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Show AN INCIPIENT SENSATION. j Ex-Assessor and Collector Clnta Said to i be Short in H13 Account. j j IT fS EASILY EXPLAINED AWAY. Frantic Efforts of a Colorado Madura Newspaper to Create a Sensation Upon a Slim Foundation of Facts. j A small sensation was caused today by the announcement that ex-Assessor and Collector E. R. Clute was deficient In his accounts about $.20,000. An attempt to magnify the ' matter and to show that the city is loser and has been and is being swindled has been and is now being undertaken by certain news, papers whose anxiety to fill their columns with type is greater than their regard for truth. As a matter of fact there was a shortage. It amounted to ?20,51J.4'J of which $1173.40 was discovered by the present assessor and collector. That gentleman gentle-man caused the books to be examined. The work has beeu going on for a month. He did not cause this fact to be heralded broadcast or put a sign on his office an nouncing that a corps of experts were trying try-ing to rind out a defalcation. But when the amount of shortage was discovered dis-covered Mr. Cinte was notified. Without any delay or fuss he paid over the sum. Treasurer Duke receiving the 6amc, a portion last week and the balance today. ine oiory ui me an air is toia Dy jir. Glutei as follows: "The total of the assessment, ns rendered by one of the council, was as given me by my deputy. When I made my settlement with the city I deducted the personal property prop-erty from the total, then took off the 20 per cent, reduction made by the council, added tne personal property to the balance, aud figured out the amount of the tax, less 2 per cent., that being my commission, and paid the amount over. I supposed the figuring was correct and had no time to foot up the rolls so that the error of my deputy ia making up the first roll was not discovered. On retiring from ofiice I at once went to California, and on returning went to Denver. Coming back front Colorado, I at ones made another trip to California, and have not been back long. I soon discovered that I was over in my cash, to the amount of $20,773.33, aud paid it over as soon as I got the actual figures. No demand de-mand was ever made upon me or my bondsmen." bonds-men." Clute's bond was ample and the city was. fully protected. The names of the bondsmen bonds-men and the amounts are here given: Nicholas Treweek, $15,000; Jacob Moritz, $5000; C. F. Annett, $5000; J. K. Gillespie, $5000; Hugh Anderson, $5000; T. C. Armstrong, Arm-strong, $5000; S. J. Pearson, $5000, and Joseph Geoghehan, $5000. Th" finance committee of the council are perfectly satisfied with the statement so It is" laid. The public can judge as to the merits of ;he case from the above facts which com. pose the story. |