If any state, state district, county, county district, or other public officer who is required by law to make any report to or settlement with another officer, or in any manner to account with such officer, shall fail to make the report or settlement or to account within ten (10) days after the date on which such report, settlement, or accounting should be made or had or within such reasonable extended time, not exceeding thirty (30) days, as such other officer in a proper case may allow, the fact of such default shall be published by the officer to or with whom the report, settlement, or accounting should be made or had in a newspaper published in the county of the defaulter’s residence, if there be one so published willing to make the publication, and, if not, then in one published at the capital. If any officer to or with whom any such defaulter should report, settle, or account shall fail to make such publication within fifty (50) days after the date of the original default, any citizen who is not a surety of the defaulter may bring an action against the officer so failing to publish the defaulter, personally or on his bond, and shall recover all damages to such citizen and a penalty of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00); and, to recover the penalty, it shall not be necessary to show any damages, provided that only one (1) penalty shall be recovered. Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($250.00) of the penalty, in the case of a state or state district officer, shall be paid into the state treasury, and in case of a county or county district officer, into the county treasury, and the other half to the person suing. It shall be the duty of the district attorney to bring all such suits.