Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-01-02
THE sAM LAPPIN CASE

IOfmer treasurer OF H Is state, II
Charged With Forging School Bonds.
The following are the reasons filed
recently in the Shawnee county district
court by the attorney general, for enter
ing nolle prosequi in the case against
Sam Lappin for forging school bonds. To
old residents of the state it would hardly
be necessary to publish those portions Of
the reasons which treat of the origin Of
the charge, but there are many new
corners in the state, to whom the matte,
will be new.
Il will be remembered that the house
of representatives at its last session
adopted a resolution asking the attorney
general to enter a nolle if in his opinion
il was not probable that Mr.. Lappin
could be convicted. The senate refused
to concur in the resolution on the
ground, mainly that it was the duty o.
the attorney general to enter nolle
whenever he became satisfied that testi-
nony to convict could not be had.
1t has been evident for long time to
those conversant with the case. that no
testimony could be found, and Mr.. Brad.
ford very properly nolled the case yes
terday:
In the district court Of Shawnee county, state OF
Kanssf.-The State of Kansas, plaintiff, VS..
Samuel Lappin, defendant.
These cases are criminal prosecutions
commenced in December, 1875, and JAM
nary, 1876, by Hon. A. H. Vance, county
attorney of Shawnee county, and Hon.
A. M. F. Randolph and Hon. Willard
Davis, my predecessors in this Office,
against Samuel Lappin, ex-state treasur-
er of this state. Two of the informa-
tions are charges Of forgery of certain
school district bonds, which were after
ward sold to the school fund commits
aloners Of the state of Kansas for the
permanent school fund of the state, and
1og which the sum of $I7,84S.74 was
paid. The other two cases are informa-
fions charging an embezzlement of the
Ame amount of money.
The bonds referred to in the informa-
tions as fraudulentand forgeries are those
Of certain school districts in Mitchell
county, for which orders on the treas
mer of state for the amount of 1895
we're issued in favor of one S.Whitcomb b,
and bonds CT school districts in Jewell
county, for which orders to the amount
of $6, 59l .65 were issued in favor of one
Thomas Manford, and bonds of school
districts in Republic county, for which
orders to the amount of $6,26209 were
issued to one Richard Miner.
The circumstances under which these
bonds were purchased by the school
3hnd commissioners, were as follows:
About August 2Sth, 1875, letter was
received at the Office of the superintend-
ent of public instruction, of which the
following is copy:
ST.. JOSEPH, No.. August 9th, 1875.
HcsI John Fraser, Supt. Pub. Inst of Kansas.
DEAR SIR: / have been informed by
Mr.. w. B. Craig, of this place, that you
are buying school district bonds. have
100000 to 100000 of four school dis
fricts in Mitchell county, issued this last
year in May and June. You can state
your highest price for them, and state
how I shall forward them. They bear
ten per cent. interest, and run from five
and eleven years. Hyour offer is high
enough I will forward them imme-
diately. Yours Truly,
S. WHITooMB.
In reply to an answer to the above let
ter the Mitchell county bonds were re.
ceived by mail on the End day of Sep
TENDER, 1875. On the 3rd day of Sep.
TENDER Mr.. Lappin came before the
board and informed them that he had
letter from Mr.. Witcombinstructing him
to collect the money for the bonds and
remit to him by exchange, producing,
when afterwards interviewed by the
commissioners, December Is, 1875, the
following letter:
ST. JOSEPH, No, Sept. l, 1875.
Treasurer of STATE Topeka, Kansas:
DEAR SIR have forwarded to the
superintendent of public instruction of
Kansas, between $1,000 and $4,000 in
school bonds of Kansas for sale.
I had directed him in case the
sale was made, to have you send me the
money in exchange. You will please
forward it to me here. Yours Truly,
S. WEITCoMB.
These bonds were purchased by the
commissioners on the 9TH day of Septem-
Der, and Mr.. Lappin being absent from
the Office at the time the order was
Issued and delivered to ID. B. Emmert,
his chief clerk.
Similar letters inquiring whether the
commissioners were purchasing school
bonds, and the price paid, and after q
favorable answer other letters enclosing |
the Jewell and Republic county bonds |
were during the next two months re.
ceived from Thomas Manford at St. Jo-
seph, Mo-, and Mr.. Richard Miner, at |
Kansas City. The order for the purchase
money of these bonds were mailed to |
Manford and Miner at St.Joseph and
Kansas City respectively. These forged |
signatures to the bonds and these sever. |
al letters Tor most of the letters) have |
been identified by witnesses to be in the
of Lappin. The orders
issued for these bonds ware ali found in
the state treasury when Mr.. Lappin
turned the Office over to his successor,
Mr.. John Francis, and appeared to have
been endorsed by the persons to whose
order they were were drawn, and were
marked paid, and cancelled in the usual !
manner. It is q fact, however, that the |
orders for the Whitcomb bonds, }deliv-
cred to NJ. Emmert, were by him deliv-
cred to Mr.. Lappin, who drew the
money therefor. On the same day,
LAppin purchased exchange on Chica-
90 bank, payable to his order for the |
full amount of these orders, less $500
exchange and on the 18th day of Sept |
tember, Mr.. Lappin presented this dra |
ut the Chicago bank in person and o b |
tanned the proceeds which he admitted |
he used in q real estate transaction of
his own.
With respect to the Manford and
Miner orders it is fact that |
Mr.. Lappin was in st. Joseph and Kan
sas City on days the orders to those per-
sons were received there. That at st |