Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-03-05

bank officials knew nothing of the con-
tents of the box. When Mr.. Herbert
became State treasurer he removed this
box from the bank and it was in the
treasurer's office, in the State House,
when Mr.. Burnite took possession, but
was found, on examination, to be empty.
When, where and how the securities
had disappeared nobody knows; they
are gone and that is all. There is some
reason for supposing that the general
practice of State treasurers has been to
take the contents of this box for granted
and to content themselves with copying
from the reports of their predecessors
their schedules of State investments.
Could these securities be misappro-
priated to private use2 The prevailing
impression here is that it would have
been impossible to use them as collateral
on which to raise money. They could
not be sold outright without necessitat-
ing record on the books of the banks
of the transfer of ownership. But it is
considered equally likely that they have
been simply lost through negligence and
loose mismanagement.
AN OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION.
When the House met this afternoon,
Mr.. Z. j. Morris offered the following
resolution, which was adopted without
word:
WHEREAS, Rumors concerning Mr.. Will
liam Herbert, lately State treasurer, have
obtained publicity in the public prints
| and
WHEREAS 1t is important that the Gen
eral Assembly should be placed in posses
| sion of the real facts in regard to the same;
| therefore
ReSolgd, That Mr.. William Herbert,
lately State treasurer, be and he is hereby
requested to furnish this House with any
information in his possession i'll relation
to the said business
RoSO'ytd, That committee of two be
| appointed to wait on the State treasurer
and request him to transmit any informa.
| ton he may possess with respect to the
| same.
After comforting with State Treasurer
| Burnite, the committee, Messrs. Morris
and llutson, reported substantially us
| follows:
"The books of ex-Treasurer Herbert
were delivered to Treasurer Burnite on
February 26th, and by them it appears
tnat the balance due the State at the
time of his entrance upon the duties of
| lllE hlllNtG N1o tNIIbsltSslf. VA GIL
10th, Mr.. Herbert paid over to Mr.. Bur
mite, $94 1859; on February 26th he
paid over TO Mr.. Burnite two checks,
one for $4,000, and one for $31 ,417.f5,
| The check for $50 900 he was authorized
to use ut once. He presented the same
on the following day at the New Castle
| bank on which it was drawn and was
| informed that there We're not sufficient
funds to meet it. Wheroupon he waited
on Mr.. Herbert and advised him of the
situation. Mr. Herbert told him Our
nita) the said check would be made good
on the following day Saturday. With
this understanding Mr.. Burnite left the
check with the bank officers. He was
informed this afternoon that Mr. Her
bert had afterwards substituted therefor
one check for $4,000, which was paid,
and one for $4,000 which he (Herbert)
sent him (Burnite) by mail. The other
($31 417.75l check Mr. Burnite still held,
having presented it at the same bank
and payment having been refused,
marked mot sufficient funds.
Next came the adoption Of Senate
joint resolution and the concurrence Of
the House in the same, as follows:
WHEREAS, This General Assembly has
received information, apparently reliable,
that securities belonging to the State are
not to be found and moneys which ought
to have been paid over to the present State
treasurer BY his predecessor have not been
paid, therefore
Resolssd, de-, That a committee of five
be appointed, two on the part of the Senate
and three on the part of the House of Rep
resentatiyes, 10 inquire into and investi
gate the condition of the treasury of this
State and to discover whether the certain
moneys and property thereof are safely
and securely kept, where and in whost
hands they may be, and what measures, il
any, are necessary to protect the interest.
of the state with regard thereto, and tina
such committee shall have authority /,
send for persons and papers and shall re
port the facts to this General Assembly a
soon as possible
Senators Pilling and Houston anC
Representatives Ridgely, Hickman anC
fllknton, the committee appointel
under this resolution, held short meet
ing this evening, at which ii wa
! decided to issue summons to the treas
users and auditors for dozen year
past to appear and testify. Having don
This the committee adjourned to p. m
Thursday
I Ex-Trcasurer Herbert's bondsmel
are; Frank E. Herbert, John Otto, Jr
IL. y. Hickman, Joseph Stoeckle, Georg
: A. Maxwell, George w. Eckles, Alvi
Allen, Dayid Boulder, Joseph Heyc
) Serck +. Shallcross and Giles 1ambsor
] THERE'S still another possibility whic
: has been suggested-that the alege
! bank stock certificates never were j,
I sued But if so, why should an empt
box have been deposited in the care {
I the bank
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES.
!. Representative Ridgely has give
c notice of all investment taxing hi
Z which differs from tie EisenbreY bill i