Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-04-08
Reliefof Robert Stewart.

The following remarks we're made
by Hon. S. N. Yeoman, in the Sen
ate of Ohio, March 3lst, 1869, on
the passage of the bill for the relief
of Robert Stewart, late Treasurer
of FOyette County:
The question being on the pas
sage of the bill
Mr. YEOMAN stated that in the
year 1858, Robert Stewart, a citizen
of Fayette county, was, as the bill
under consideration sets forth, the
acting Treasurer Of Fayette county,
and that in the month Of August or
September Of 1858, the said Stewart
asccrtained that there was def.
cheney in the county treasury, and
at once informed his securities, OF
which he (Mr. Yeoman) was one,
of such deficiency. An examina-
ton of the county treasury was at
once ordered by the Probate Judge.
The examination was made by q
competent committee, and the amt
Of deficiency asccrtaincd, but the
cause of such deficiency was not
asccrtained The securities re
placed the amount Of the deficiency
in the treasury, and the said Stew
art promptly made over all Of his
property to the securities, thereby
saving the securities from loss.
No person, so far as Mr.. Yool
mans knowledge was concerned,
had ever accused Mr. Stewart ofin-
territorial wrong or dishonesty. -
He could say that Mr.. Stewart was
not an eXtravagant man, and went
out, as Treasurer, in debt; and al
though worth some money when he
took the office, he has remained in
debt and in limited circumstances
from that day to this, This fact OF
his remaining poor fully Justified
the friends of Mr. Stewart in their
opinions of his honesty, and left
the loss he had sustained a mys-
terry.
In 1859 Mr.. Fawkcs was elected
to SUCCEED Mr.. Stewart He was
qualified, but after qualifying for
holding the office, he declined to
serve, and resigned on account of
feeling insecure as to The safety of
the funds.
Mr.. j. s. Bcreman was appointed
by the county commissioners, vice
Fawkcs resigned. At the expira-
ton of two years, Mr.. BERGMAN
went out of office, claiming loss
of in and about $4,000.
A. Il. Silcott was elected to sue
coed j. s. Bercman and on the
night of February Sth, 1864, the
county safe was opened by means
Of duplicate key, and on the fol
lowing morning the safe door was
found open, and the duplicate key
fastened in the lock in consequence
of It's becoming twisted or bent so
that the burglars could not lock the
safe nor take the key out Of the
lock. Upon count Of the funds
IL was ascortaincd that there was a
deficiency of 81, 4,743 in the treasury,
Upon Il petition Of tax PAYERS Of
the county, on March 20, 1865, a
law similar to the one now under
consideration was passed for the
relief Of A. Il. Silcott, and the
county commissioners levied tax
and reimbursed Mr.. Silcott,
In 1865 IL county commissioner
was elected upon the issue that the
perpetrators of the robberics upon
the county treasury could be de.
tected. An examination was en-
tered into, experienced detectives
we're employed, and yet no dcauito
results were arrived at.
Hence the theory that from 1858
to 1864 there was n duplicate set of
KEYS in the hands Of some unknown
parties, and that these unknown
parties had irstrobbed Mr., Stewart,
Cd, Mr., Bereman, and Sd Mr.. Sill
colt. Mr. Silcott having been re-
imbursod, the bill under censidera-
tlon, that YOU are asked to vote for,
simply authorizes the commission.
ers to examine into the facts, and
act as the facts surrounding the case
may warrant them to act, The
General Assembly assumes no re-
sponsibility. A large number OF
tax payers petition you to pass
this law. 1t was introduced into
the lower House over one year ago
aud have never seen nor heard OF
a single citizen Of Fayette county
demonstrating against the passage
Of the bill. Therefore / trust the
bin may pass,
-------s - s-----~---
The daughter Of Nine. Jenny