Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-11-04
KLEPTOMANIAC KERR.
he rs SHORT ON HIS INSANE ASY-
LJM ACCOUNTS OYER $4,000.

Report of the Accountants Who Have
Been Investigating the Books of the
Rev. Kerr, Insane Treasurer at st. Peter
They Find Them Delusion and a Snare
The readers of the GLOBE will remember
that on the 2Sth of September the Senate
investigating committee came to deter
mination to ask the Governor to appoint an
accountant to go through the whole accounts
of the insane asylum with their secretary.
This determination came from the fact that
Mr.. William Smith, the secretary, found 80
many errors in Treasurer Kerr's account
all of which, with one exception, were
against the State, and the books in
such a deplorable state of incompleteness
and confusion that he asked the committee
to give him some one to go through the
books with him. He found errors which
some of the committee did not think were
errors, notably that in the issue of scrip,
when Mr.. Kerr charged to Mr.. Dryer scrip
to the amount Of some ST. 600, which that
gentleman said he never had. Another mat
that $4,000 deficit was apparent in one
year from Mr.. Kerr's books and the vouch
ers at the capitol. These facts, and the oc-
currence of the changing of figures in pay
rolls and books, made Mr.. Smith anxious to
have some one associated with him to take
part of the responsibility. After consulta
ton with the Governor it was agreed that
Mr.. Knox, the puplic examiner, should go
through the accounts with MIR. Smith, but
as that gentleman wished to take the whole
thing in his own hands, another consultation
was necessary, and finally it was arranged
that Mr. Knox and Mr.. j. Fl. Randall, of st.
Paul, representing the Governor, and Will
liam Smith, of lie Seuer, and W. d. Hurl-
but, of Rochester, for the committee, should
prepare a complete exhibit of the financial
history of the institution. The gentlemen
went to work with a will Mr.. Randall pre-
pairing a statement and MI. Hurlbut another,
both independent of the other, Mr.. Smith
giving his valuable aid to both palties, as he
had gone completely through the accounts
before. These statements, named in
the report exhibits A and j, it is
not necessary to reproduce in these
columns, as the results are shown in the ex-
hibit given below.
The experts finished their labors few
days ago, and furnished Mr.. Kerr with a
statement showing the deficiencies in his
accounts, and asking that gentleman to rise
and explain. Mr. Kerr came down and at
tempted to explain that which was inexplica-
BILE. It was, indeed, pitiful sight to see
him try to wrestle with glaring, burning
figures and facts which admitted of
but one solution. The old gentleman
received a severer handling from
the experts than he did from the Senators
these men of figures saw nothing and knew
nothing, but the gross and glaring errors,
the deficiencies, which caused the State to
lose some $4,000.
On Saturday the experts reported to Gov
ernor Pillsbury and Senator Doran, chair
man of the investigating committee.
1t will be seen that the errors pointed out
by MI. Smith to the committee and pub
lished in the GLOBE are each and all of them
confirmed by the report. This must be very
gratifying to MIR. Smith, whose immense
labors with pile of unintelligible figures
was the means Of getting order out of chaos.
And it must be very humiiating to the rings
organ and hackers to be compelled at length
to acknowledge that not one statement ap
pearing in the GLOBE reports, which they
howled about SO yociferous!y, was incorrect.
The report of the experts deals very char
itably with Mr.. Kerr and tho manag-
ing trustees who audited the accounts,
when it calls altering figures in pay rolls en-
ror in addition and soforth. The report
rightly does not consider extravagant prices,
work paid for twice, rs contract and extra
work allowances to contractors, buying
houses to present to employees and all the
other extortionate claims by trustees. mile
age steals and maintenance thets of Strait
and others. They properly concluded that
these matters were more within the province
OF the Investigating committee-they con-
fired themselves merely to the figures as given
in vouchers on file. 1t will be seen FROM the
report that $4,000 was not entered on
the books at all, neither were vouchers for
its expenditure to be found at the State au-
ditor's Office, but they were Forthcoming
from St. Peter. Why were they sup
pressed?
In justice to the laundering (?) Kerr, the
clerical treasurer, secretary, and trustee and
present building superintendent and fur
nishing agent at Rochester, it shonld be
stated that he happened, for variety's sake,
to throw in one little item of $1OO against
himself
The following is the report:
Nov. 2, 1878.
Hon. j. s. Pillsbury, Governor of Minnesota:
SIR: have the honor to submit herewith the
accompanying report of the examination of the
books and vouchers of the Minnesota hospital
for the insane at st. Peter.
IN TINS work the examiner has had the inval-
liable assistance Of Mir. j. X. Randall, of this
city, and Mr.. w. D. Hurlbut. of Rochester, both
competent and accomplished accountants, and
also that Of Mr.. William Smith, of lie Sueur,
secretary of the Senate investigating commit
yEh ho
vouchers have been carefully made by my as
sistant, Mr. A. Whitman.
am happy to be able to say that the conclu-
sions arrived at are concurred in by all, SO that
all join in the report
Trusting that the figures submitted may
and that thus a definite solution of these in
trlcate and vexing problems may be furnished.
l am, very respectfully, your obedient SER
want, HENRY NJ Knox.
Public Examiner.
In examining the accounts and vouchers of
the Minnesota hospital for the insane, the
scope and the mode of the investigation were
frstto be determined.
AS to the scope and extent of it we have
understood that we were simply to ascertain
the COZ rectness of the accounts, the Senate in
vestigating committee having, with much
greater facilities OF time and witnesses, gone
over the ground of the general management
S ~ oilo 'salues 1uu purposes OF expenditures.
We have therefore taken up the accounts from
the first entries upon the books of the organ
lied institute, on August I'd, 1866. and have in
our examination covered the time from that
date to the LIST day of October Of the pres
emit year. QS7S) period Of twelve years and
two months.
The basis or mode of procedure were readily,
agreed upon by us all. The treasurer's books.
although exceedingly imperfect as system of
housekeeping, are yet remarkably
fulla in their entries. thus
atfnrdinn n Very eon,nlata ...a