The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-06
MADE BOGUS SCRIP.
A Deputy Clerk and His Chum
Charged With Fraud.
a CLEVER SCHEME DISCOVERED.


]. d. L. Mc6aughey. clerk in Judge
Humes' department of the superior court.
and Frank n. Kennedy, his constant
companion, were arrested yesterday on .
charge of larceny. The two Young men
are charged with stealing over 500 worth
of scrip, fraudulently securing county
warrants for the same and cashing them.
For six days past County Auditor +. A.
TwicheIl and w. B. Spencer, clerk of
courts. have been checking up McGaugh-
ey's books and the evidence of his guilt
was 90 startling and at the same time so
convincing that last evening after an
interview with Prosecuting Attorney
Miller and Clerk Spencer. Auditor Twichell
went before JusticeVon Tobel and swore
out warrant charging both young men
with larceny. 1t is claimed that hundreds
of dollars worth of scrip have been fraudu-
lently obtained and presented for warrants
by Kennedy, and that Gaughey has been
in collision with him. Their operations
date rs far back as August, 1880, having
begun while NJ. IL. Holmes was clerk of
court.
The warrant on which the young men
we're arrested specified only the larceny of
one piece of scrip. 1t read: Charged
with stealing scrip of the value Of $3.50,
the same being the property of w. n.
Finck." This crime is alleged to have
been committed on May l.
Since Friday last McGaughey has been
sick in bed At his lodgings. No. ia Bell
street. A deputy sheriff went out there
10 serve the warrant on him, but learning
his condition, reported to Prosecuting At
torney Miller, who ordered that he be
simply placed under surveillance3untn he
Is able to go about. Kennedy has been
under surveillance since Monday morn
ing, and he spent most of the day yester-
day in the sherifrs private Office in charge
of . deputy. The warrant was served on
him about 4:30 o'clock, and half en- hour
later. in company with Charles f. Fish
back, he went before Justice Won Tobel
and gave. bonds in the sum of 500 and was
released.
For long time Kennedy has been an
almost inseparable companion OF Nc
Gaughey, and in case before Judge
Humes not long ago he served on the petit
jury. For his services he got certificate
of scrip calling for $3.50. He presented it
to the auditor and was given acounty war
rant for the same. Shortly after, Ken
nedy appeared in the auditors Office. He
had other orders for scrip. The paper
was all new-there being not q wrinkle in
it. He claimed to have purchased it and,
though it was not endorsed by the person
10 whom it was ostensibly issued, he
claimed to have obtained it from q man
who bought it from the proper owner and
this second mans name appeared on the
scrip Auditor Twichell gave him war
rants for the scrip and in most instances
the warrants thus received were presented
TO the county treasurer and cashed.
Time and time again Kennedy appeared
before the auditor with these new war;
rants, and at last Mr.. Twichell's suspicious
were aroused. On April IL Kennedy came
again with several more pieces of scrip,
and the auditor politely told him that un-
less the scrip was endorsed by the original
owner, or unless he had written order
from the clerk of the court, the scrip
would not be accepted by him.
He did not appear at all surprised. /"
said Mr.. Twichell, ..and this aroused my
suspicious all the more. He said, I'll get
an order He came in a little later
with an order from Deputy Clerk
McGaughey instead of Clerk Spencer.
al accepted the scrip that time. however.
and gave him q warrant for the amount
called for, but told him would not do so
again; that he must have his scrip en-
dorsed by the proper owner
Then Mr.. Twichell and Mr.. Spencer
compared notes and commenced work in
earnest. They traced the matter down.
Meanwhile the two young men were nm
conscious of what was going on: they did
not even know they were suspected
After the two officials had decided bevond
a doubt that much dishonesty had been
practiced, Kennedy was called into the
auditors Office and accused of having
fraudulently obtained much of the
county's money,
At first the Young man was dnmh-
founded; then his ewes filled with tears
and he claimed that he came bv the scr;n
honestly; that if any dishonesty was Mac.
ticed he had no hand in il. He said he
bought the scrip. but from whom he conld
not remember. On this point his memory
utterly failed him. Mr.. Twichell advised
him TO 60 out and hunt mn the men from,
whom he bought all the scrip and brine
them in; tina. it was the only wav in
which he could remove the susnicion tha,
was hanging over him. He went opt
promising to hunt I'D the former holders
of the scrip.
Kennedy gave the auditors Office a wide