The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-08-02
STARTLING REVELATIONS.
[SpringAeld Register. !

lSpringheld Register.
The Register publishes elsewhere this
morning some facts Of startling character
in relation to the military fund, about
which there has been considerable talk Of
late. A reporter of this paper on yesterday
tried to get at the bottom facts, and in do
ing so earthed scheme which if it bad
successful, would have been giganty steal
from the state treasury of between fifty and
sixty thousand dollars. Fraudulent vouch-
ers were presented and practically approved
| by Gov. Hamilton to dispose of the revenue
| resulting from the one.tenth of mill tax
last year, amounting to upwards of $70,-
| 600, which, under the law appropriating
$4,000 for militia expenses from the gen.
eral fund approved June 25th was to be
turned over to tho general fund and paid
out only on vouchers properly made out
and carefully audited. These fraudulent
| vouchers footed up between $4,000 and
| $50 000 and would have been paid had not
the auditors department "smelled mice"
and put Chief Clerk Henkle on the scent,
He discovered that out Of the nearly or
quite 100000 in vouchers that had been
presented, all but $4,000 or $4,000 were
bare-faced frauds, made up out Of old ac-
counts that had been long ago settled and
paid. This raid on the treasury was pre-
concerted onc-made up by the military de.
partment, and of which the governor as
commander-in-chefm must have been cogni-
zant. Under the old law previous funds
| had been distributed to the different com
| mands pro rata by the governor, and the
money spent at their own sweet will. In
| der the new law $4,000 per annum is APP
propriated for the support of the militia,
but none Of il can be taken from the state
treasury except on the presentation OF prop
err vouchers to the auditor, just as any other
money is drawn from the general fund.
The law was approved on the 25,h of June
and it required the auditor to transfer any
unexpended balance Of the old militia fund
to the general fund on first of July The
scheme of the gang of plunderers was to
leave little if any "unexpended balance"
and it was arranged that the treasury should
be robbed between the 25th of June and
the LIST Of July. 1t WAS between these
dates that the fraudulent vouchers referred
to we're presented; and it was thought by
the rascals who concOcted the scheme, that
the money having been expended by the
different commands and paid by the IN out
of their pro rats share of the old fund, it
would be an easy matter to deceive the au-
dtor by swearing that they had never been
paid and thus get hold of this fifty or sixty
thousand dollars and with it have high
old time or "divy' it round among the mil
itary ring. The governor will doubtless
attempt to shift the responsibility on to the
adjutant general and the adjutant general
will try to put it upon the brigade comman-
ders, and the brigade commands upon the
colonies, and the colonies upon the captains
and the captains upon the commissaries.
But the people will see that no guilty man
escapes. The Register prophecies that
Gov. Hamilton will, as soon as he sees the
exposure we publish this morning, COM
| mence at once 10 "fire" 60 use mllitary(O
phrase the Acknowledgement, thus hoping
to escape the effects of the explosion that is
sure to come.