The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1857-06-19
a(rlus N(attcrs.
The DcfaIc cation.


The DcfaIc alton.
The announcement made by us
on Saturday OF the resignation OF
William II. Gibson, Treasurer OF
State-the appointment by the Gov.
erno- Of A. T.. Stone to fill the post,
and the deiacation to the amount of
nearly five hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars ascertained to exist in
the State Treasury, created, as may
supposed, an excitement in this ci.
lty. We propose now 10 give a
statement more in detail of the facts
Of the case.
The interest upon the State debt.
which falls due on the first of July
had to be provided tor, and the State
Auditor, Mr.. Wright, had an inter.
view on Wednesday with Mr.. Glib.
son il relation to it. Then it was
that Mr.. Gibson first disclosed the
existence Of the deficit in the Treas.
ury.
Mr.. Gibson stated to Mr.. Wright
that when he came into Office he
founl Mr.. Breslin his predecessor
in the Treasury office to DC large
dutaulter, and that he was induced
by representations made to him by
Breslin to the effect, that il nothing
was said in regard to the default and
if time WAS given him, that the
whole deficit would be made MP, and
the State would not lose anything
by his operations with the State
funds. In an evil hour Mr.. Gibson
agreed TO the proposition made to
him by Mr.. Brcslin, and from thai,
time until the present he had been
snou'aer;ns this vast load of debt
The whole amount OF dvRo;. in the
Treasury exclusive OF the sum OF
two hundred and twenty five thou,
sand eight hupdred and nineteen
dollars and thirty cents, long since
made public, at the time Mr.. Glib.
son entered upon his duties, was
abont five hundred and fifty thousand
dollars. Mr.. Gibson further stated
that not one dollar Of the public
funds had been taken by him, OF
used illegally by him since he had
been in office, and that the entire
default was the work Of Mr.. Bres,
lin.
The Auditor Of State in his report
for 1856, page 7, says The books o.
this office show, on the 18th day o.
November. 1866, a balance in the
Treasury Of S570,5l7,57, OF this
am informed by the Treasurer o
State, there lie S225,s19.30 which
has not been paid over into his
hands," This amount was deposi
ted in sums varying in amount at
follows:
charged and retained by the iatc
Treasurer as amount paid by him
for exchange during the four years o
administration, make up the aggre
gate named by us above. Not any
Of this money, we believe, has evel
been received into the Treasury
How much Of II can be recovered
from the depositaries or from Mr.
Breslin is wholly uncertain. A
largo proportion of is lost withou
doubt. The whole amount OF the de
ficit under Mr.. Brcslin's administra
ton Of the Treasury is about seve,
hundred and seventy five thousanc
|, dollars.
On the same day after making tn,
disclosure, AIR. Gibson left Colum
bus for Tiffin, from whence he die
not return till on Friday night. Ii
: the meantime, and at tho earlies
) possible moment, Mr.. Wright com
municated tho state OF affairs 10 th
Governor. A dispatch was sent t.
the Attorney General at Cincinnati
requiring his presence, and early OF
Saturday morning the Governor an
Fund Commissioners had an inter
q view with Mr.. Gibson, the result G
4, which was his resignation in the al
: ter noon. In the meantime, tn
0 keys Of the safes had been placed b
!, MIR. Gibson in the hands ofthe Gov
ernor, who retained them until h
handed them over to Col. Stone, hi
successor, who was appointed imme
diately after the resignation, an
proceeded at once to obtain the nece.
sary sureties on his bond, require
' by law to be given in the sum {
two hundred and fifty thousand do