Iron County register., 1883-06-07
Butler County Finances.

The Citizen of last week contains q
statement Of the financial condition OF
Butler county. The footings showing
the indebtedness Of the county are as
follows:
Amt 10 per cent. bonds outstanding, 81 100
Amt per cent. bonds outstanding, 1880
$4,000
Outstanding warrants. 1926
S56, ,s26
We give entire that portion of the
statement referring to the forged war
rants whose discovery engrossed the
attention Of all Southeast Missouri last
year:
Statcmsnto Of the matter of Forged Warrants
and Stolen Coupons Of Butler County, as
the same appears from papers nooo on fle
in the County Clerks office.
LIST OF FORGED WARRANTS KNOWN TO BE
IN EXISTENCE.
Found in possession of L. A. Co.
guard, Sd & Pine St., st. Louis. 1922 80
Found In possession of j. w. Emer-
son, Ironton, Mo. 3,254 90
Found in possession of Donaldson
Fraley, Sd g. Olive Sts., St. Louis 776 Is
Found in possession Of Benton
Countz, Hannibal, Mo........... 2s7 80
Total amount of forged warrants
known to exist. S8,241 40
Coupons Detached from Butler County ten
per cent. Funding Bonds ,ohich had been
redeemed by the County.
Numbers 17R- 1TT ITO 1S5 12R 1Q5
from 211 to 214, inclusive; ZIG, PIT,
219, and from 900 to 226, both inclu-
sive; 249, 250, from 257 to 263, both
inclusive; and from 265 to 27s, both
inclusive; and oS3, 2s4, 2s6, 29O and
292. Total amount. $46O 90
Most of the above coupons held by Don
aldson & Fraleg, st. Louis.
Coupons purportilg to be from Butler County
sic per cent. Compromise Bonds aohich ,oere
sold in st. Louis and the Bonds for aohich
a1ere neoer issued.
From No. 429 to No. 502, both inclu-
sive. ....................... $3.50 90
From No. S43 to 351-17 coupons... $40 90
Total. $500 90
Butler County Si1 Per Cent. Bonds tohich
nere neuer issued, and ,ohich are on the
market Gad cannot 0e JOunG.
From No. 343 to No. 351, both inclu-
sive, bonds, each in the sum of $500 $500
Statement of monies en6ezzled and used
from ,odrrGnts issued as J0llO,os:
Warrant No. 10, issued to Hannibal
Printing Co., April %, 1882, which
said company claim to never have
received ....................... SlSI 66
Warrant No. 451, issued in favor of
Geo. Fl. Kelly to pay lunatic asy-
lum on Jan. q, 1881, 257 06 !
Total. s444 y !
POSSIBLE LIABILITY OF COUNTY.
Amount of warrants embezzled,.... $444 Y |
Amount of 6 per cent. bogus coupons
cashed by Josiah Harper, Treasurer $40 90 /
Total possible loss .$1254 Y
PROBABLE SOURCE OF RELIEF TO COUNTY
FROM LIABILITY.
From bondsmen of person who en-
bezzled the above amounts, ,....... S4t4 .
From authorities that the Treasurer
himself is liable for bogus coupons
paid by him. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. $40 90
Total. sl254 r.
RRCAPITULATION.
amount SC,sf1 fO /
Amount OF 10 per cent. coupons. AGO 90
Amount of 6 per cent. coupons.... $50 90
Amount of money embezzled,..... 444 72
Amount Of per cent. bonds forged $500 90
Grand total, .................$14,6O6 II
OF the above only the amount Of 81 ,2A p
can possibly fall on the county, and it is held
by good authorities that that amount can be
recovered from the proper persons.
The capital fund for thepublic schools
of Butler county is Sl2, ,059.34, with ST.
3l5.35 interest due on money loaned.
The county was originally the possess
sor of about $4,000 acres of swamp
lands, the proceeds from the sale Of
which were to be used, first, for re-
and draining overflowed land;
and the surplus, if any, was to be
turned over to the common school
fund. Was there ever an acre drained
and reclaimed? Only $4,000 acres of
swamp lands remain in possession ofl
the county: the remainder has gone
where the woodbine twineth.
Iron county was formed in 1857, outI
of portions of Madison. Wayne, Reyn-
olds. Washington Dent and ST. Fran
co.'s, assuming $4,000 of the famous ,
"gravel road debt" Of Madison. She 5
has built and owns as fine courthouse !.