The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-07-25
swiudle on School Directors Exposed l..
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC Instruction,
GpRINCEIRI LII IIIl.. u 1874

| DEPARTMENT oP PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
= SPRINGFIELD Ill, July q, 1874 (
In behalf Of School Directors who, Ia spite OF
peated warning and exposure from this office, con-
tinue TO be cheated and plundered by willy knaves
the effective aid OF the press Is respectively re
quested in the publication of the following com
munication
The Supreme Court has decided that School Di
| rectors have authority TO give corporate notes,
with or without interest for any purpose, or under
any circumstances whatever. II any Treasursr has
not Circular No. Al, current series he should i'm
mediaely apply at this Office for copy, 1t containi
| two very important opinions OF the supreme Cour1
touching the class Of cases described below and
full instructions frhm this office, whereby such
swindling transactions may be ehectually checked
| (Signed) NEWTON BATEMAS,
Superintendent of Public Instruction,
Within the last few days, the tail end Of
school map swindle has just come to light
in the vicinity of Pana, briefly as follows
In 1868, one G. W. Wilson canvassed
every school district in this community,
and took Directors orders for school-maps
$25 for the set, taking at the same time,
as it now appears, the School Director S
notes, as Directors, for $25, payable six,
twelve, or eighteen month after date, at
10 per cent interest. On the same paper
and Immediately below, was attached a
blank school order on the school Treasur-
err for $25 to pay the note. Directors in
making their contracts, it seems, were re-
quired to sign the note as Directors, and
also to sign the order for $25 to pay the
note. The Directors order for 1925 was
presented to the Treasurer and paid, nc
reference to note being in the order.
The maps 10 the meantime had been re-
ceived, their real value being not to ac-
| coed S..
SO the matter passed out of mind until
July IA, 1874, when tall man Of genteel
address secured the country, hunted up
the School Directors, and presented the
old notes drawn by the Directors in 1868,
demanding payment. The Directors in
most cases, are not the same as 1868, and
they know nothing about it personally.
If they are the same old Directors, they
protest that the debt has been paid, but
they are met with prima facie evidence
that they are mistaken, for here is the
note that is now represented as belonging
to some bank in st. Louis, endorsed G..
w. Wilson, and that n G. Claybourne,
attorney at law, St. Louis, has employed
the agent to hunt up and collect, etc, SO
the Directors are induced by some means
to take up the note and draw a new order
on the Treasurer for the amount with the
accrued interest stating that it is for school
apparatus, the new order to bear interest
at 10 per cent if not paid, thus converting
the old note into commercial paper. Two
or three OF these orders have been pre-
sented to me, and payment refused, for
the reason that the debt has been paid.
Next, the agent discounts the order to
some man in the country, and pockets the
cash, after haying presented the order on
| which Daymeut was refused.
How extensive this may be | cannot tell
but School Directors should keep their
hands OFF until they know of certainty
that they are right.
(Signedl W. L. DoBDs,
School Treasurer, Pana, III.
certify that the above statement is
correct III every particular.
L. NJ. MALONE,
Commissioner Southern Normal Univer-
| Sitv