Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-04-03
MARYLAND'S CASH SHORT
REPORTED DEFALOITION OF
SEPEhAL THOUSANDS.
Action ERsed on Statements Made
by the COntptvoiIcr--SiuNi Fund
Ks0nds Reported 40 Have Hecn
ssypOthecated - Illness of Hon.
4Stcvensou Archer.

Stevenson Archer.
fA -
baltimore Sun Special
n ANNAPOLIS. March 3d. Governor Jackson |
at 1890 tonight sent n message TO both |
houses as follows: On Monday evening,
24th instant. l received from the comp. |
tfoller Of the treasury communication US
follows:
FRaUERioK, March 90, is0l--7o His Erc tsncp,
~. Il. ,Iaetson--lIEtR sIl: II become my pain |
ful duty TO In urui you that Information reached
me on Saturday evening last, which conyinres |
me that tn re has been y misnppropriItion ol
the states securities N tho hands OF StRLN !
( Trcasuror Stevenson Archer lbciieve thai Mt
least twoof the banks OF Baltimore city hold
{, otcs Of Mir. Alrhcr, secured by bonds nf the
kind bc,onens 10 he stutc sinking fuud, ono
d being occurred by Piedmont aud Cumberland
1 bonds, another by treasury relicl bonds, and
that anoihnrlopn VIA negotiated hy Mr.. Ncher
and Frederick city BOMBS wore deposited as
cullatnral bcariuc tho same numbers as some
OF tho DDudI hriongug To tie state sinking
fund. The gravity OF ms information Is such
that Il bccplnrs Imperative upon Inc to c9in-
municHtt u ~ You at once iii order thHt un I'M
mediate investigation Of the ArrpInts OF the
state treasaror may be made and suth further
action taAen rs may bn nrtas'nry Ia protect
the state interest. am very respectfully,
/. NiCIOR BAuIilMAN. Comptroller,
As soon as this latter reached me cndaav-
ored 10 communicate with the tcasurr" hut
have been unable to do So, nfId il has bocn
reported 10 me that he is critically in Mt his
homo in Bc Air | iccl ii my duty, witheIt
further dGlAy, to maau known TO sou the in-
formation conveyed 10 mo by The comptroller,
that your honorable body mty take prompt
notion Ia investigate tho affairs nf the office
Of tho treasurcr and ascertain whether the
state securities arc intact or not. have tho
honor, &c.,
ELIHu r. JACKSON, Governor.
ACTION or THE LEGISLATURES.
After the reading o.. the message In the
senate, Mr.. Poo offered message 10 the
house as follows:
IN NE So atr, Ifunh goth, iSll.-GENrtsMFN
or Tnk HOUSE, or DELbGivEr: We propose with
tho con 'irrenrn OF your honorable body the
appointment Of IL Joint rummitne oi five, three
on tllu plrt oi the holeu OF Delegates and Two
on the part Of Tho senate to tlEo into consider
ut on Tho subject matter OF tho message just
received frolnhis oNrrllcnty tho governor in
relation tu the account, ct tho state treasurer.
1he message WAS adopted. President
Brai,an appointed Senators John T. Poe
and John Waltec Smith on the part OF the
senate. 10 tho house Mr.. Shaw, without
knowledge OF the action OF the senate,
offered q similar messaga to the ssnate.
Speaker Hubner will name thr6e members
on the part OF the house tomorrow.
SHOCK no EVERYBODY.
The message from tho governor came
like shock 10 the members Of the leRisla-
ture. This presiding officers and soma of
the aenatois had been previously sent for
by Governor Jackson and wers told OF the
affair. Secretary OF State LeC0mpte car
ried copy Of the message into each hoHse
and when tho business then up was dis
posed OF II was Ieud. The scene In the
house. which was full OF people, was
almost indescribable. Members lell back
In their seats speechless for time, and 1t
was q strange sight 10 see strong men orY-
ing like children. An unGoGGdel report
was circulated during the excitement that
telegIam had been received from Bel Air
stating that MIR. Archer WAS dead, but this
was soon contrndictad. Both houses ad-
journed at once. For a long while after
ward the State House lobh!ss and cham.
hers were filed with members ard other
people discussing the matter in groups.
Loud talking wss suspended for once
and every one talked In an uld dArtone.
