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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.