The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-12-12
A Shortage.

The many frIends-of Dave Blackburn.
who was for many years conductor on
the c., B. & @. until he was elected
treasurer of Lee county by the republicans
two years ago, will regret to learn that
his accounts as the custodian of the public
money of Lee county shows shortage of
$4,000.
The Gazette first learned of the fact a
few days ago, and awaited some notice of
it by the Fl. Madison and KeokUrk papers
which appeared as follows in the Satur
day editions. The Fit Madison Plain
De,Ier said:
There is a rumOr which has been cur
rent several days in our city, that our
county treasurer is short in his accounts
some twelve or fourteen thousand dollars,
and from what we can learn there is good
ground for credence of the report. We
hope, however, that the picture may not
he rs black as it is printed. If it is true,
however, we will remark right here that
such occurrences are becoming entirely
too common in Lee county for the couu
tvs good, and we say right here, let no
guilty man escape
lit htohuN LtCNtHtE 10 ~ bllt bIi1 pdptl
in that place by which it has been made
public. 1t contained this Considerate
notice of the deficiency:
The board of supervisors of Lee county
met at Fort Madison Wednesday night. as
we understand, to investigate the rumor
of shortage in the accounts of the treas,
urer of the county.
Wo understand that thiS invest iUation
disclosed a shortage of S12 900 in the
Keokuk department of the business of the
office The Fort Madison department, as
far as we have been able to learn, appears
TO be all right
We hope that there has been some mis-.
take in the calculations, but those who are
in a position to know. state that there can
be no error in the fact of the deficiency.
We are not prepared to believe that d .
W. Blackburn, the county treasurer,
would intentionally violate his trusts and
duties as public officer He has enjoyed
the highest confidence of the people, and
has always borne an enviable reputation
tor rectitude. For this reason we forbeal
comment until further investigations are
made. We are disposed to treat Mr.
Blackburn kindly and charitably. But
were he democrat, the republicans would
trumpet the shortage throughout the
| land.
The Gazette learns from reliable sources
that Mr.. Blackburn admits that $12,00L
will be necessary to balance his account
with the county, and promises to make it
good by January LIST, when his term ex-
pires The deficiency is in the Kepkuk
office, which is in charge of Mr.. Spencer
his deputy, and the opinion prevails that
this officer and Mr. Blackburn alone know
what became of the missing money
Banks at Fort Madison and Keokuk arc
| on Mr.. Blackburn bond and the county
will be fully protected. In view of the
defalcation of his pred ecessor and the i'm
prisonment in the penitentiary of the for
mer Keokuk deputy, the affair brings
with it much surprise and very general
regret. Mr. Blackburn has many friends
here, who will be 10th to believe that he is
guilty of peculation, and will hope that
the deficiency was created without his
knowledge and not detected because OF
his unfamiliarity with bookkeeping
Welsing, the defaulting predecessor OF
Treasurer Blackburn. was democrat, and
his ENFORCEMENT gave the republican
organs of Lee county chance to ride Mr.
Blackburn into an office for which he was
altogether unsuited, on a reform wave
and his friends expected an honest ad-
ministration of the office.