TLGro we're a number of ladies' In both
houses when the startling neT5 was made
public.
BADLY WORKED UP.
Governor Jackson and COMPTROLLER
BauShmAu remained at the executive man.
sion. Both were vislnlY affected. The
comptroller paced the floor and wrlng his
hands, ami ne could not control his feel
ings enough TO give q cloar statement. IL
was his dieeavsry OF this hypo heeation OF
securities held by the state tnAt led to .ne
disclosures and 1t WIS his letter Ghnt Gov
prnor jackson used Hs the basis for tho
message to the Legislature.
TIE NOTES ASp SECURITIES.
Comptroller BlughmHn reiterated the SUBJ
stance contained ia hts letter. lie sald :
Two OF tnb nDtc3 tDat nave trHcel are
for 1900 ana -, 700 respectively. 10 not
know The character or tha amouats vi the
securities. The safe deposit vault Ia Bait.
more stands In the Mans OF the state trens.
nrer, and 10 one else can haya access TO It.
On Monday 1 WAS In Baltimore With the
governor and attorney. .generhl. Ho sent
kilograms to MIR. Archer and waited mis-
Garriags, but his illness stopped proceeds
jngs. II was nj duty as stale eumptrOliee
10 lay the tactsHs tar w | knew them before
tho governor, and thsre was nothing else
Tor mo to do. L. Is not possible to know
what is the condition Of ths sta1esecurities,
bGGuuee they are leCded up IN taP saf5 do.
pOstt vlult. | cannot say anything AS to
the probable amount involved IA the
affair"
WHAT THE GOVERNOR SAYS.
Governor Jacksol: .'It was ono OF the
greatest surprises that has ever fallen upon
me. My CO. hdence and respsct Tor Mr.,
a cher We're sincere, and pi50G consulted
with hin upon tho most confidential SUP.
jscts. | have had nearly sleep rs nights
hiace this unfortunate affair was disclosed
to me. Ihelc Is nothing TO say tonight
beyond th1 conteuts ot ths eoinptroller's
letter. But have always been opposed to
the Investment OF money Tor sinking iuEd5
In other than securities OF ths STATE, ~ is
sil0wed by tne act OF 1881. Such securities
cannot bs caneeiei, and Ihey remain In ma
sinking FUND to 10 ussd, U rhaps, rs some
OF them may have peen. But am not IN
the mood 20 discuss my tOpio Tonight"
MI. ABciIER's ILLNESS.
dispatcn was received by the governor
late to night eagng that Mr. Archar'5 cen
dition YVES muGA egsier. Ills son.n-law,
Senator Silver, will come to Annapolis on
the early tla!n tomorrow. Gr. Silver,
suriy to-day, received u DISPATCH from
Gal Air asking him 10 come home, us
MI. Archer wus very sick. Tns Eepa
spread rapidly, and there were expressions
lyFssa 49, a Nan han .tfF
state treasurer Is S2JU,GD0. HIS baseties
are Murray NiIditer, Elgin II. NeDstor,
Joseph Nj. Street, Henry W. Arener, Jr., $.
a. Williams. Allen Hoffman, j. Thomas, y,
Hopkins and Patrick Ii. Howard. Tho !n'
yo'vment Of tie nhms OF bgIta Treasurer
Archer with an ill9gium VIC u-s OF the funds
OF tho state was SO uutS Speet d to every one
that his irgEd5 arc not Yet itbie TO lnly
realiza 1t. Whatever tho amount ot tine do
talcalion, tha state Is secured.
nUAoRs AND a'ECULAT1oEs.
With an entiLe ubsencH OF anything Hike
authentic details any statement u rumors
would not be satisfying. IL is remarked
thar Mr.. Archer has not bsen lise himself
for some days. AS treasurer ne had been
careful aud economical and 1t id said hp
has never been 4 rpceEiaTpr. ii9 hI, Ooul
estimated as being possessed OF UAiy mod
crate means. tolerably well authentl
Gated statement huS baeu circulated thgl
Mr.. Archer recently told close friends 81 d 4
troubles, and that they were so serious thal
the needed hetp could not bs promlari
Tomorrow, no DOUBT, soma facts Will b.
Forthcoming thCt will thgoEii, ,ht I9o1 tai!