New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-24
GONE WITH THE FUNDS OF A CITY
TREASURER AxwORTHY. OF CLEVELAND.
OHIO. MISSING WITH NEARLY 100000.
BELIEVED TO HAVE FLED TO EURoPE-No
MOTIVE KNOWN FOR THE oRIME-ALL
HIS PROPERTY ATTACHED.

HIS PROPERTY ATTAChED.
fe.y TELEGRAPH TO The TRrBuNkl
Cleveland, Ohio, Oct. 23.-The one topic OF con-
versaton in this city to-day the defalcation ana
d,sannearance OF City Treasurer Thomas Axworthy.
He Is a Democrat and has held the Office about nve
years He cnioyed the highest confidence OF ms
party and would In all probability have oees nom.
mated for Congress had he not positively declined
to allow his name to go before the convehuon' As
City Treasurer he entrusted with all the iunos Vi
the city and the Board Of Education, ana was uiuo,
bonds for about 100000. No salary was attacneo
70 the Office but he wa. allowed to place the money
in banks and take the interest as compensation. n.
the last session Of the Legislature depository Oil
was passed, by the provisions Oh which 'ne wy
Treasurer receive salary and the interest Oh
the money was to revert to the city. BIDS were so-
licted from the banks for the deposit, and were
opened on October To- ,.
Mr. Axvortby was not present at that time, and his
absence caused some comment; but as he owned large
interests here, It supposed he had merely gone ."
New-York on business and would soon return Nc
did not return however, and his bondsmen' senator
H. b. Payne and J. H. Wade, tr, became nervous
All last night they coseted with Attorneys Esup'
Dickey and SQUIRE and shortly after mldnght su''
was entered against Axworthy In the Common Pleas
Court for $500 oOO and attachments were placed In the
hands Of the sheriff suit also begun by the
National Bank Of Commerce for S25,O0o on no'e
discounted for tho missing Treasurer as president Vi
the Cleveland and Colorado Cattle Company.
Attachments in these suits were maze
OF Mr. Axworthy's stock In The Oevc-
land and Colorado Cattle Company, the
Chamberlain Cartridge Company, the Clevciand DIV
ing Park Company, the Cleveland Storage Company
the Cottage Grove Lake Company, the Ohio and Penn
svIvania Coal Company the Mercantile National BanK
tho Citizens National Gas Company and the "hea.
Mining Company Funds in the Mercantile Nauona
Bank tho National Bank Of Commerce, the Nauonai
City Bank the First National Bank the Cleveland
National Bank the Ohio National Bank ana the
Euclid National Bank were also attached MOST Oh 'ne
money deposited In these banks in Mr.. Axworhys .
pame belonged to the city. The sheriff also levied
on about $50, 900 worth Of real estate and vsssei
property
Tho Council and Aldemanc committees met az noon
today in the City Treasurers office with Presuent
Hobart, OF the Council, City Solicitor Bnnsmade ana
Bank Examiner X. C. Parsons who examined the
books The committee found that there should De
1916. ss7 ca cash hand; that there was In oanK
s447 45O o5: leaving tho amount Of shortage $42o,-
437 50.
Mr. Axworthys present place Of abode is unknown
He went to NewYork, and Mrs. Axworthy says she
received a telegram from him there. dispatch was
sent to the Windsor HOTEL New-York and 1t was
learned that he had left that house for Montreal 1t
IS the general impression among the Treasurers friends
that he has gone to Europe. This is confirmed by q
telegram received by his daughter last Saturday from
Liverpool, saying Papa Is in Canada. Tell mamma
don't worry. VIII write mamma and Babcock' There
was no signature to the dispatch The word Canada
was interpreted to mean that Axworthy had fed The
word Babcock' probably means Mayor Babcock.
The Board Of Education had 100000 In the hands
of the Treasurer. The bondsmen for the board arc
7. P. Handy and selah Chamberlain. They have
as yet taken legal action against the Treasurer TO
indemnify themselves. There was also In his hands
S15,3s9 belonging to the Police Pension Fund
The news of the defalcation created intense ex-
element People at first regarded the rumor as only
political scheme, but when the bondsmen who are
Democrats entered the suits 1t began to look serious
The deputy city treasurer Immediately stopped pay
ment OF all claims There many surmises as to
what led to the defalcation. II is stated that
Axworthy was nipped in the Chicago wheat deal but
on the other hand, local brokers he never specu
lated in wheat or stocks, and never visited their
offices II is the opinion that It is clean steal OF
the city's money. Mr. Axworthy is ffty-two years
old is member OF the Democratic Congressional and
County committees and has always been considered
by Democrats one Of their best men.