Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-09-27
BURKE INVOLVED.
louisiana's Ex-Treasurer in a
Bad Corner.
THAT MILLION DOLLAR BOND STEAL

Some transactions That VIII Require .
Deal of Expianation-The Suspected Ex-
Official Cables from London That He
Will Meet the Charges ms Soon as He
Can-Facts That Are Significant of Very
Crooked Proceedings in Office.
NEW ORLEANS, Sept 27.-Certain state
ments relating to the big bond swindle re-
cabled to ex-State Treasurer Burke, now i'm
London, England, Burke replies that it is
impossible to attempt any explanation re-
specting statements of this character, OF
which he is ignorant, touching matters OF
years ago He then shows how the apparent
discrepancies might exist in the payment OF
coupons which are not always presented
when due In conclusion he says: AZ aban-
don my business here l will lose the result of
six months struggle. The day the papers
are signed releasing me from the trusts OF
others | will sail for louisiana | bold my
self solely and individually responsible for
every act OF the office, and no person should
for an instant be permitted TO bear shadow
of criticism on its account
The Major Not Surprised.
Attorney ucntTdl btiuS fntct-
viewed, said he did not think that Maj.
Burke was surprised by the disclosures.
When the affairs of his office were examined
by a legislative committee, and his books re-
ported to be correct, Maj Burke naturally
felt relieved He must have known, how
over, that the matter would not eni there,
but that the defalcation in his office must
eventually become known. He further stated
that state warrant, which bad been paid
long ago, was recently presented for pay
ment again, and it was found that Burke
had himself given the warrant TO a bank as
collateral for a loan.
One of the Crooked Trausactions.
The attorney general further stated that
he had information tpat touring Maj Burke's
occupancy of the tressurers Office an insur-
ance company had deposited a number of
state bonds for the security of local policy
holders, required by law. Shortly after
Mr.. Pipes became treasurer this company,
desiring to go out OF business, applied for
the return of their bonds Mr.. Pipes took
from the vaults the package of bonds cred
tied TO the company, but the officers of the
latter refused to receive il, claiming that it
did not contain the bonds which they had
deposited. The bonds deposited were of the
denomination of 81. 600. while those returned
were 500 bonds. There was some differ
ence in the value of the bonds, and the COM
pany wanted its own securities The matter
was called to the attention Of Maj Burke,
aud he made good the difference by giving
| his check for SIG
This win BE Hard to Explain.
Judge w. Z. Stansberry, who was for
some time engaged with ex-Treasurer Burke
| IN business capacity, makes statement
showing that some years ago he negotiated
| for Maj Burke, at different times, loans
amounting to thousands OF dollars always
| depositing as collateral state bonds handed
| to him by Maj Burke for that purpose. In
| the first transactions, made in 1884 and 1855,
| the numbers of the bonds were kept Com
| pairing them with the numbers now pub
lished by Treasurer Pipes as fraudulent he
| finds that among the bonds handled by him
| there were nearly so, 600 fraudulent After
the first few transactions he did not keep
| the numbers, because Burke told him
| 1t was not necessary, he (Burke)
had them. To many of these bonds overdue
| coupons were attached a few loans of
| small amounts we're made by some of the
| brokers and in two or three instances by
| cotton firms of the city. The transactions
with the banks were with the heads of the
| institutions The bonds were in every in
stance accepted without question, no word
being uttered to excite suspicion that they
were not regularly issued and valid obliga-
| lions of the state. As such / issued them,
and had no doubt OF their validity until
the recent disclosures"
Mr.. Stansberry's statement shows that
| Treasurer Burke as far back as 1884 was
using the bonds then in his keeping as state
treasurer as collateral in borrowing money
| for his own use