The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-08-21
efIatIeo1ls.
g OID-TISdE Politics, AND P0LTy
100 rATA NgIcIANs. M
rno Grs.t rreasurr DefAIc.tIoarIa OAio.

Tho Great Treasury DefAIcGtiOn IN Ohio.
The much talked about, But never ys
III. g., ''hArdIy sver"- Heen-7clAp .
H thunder hom cloudleps sky could no
g have Sastqhiahed the sRv5tagepatrio NOR
a" than did the announcement, while VIM
FL. Gibson was Treasurer Of State, Of
defalCation in the State Treasury Of owe
$S006OO OF the money Of the tsx-payeri
ofOhio.
The immediate predecessors Of Mr.
Gibson we're Albert A. Bliss Of Lorair
county, Wing, and John g. Breslin o
Seneca county, Democrat each Of whom
had served two terms as Treasurer o.
Statel Ruuior conpectsd both these gen.
tlsmeh while in Office Of using the.pub
lie funds. When Mr.. Bliss left the office
there ia no doubt of the fact that he was
largely in default, and Breslin's friends
charge that his shortcomngswere caused
by his attempt to cover up the delin'
quency of Bliss, while the friends Of
Gibson charge that his shortcomings
were, in like manner, caused by his at
tempt to shield Breslin, who was his
abrother.in.law Such were the excuses
offered for each of these men.
On his retirement from Office there is
= no doubt of the fact that bliss was in de-
fault for large amount Of money which
Camsinto bis hands as State Treasurer.
He afterward compromised the matter
0ivith the State authorities, the State
agreeing to take certain lands in pay
ment of the claim, 40, J,..,N
.. The Breslin-G Gibson default has curious
facts connected with it, which are we'll
worth narrating. uuu3a .a asn i9
@ .a.Mr. Gibson had not long been in the
3j Treasurer's office, before keen.sighted
biJ financial men began to doubt his prob.
ity.i He took large amounts of stock in
railroads and in banks, while his per-
sonal property was not worth $4,000 The
State Senate ordered an examination of
the Treasury, and Mr.. Alfred Kelly, as
20 chairman Of the finance committee of
fl. that body, conducted the examination.
In an official statement, made under his
oath of Office, dated March IA, 1866, just
n two months after Breslin had left the of
'.. fee and Gibson was sworn in, Mr.. Glib
son states that on that day there was an
81 unexpected balance in the Treasury of
$1,400, ,225 20, which was the precise
amount the books of the State Auditor
showed ought to be there. If this state,
ment was true, and it was made by Glib.
son under his oath of Office, there was
then no defalcation in the Treasury. Mr..
Breslin, between Jan. 14th 1866, and the
14th of March, the same year, must have
accounted for and paid over to his sue.
Cessof every cent he received as Treas
q urer of State. To strengthen this state.
Inent, in his letter to Mr., Kelly, dated
fifteen days after his sworn statement
appeared, Mr. Gibson says that between
rs the day he took the Office as Treasurer of
bus State and the Sd Of March, less than two
months, Breslin had paid into the Treas
tirY $780, 10l ,57, and in his annual report
dated Nov, 10th, 1853, he Acknowledges
the receipt Of the entire amount due the
TreasuEy-fFom Mr. BFeslin, except the
sum OF S. 800, ,92, which amount he Glib
sony had taken upon himself, W,
aI r Previous to Mr.. Gibson's annual re-
port, In Nov. 1855, MrgKelly ysSenate ri,
NJ nance committee counted the funds in
the Treasury. All, the money which
ought to be in the Treasury at that time
was produced and counted, and was sat-
iHRacIoFily accounted for. There was
o. not, the Treasurer stated in his examin-
alton, a single draft or paper represent
ing money, but which the money could
be realized on in two days. Mr..
Brealln had at that time, Mr. Gibson said
on higefiGial cath, ,plaeedat his disposal
funds to meet his entire liability except
1300O0-Tin his former oath he said 30
S99,92. " 'N' 'o '' ."-' "a
Still lacking confidence in the Treas.
ureF, and apprehensiVe that the money
of the people had been squsndered, the
Legislature, by Joint resolution, appoints
ed the Senate and House Committees on
Finance, with full powers to examine
the books of the Auditor Of State and
State Tleasurer--to examine into the
practices Of the State Treasurer, and to
count the funds in the vaults Of the
IFoA6uTys III tH0 SAhutuhbUu VI bu0
q, State Treasurer, under oath, that func-
tionary again swore that the money, &C.,
in the Treasury belonged to the State,
and he gave day and date Of the amounts
Of money paid him by Breslin, amount,
ing to near half million dollars, in
seven payments--$84 681 in January,
ST. ,258 in February, and $329, ,296 on the
Sd and 9th Of March, 1855.
The committee published in their re.
port, "a statement of the condition of the
funds in the Treasury, made by the com
mittee from. personal examination, aided
by the Treasurer (Mr. Gibsen) and his
clerks, in Dec. 1853" That statement
showed that every cent OF the money
that ought to be in the Treasury was
there. That fact is renewed evidence
that there was no defalcation on the
part Of Mr.. Breslin; that every cent he
owed the Treasury was paid TO Gibson,
b He had given day and date Of Bpeslih's
payments; had testified, too, that these
4 payments were made, over and over
again, swearing to the fact. And yet,
when the defalcation Of Gibson was dislI
covered and he was dismissed from office,
he again appeared as. a willing witness,
ha and swofe that ALI he had previously
sworn, to as true was dslsel The money
\ he said wRsin the Treasury was not in
1. the Treasury. The funds and effects he
produced as belonging TO the State, and