & Wright, you can
get a re‘reshing, exhil
erating drink of soda
water. All the popular,
healthful flavors.
For the best 5 cent cigar you
ever smoked, try Warters’ Extra
Good. They are rapidly taking
the day with smokers.