Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-12-07
grol. Goaatg gegister.
Kelly,s Crookeduess.

Kelly's CrOOkeduess.
(From Poplar Bluff Citizen, Nov. aoth.
On Tuesday Of last week it was whispered
around that there were developments of a
startling nature ut the Court House. Just
what these developments were could not be
ascertained, hut from the action Of several of
the county officials, 1t was evident that some
thing unusual was ut hand. While some had
dropped Madame Rumor hint of what was
up, nothing definite, of course, was known,
and, a. usual, stories went from corner to
corner and greatly enlarged upon the real
state of affairs. 1t was not until about Fri
day that the whole truth flashed upon the
public. On Tuesday afternoon an examina-
tion was made Of certain lot OF Butler coun-
~ six per cent. compromise bonds In the
County Clerks office. A number OF these
bonds had, by order Of the County Court, been
signed up by the President and Clerk OF the
County Court, and left in the Clerks Office
until an opportunity was had to exchange
them for ten per cent. bonds, for which pur-
pose they were issued.
On examination, it was found that coupon
No. 4, amounting to 50, coming due october
LIST, 1883, was detached from seventy -four OF
the bonds. From the appearance OF the
bonds it would seem that the missing cou-
pons were detached in a great hurry, as the
remaining ones were torn in two. Judges
Epps and johnson and County Clerk Met
calfe made the examination, and "Wednesday
morning Mr.. Metcalfe took the train Tor ST.
Louis i'm order to institute a search for the
missing coupons, as it was thought they
would of course be sold in st. Louis.
Arriving in the city he at once repaired to
the Boatmen's Saving Bank, where he notifed
that establishment of the loss and left word
for no more coupons to be paid. A visit was
then made to a number of the broker offices
of the city, where but little trace was had OF
the missing coupons until the office OF l.. A.
Coquard, on Third and Pine streets, was vis-
tied. Entering the private office OF Mr. Co.
unard, Mr.. Metcalfe informed him as to the
nature of his visit, and stepping to his safe,
Mr.. Coauard handed out six of the missing
coupons, with the remark 81 don't remember
who got them from, but 1t was not from
Kelly,n and, "What's the matter with my
warrants, are they forgedF' Metcalfe re-
uuested to see them, but first glanced over
the six coupons and found them to be some
of the bogus ones, then laying down the cou-
pons he picked up the warrants. CHANGING
hurriedly over them, he noticed his own name
forged. with those of Daniel Epps and Josiah
uaruer on warrants amounting to several
hundred dollars. One was made payable to
,J.E. Adams, i'm the sum of one hundred ana
some odd dollars, and DIR. Adams name APP
peared on the back of the warrant. Another
was made payable to T. II. Bradley, In the
sum of six hundred dollars with MIR. Brad
lev,, name as endorser, which was at once
pronounced a forgery. Other warrants rang
ing from S32 to S150 were branded by Met
calfe as forgeries, and as he reacneo 1or
sheet of paper upon which to take the num-
hers Mr., Coauard seized the warrants ana
coupons out of his hands with the remark, II
don't want to get Kelly into any trouble ana
7 want to consult nv attorney in this matter
before take any steps," He continually re-
,,sad IN give the numbers of these warrants,
as well as most of the others, from george II.
Kelly. At one of the brokers' offices 1t was
found where Kelly had offered some OF the
coupons for sale, and fully satished OF VINO
the guilty party was, Mr.. Metcalfe at once
went to the telegraph Office and sent the fol-
,.,,,;,o d;spatcb. which was received here
Thursday afternoon:
10 7,bomos M. johnson, Poplar Btng.
Conuard has six of the missing coupons,
o,so county warrants amounting to several
hundred dollars with names OF Epps, HarpeI
and Metcalfe forged. He refuses TO give me
numbers. Our man is In Ausun' ha'o s'eps
taken Mt once for requlsltloh.
IJnon the receipt of this Mr.. johnson nj
once proceeded to get up the necessary pa
pers and nv that nights mail forwarded them
n Gov. Crittenden. kilograms were sent TO
Anstin and St, Louis by Mr.. johnson, notify
ing the authorities to be on the Ioosout ioi
and arrest George II. Kelly. On FRIDAY nish'
Mr.. Metcalfe received a telegram 1ro" 90
ouard which read: "Kelly Will be here TO-
morrow morning." Word was ut once sent
the St. Louis Chief of Police to watch out 1oi
him. TWAS not known just where the want
Cd man was, but both st. Louis and Austin
xrere kent closely watched, but 1t was sup
nosad Inv some that Coquard's telegram was
merely "blind." Time, OF course VIII tel
all things, but we are free to say tnat MT
Coouard's action requires some explanation
1ya have no wish to do him any injustice, ou'
-, r,uuot but feel, in common with all the
citizens of our county, that he acted at least IL
xvroro manner towards the county In refus'
a.. to rander any assistance in the matter.
: -exvard Of one hundred dollars has been
offered for Kelly, and there Is no doubt ou'
what it is simply matter OF time when ne
will be caught. To the writer this mas peen
tho saddest duty of his life to chronicle tne
fall of one with whom he has SO long peen
aa,,oc,ed. George III. Kelly was raised in
this county from child, and is known to
,,asr,y every man, woman and child within
"a limits His generous disposition made
him many friends, and in 1878 he was elected
County Clerk. He proved himself an en-
o,sr, Clerk until two years ago, when NJ
Cieh' "a ,>o,,l;vonee I'm his office