, 1888-03-21
TATE SKIPPED OUT
Disappearance Of the State
Treasurer of Kentucky.
His Shortage Between $150,OOO
and 100000.
Good Nature Said to be the
Cause of His Trouble.
Flown.

FRANKFoRT, KY, March 20.-Gover-
nor Buckner this morning suspended
Treasurer OF State James w. Tate. Tate
is charged with deialcation in his office
and it is said he has fled the state. The
defaulting official has been treasurer
twenty-one years. 1t is thought that
Tate's shortage will amount to between
$50, 900 and $4,000.
An investigation was Immediately insti-
tuted on the recommendation of Governor
Buckner and disclosed before noon a de-
felt in Tate's Office of $3.50, 900. The
Irregularities ran back eleven years.
The discovery of the shortage Is the
result of an examination OF Tate's books
commenced some days G by an expert
accountant. Tate's bond was for $500, 900
and is well covered. He was in Louis
vile Saturday night when he was OBJ
served to be drinking hard, an unusual
thing for him. Since that time he has
not been seen ard his whereabouts are
unknown.
Tate was elected state treasurer in 1867,
having been nominated by the Democrats.
lie has been re elected continuously at
each election since then, making his terms
of office twenty years on Aug. 81 last. In
the last Democratic campaign Tate had
hO ODiOSlllbn hl tut uOullLlhllOl. INGTN-
body laughed at the idea of opposing
Honest Old Dick Tate" He received
the nomination for the tenth consecutive
time. His maiorities have always stood
among the largest on hIs ticket and"Mer-
ry, Honest, Jolly, Dick Tate" has been
one of the most widely known and uni
versal men in Kentucky.
Up to tonight it is impossible to state
the exact amount of the shortage, but it
is now f~luctuating between $780, 900 and
S400, 900. The first intimation of the
shortages came in Yesterday, when a COM
parison of the auditors statement of
what should be in the bank showed that
such amount was not there. This, coupled
with the fact that the treasurer had not
been seen since Friday at Frankfort,
caused an examination to be made, with
the result that the states money was dis
covered to have been squandered In large
amounts.
Since the investigation was thought of,
the stories about the strange conduct of
Tate have been made public. State Sen
ator Wright says that on Thursday last
Tate questioned him closely and at great
length as to the exact provisions in the
~extradition treaties between the United
States and Canada. Also with Mexico.
Wright did not pay much attention at the
time.
What has become of the money no one
knows. Tate never specialized, and is
said not to have been an evtravagant
liver. Year by year the money had
leaked out, however, and the shortage
seems to have been running back a dozen
years.
Mr.. Herndon of this city, who was at
one time teller in a bank at Frankfort,
says that Tate's d~efalcation will involve
state officials and citizens of high stand
ing. He says it was the custom of many
state officials to go to Tate and get him to
cash notes for them, promising to pay as
soon as their vouchers were due. When
they secured the vouchers, however, they
would defer payment, and the good ma
tured treasurer failing to push the claims,
he accumulated a mass of such securities
as must by this time be simply enormous.
There is no indication that Tate took
any money with him. 1t is thought the
report of the investigators will furnish a
definite light as to when and whom Tate
loaned the money. 1t is said that memo
randa in his Office shows a loan of $50
600 to a certain whisky trust, and S25, 900
to a Louisville company. Ii has been
TatC's custom to settle up every year, and
never until now was there the least hest
tation on his part to square the accounts
with the auditor. This time, however,
there much procrastination and he has
been putting the auditor off since Janu-
AIRY.
Last week the auditor grew urgent and
on Thursday Tate went to Louisville, say
ing he would be back Friday. Not hav-
ing beer heard from Saturday night his
family grew uneasy, as did also the au-
ditor. Telegraphic correspondence ELECTED
the fact that Tate left Louisville Friday
morning on the Cincinnati train. Then
Auditor Hewitt ordered a balance to be
taken and it was found that there was in
the bank Sl24,000 less than the vouchers
called for.
Tate's wife and daughter are much pros
trated. No one seems to have any idea
OF where he has gone