The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-07-16
BARDSLEY'S FALSE RECORDS
Final Exposure Made by Experts Shows
$2,594,551.95 to Re Accounted For.
The Honest City Treasurer Got S., 900 Each
Month from the Keystone Bank Simply asa
Bonus for Depositing the City's Money.


thereof belonging to the Stats and to
the city and amount of expenses and other
items deducted therefrom. SO that the net
deficiency in the accounts of the late
Treasurer may be definitely ascersained.
A recapItulation of their statements shows:
Net amount due to the State. Sl.5s5. O295;
net amount due to the city, 81, DOS, 949 Total
! balance due TO the State and the city to be
accounted for. $3.50, 55l.95.
3FOllowing are the credit items: First.
deduct amount of deposits In various
banks to May 80 1891, S9l9.673.47; balance,
S1.674, S7S.4S. Second. deduct Keystone
Bank due bills, S925 900; balance. S749, S7S As.
| Third, deduct Keystone Bank checks paid
| By Mr. Baeusley In excess Of s437. .32 In
city fund account, Sl96. O43. 10. Total net
deficiency In Mr.. Bardsley's account $685.
S35.3S.
The report continues: I'm addition to
the deficiency of $553, S35.3S. the interest
| which Mr. Bardsley received from various
banks. firms and individuals. together
with dividends on stock and securities In
which he invested with public money Ia
| complete list of which will be shortly sub
United to you, Amounting to at least S225-
600. should be added, making grand total
of money Incorporated OF Sis. 1888.
This account stated is an exhibit of Mr..
Bardsley's deficiency to the city and State
together. 1t Is not intended to represent
| an account as between city and the State.
There are some differences which will
| likely arise when such an account 10 MADE,
and with " hich we have nothing at present
| to do In showing the total amount of money
Incorporated by the late treasurer. In
such an account there may be . slight re-
ductlon In the amount actually chargesble
| to Mr. Bardsley.
las to the above credit of S925. 900, repre-
sented by keystone Bank due bills. we lind
more or less evidence of payments made
| from time to time by Mr.. Bardsley to the
| president of the bank, which may make up
this amount. The due-bills are irregularly
numbered and dated, and. in cOnnec-
ton with the fact that we have found
four blank due-bills in sheet uncut
| creates a fair suspicion of their genuiness
| 1t will be impossible to prove W neither
these due -billsiare genuine and whether the
money was actually paid into the bank,
| and II genuine, what disposition was made
| thereof by the bank officers. and especial
| ly whether any of it was paid back to Mr..
| Bardsley, until We have full. free and I'M
| interrupted access to the books, papers and
| accounts of the bank.
Assuming these due-bills TO be genuine
| and honest evidence of actual payments
| made to the bank, which have not been re-
turned. it must not be forgotten that they
| do not represent deposits made In good
| faith by Mr. Bardsley as public officer in
| the usual course of business.
| Ei5 INTERPRETATIONS.
Public money to which he had NO title
was taken by him and handed over to the
| Keystone Bank or to its president for no
legitimate reason OF purpose, but apparent
| ly for his personal advantage and to obtain
q higher rate Of interest there than he re-
ceived at tho other repositories. MIR.
Bardsley's private memorandum book
she Keystone snas he Bank WAS s psd es sE
month. commencing in the month Of
| January. 1889. and continuing regularly to
September, $780, making total of S2l 900.
This sum was regularly paid, in addition to
interest which ne received on State money
| loaned or deposited, and appears to repre-
| sent per cent. on the limit of S4OO, coo of
the city deposit. One entry shows the re-
ceipt of $500 for the use of 100000 from
Dec. Is to Dec. 81. 1889. at s25 per day.
equivalent to an interest rate of 9 per cent.
Interest paid to Mr. Bardsley for tho
| years of 1889 and 1890 by this bank alone
was 16S2zS6. Thus it appears that these
| due-bills represent loans personally made
to the bank rather than deposits therein,
and which acts of loaning were wrongful
| conversions to his own use and violations
| of the laws of this commonwealth.
1t may well be doubted whether such q
| credit under such circumstances IS properly
made. but 1t Is, allowed in this account
| with this explanation. All other amounts
claimed a. credits by Mr.. Bardsley such as
Baltimore Traction Company stock. alleged
| Keystone Bank. or stock which had been
| uncovered by the authorities of the city at
the Farmers and Mechanics National Bank
| or value remaining either IL the hands of
his assignees OF IN the Bradford mills, or
| amounts to be paid TO the city and State by
| his sureties must be viewed solely in the
| light of restitution.
A DARKER CRIME HINTED AT
| To give him credit for such alleged values
| would be to credit him with the very evil
dence of his crime and aid him in his hope
less struggle to avoid darker stain of
wrong-doing than any to which he has
| pleaded guilty.
An examination of the above statement
shows that Mr.. Bardsley received at the
! State desk In 1889 the gross sum of $780,
! O0l.SO. part of which belonged to the State
and part TO the city, as hereintofore set
forth. Of this gross sum 81 .424. 929. Al was
collected before July l, and on the share of
payments, amounting to S450,O0O. commenc-
Ing Sept. "A and ending Nov. q.
1859, thus holding over to 1890 balance
due to the State of S6l2.5ll. u. In 1890 the
this gross sum 81. 709. Sl3.97 was collected
before July of that year. Of this gross
sum Sl499. Cos. 26 was the property of the
State, upon which he made various pay
| utuls, 10 600, US QOIOlD y
| at the end of 1890 almost the entire amount
collected for the State during that year.
The experts further say: I'VE feel it to be
our duty to call your attention to the fact
that q number of stubs in the check books
| of Mr.. Bardsley's account in the Keystone
| Bank have been torn out We have, how
ever. found the checks bearing the proper
number of the stubs. all of them. except
one, beng drawn by Mr. Bardsley, 10 cash
or bearer OF to the order of myself
ION the stub of No. 40S, dated Feb. 2S.
1890, for $1,000, in Bardsley's handwriting
was the following entry in this form: For
l.. and Nc January and February $1,000.
On the stub of No. 135 in Bardsley's hand
writing is the following entry: March Il,
1891. cash half of $3.50. Nc $685.
I'VE also lind that check No. 205 on the
Keystone Bank. dated Dec. ii, 1885, was
drawn by Bardsley to the order of my self
for w. L. On the stub of this check Is the
following entry in Mr.. Bardsley's hand
writing: William Livsey, State Treasurer,
for his kindness to me during the year,
$780, On Page AZ, which shows rebates
received from newspapers in which adver-
Using had been done in 1891 amounting to
SIC, 2S9.O4. appears these entries under above
amount. less amount paid to II. n. Griffin,
1000: 'One-half to Thomas McMaccan,
S7.l44.50. One-half To j. b., S71445O.'
I'm 1890 the newspaper balance trebate)
was deposited TO the credit of Bsrdsley.
! In 1891 it was also deposited to Bardsley,
the amount being Sl7.325. We also find a
check for $1,000 May Is. 1890, drawn to III.
Fitz OF bearer The folio wing memorandum
was made on the sinh of the cneck. NAV