Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-08-15
MR.. KELLYS TRUST.
Made Good and the Circumstances Ex.
planned.
The LOUISVILLE PENSION AGENCY.
The Subject Of a Sensation Mary Anderson
On His Bond With
OTHERS, MAKING THE sum GOOD.

LOUISVILLE, August 14.-On the first
day of March, 1886, Colonel Robert NJ.
Kelley, who was appointed Pension Agent
at this place by President Grant, and who
took charge of the Office December 2G, was
holding it continuously, until, on the first
named date, he was succeed by General
Don Carlos Buell., appointed as Kelley's
successor in December, 1886.
Late in June, going about streets, one
occasionally met an unpleasant rumor to
the effect that there was something the
matter with Colonel Kelley's accounts as
Pension Agent-that he was short several
thousand dollars. Most of the rumOrs
added that he had been made the victim
of an INSCRIPTIONS New York SpeculatOr,
and that the loss, though considerable,
had been made good.
These rumors could not be traced to any
authentic source, and were huShed up I'M
accOuntably until a bomb was exploded in
camp, when the first authentic information
came from Washington, to the effect that
the Third Auditors Office havingin charge
the accounts of pension agents, had discOv-
cred shortages to the amount of $3.50, ,O00
more than SD, 900 of which aggregate was
discovered to be out in the Louisville
Office. But it had all been paid, immedi
ately on receipt of this intimatiOn.
THE BOMB EXPLODED.
A Louisville evening papers staff went
to work to sitt the C;lSe down. To-day il
says:
Neither fearing any man nor fayOring
any beyond his deserts, we feel impcllcd
to state to the general public that when
Col. r. NJ. Kelley transferred the Louis
Vile pension office to Gen. Buell., on the
lst of last March, he was dCiaulter 10 the
United States Government in the sum of
S5S, 1876 20. The actual facts are as fol-
lows: Col. Kelley had charge Of the Pen
sion Office thirteen years, two months and
five days His dcialcation w:lS not sudden,
but began Immediately after his aSsump-
ton of the office, and continued to grow
throughout his term. At first the short
dSC NSLS NblllNhlltAA l1INbI.niN''i"''iN' '''
after lS1S it Swcllcd in volume, and in the
less than eight years from that time To the
end of his term the great bulk of the
money was gotten away with. In that
time his shortage tOotS up over 500, 900.
Colonel Kelley executed seven bonds
while he was Pension Agent, and the date
OF each bond, with the names of the Sccur-
itics i'll each, and the amount of missing
money for which they were liable, have
been secured. His seventh and last bond,
executed in ISL, protected his tran$lc-
tiOns during period of two years, and his
expenses for that time appear TO have been
considerable as he managed, besides his
SALARY, To get away with S3O,3l5.91 Of the
Governments money.
While Colonel Kelley was initiating Gen
eral Buell into the methods of conducting
the Office, he took no pains To point out
this deficiency to him, and nobody can
blame him for wishing TO pat OF the evil
day rs long as possible. II is said that
Colonel Kelley managed
HIS SHORTAGE
by keeping it under the head Of an uneX-
pended balance in New IOrk's sub-Treas-
ury. Colonel Kelley probably made
requisitiOn for the payment pensions be
fore General Buell. went into office, and Us
the latter could not in short time become
familiar with the details, nc had not been
expected to discover anything wrong. Bm
when the time arrived for makingth June
acquisitions further cOnCcalmcnt was i'm
possible.
1t was about the lStO June that Colonel
Kelley disappeared 1t was reported that
he was in New York, but there is 4 rumor
pretty well authenticated that he took
refuge in Canada, and from that friendly
cline informed his bOndsmen of the cOndi-
ton of affairs They determined To make
the shortage good, and notified Colonel
Kelley to come home. Only a part OF
those who were liable contributed any
thing. Some of the others may not have
known of the dcialcatiOn, and some that
knew probably declined to give anything
Here is a list of contributions and sources
whence derived: Il. Dupont, Slj,OOO; T.
K. Schmidt, $l5, 900: X. J. Brown. 5000;
r. J. Griffith estate estate, 5000; Mary
Anderson, s., 500; Byron o. Carr, $3.50;
Mrs. Woodward s., 800: four subscribers,
Sl, ,UOD clCn, St,VVO' HILIN l. hlileI'
$1,000; J. X. GOodloe, 500; Douglass
Sherley, 1000. Total, So, 100. The re-
mainder necessary to make up the de
ficiency, amounting to $1,000, was CON
tributed by Colonel Kelley, from the pro-
ceeds of a farm in Florida; and thus the
matter was arranged.
Miss Mary Anderson, who came to his
relief with the generous donation of 3d.
800. is the celebrated actress, and she was
in no way liable for his deficit. i. Dupont,
who gave $4,000, is the owner of the
Commercial, of which paper Colonel Kelley
was editor"
Colonel Kelly furnished the following
card to the press tonight:
The publication in this city and else
where in reference to my accounts as United
States Pension Agent, makes it proper for
me to state that have paid over all gov
ernment funds for which | was response
Bile; have discharged fully all liabilities on
nv official bonds, and owe the government
nothing. As to any money loaned me by
my personal friends, that is matter be
tween ME and them, with the details of
which the public has no Legitimate con-