Middletown transcript., 1891-03-05
STATE SECURITIES SAFE.
EX-GOVERNOR COCHRAN REMEMBERS
WHERE THEY WE'RE DEPOSITED
IN PHILADELPHIA.

| EX-GOVERNOR COCHRAN REMEMBER
WHERE THEY WE'RE DEPOSITED
IN PHILADELPHIA.
Ex-Treasurer Herbert has been
unable thus far to pay over to hi
successor in Office $s4, balance
Of State funds remaining In his hands
and still unaccounted for. The wild.
est kind Of rumors have been afioat
concerning q lot Of bank stock certif.
Gates supposed to have been kept In
tin box In the Farmers Bank at
Dover and which could not be found
when Col. Burnite took charge. The
missing securities are supposed to be
safe and sound in the vaults of the
Fidelity Trust Company Of Philadel-
phia, where they were deposited in
1875 by order of the legislature.
This was done during the term of
Governor Cochran and by his advice,
as the papers were then kept in a
very loose way and he believed it was
better to take care of them than to
allow them to disappear. Governor
Cochran was seen by a representative
of The TRANSCRIPT and he informed
us that in all probability the papers
are just where they were deposited
fifteen years since by the committee
who carried them to Philadelphia,
So this disposes of this part of a
very bad story.
The greatest wrong which Herbert
has done lies in the fact that he has APP
parently used the State funds for his
own private gain. 1t is probable
that he has loaned the money to per-
sons who are now unable to pay it
back. Treasurer Burnite gave bond
on the 27th of January and should
have received all the money due the
State on that day or the next, but
the ex-Treasurer has had over a
month and still is unable to settle.
The missing securities have caused
much talk, but as the people know
they are safe the greater interest will
centre on that $35, 900 which should
have been paid in cash. To affect a
settlement Mr.. Herbert gave to Col.
Burnite three checks, one for about
$94, 900, one for $50, 600 and one for
$50, 900.
The $94, 900 check was paid as was
the $4,000 check, but the last one is
still unpaid. On Monday the legisla-
ture adopted a Joint Resolution ap-
pointing Joint Committee to make
an investigation and Mr.. Herbert has
been summoned by the Sergeant-at-
Arms of the Senate to come before
the committee to-day and give an
account of his stewardship. There
seems to be no doubt but that Mr..
Herbert will be able to settle in full,
but refuses to do 80 till after the COM
mittee has asked for and received all
the information he is able to impart.
Among the many rumors and expla-
offered for the shortage is
one which throws all the blame on
the county officers of this county.
It has been said that they are short
and that Mr.. Herbert is waiting for
them to settle up. Such a thing is
impossible as Mr.. Herbert has public
ly acknowledged that the late Clerk
OF the Peace does not owe him a cent
in any way or for any purpose. The
present Clerk OF the Peace has also
settled with Mr.. Herbert to as late q
date as possible, and even leaving all
OF this out Of the question, il the
county officers did owe the State
Treasurer it would not make any diff
ference SO far as a settlement is con-
cerned as these officers are heavily
bonded to pay over certain monies to
the State Treasurer and it would
have to be done whether Mr.. Herbert
or anyone else is treasurer. The case
Is a bad one ct best, but is gradually
being cleared up, and 1t is fervently
hoped that Mr.. Herbert viii come
out on top.
Ex-Gov. Cochran seems to be the
only man in the State who knows any
thing about the missing securities.
The Ex-Governor says that Treasur-
or Giles was unwilling to be respon-
sible for the delivery of the papers in
Philadelphia and for that reason a
committee of the Legislature was ap-
pointed to accompany him. He
also thinks that Mr.. Giles took the
key Of the safe from the Fidelity
but where it Is now he
does not know. 1t is thought that
Senator James Williams was q mem
Der of the COMMITTEES, and that the
annual rent agreed upon for the use
Of the safe was $15. Mr.. Cochran is
undoubtedly right as to the disposi-
tion of the securities, and there need
be no further anxiety concerning
them.
Mr.. e. r. Cochran was seen this
and pronounces false in
every particular the statement that
Mr.. Herbert is not able to settle on
account of a failure to pay over
monies due from the Office of the
Clerk of the Peace of this county.
Mr.. Herbert gave to Mr.. Cochran a
receipt in full for all money due from
him as Clerk of the Peace. This
statement is corroborated by the
published statement of Mr.. Herbert
that Mr.. Cochran had settled in full,
and also by Mr.. Herbert's statements
to the same effect at various other
times. No one is justified by the
facts in the case in connecting Mr..
Cochran's name with Mr.. Herbert's
inability to settle. Mr.. Herbert will
appear before q committee of the
to-day and explain his
position. When that is done he de-
olorou he will cattle in fII1l