The herald., 1894-10-30

service. 80. ................. 219 80
Totsl 0cicncy .............. $31, ,739 80
As will be seen from the next appen.
dix, this work involves long, arduous
and perplexng labor. rendered neces-
sary by the large numb ber OF books ex-
amined, and doubly 81 from the eye.
teinaticallv fraudulent manner in which
they were kept.
As you are aware, the Office OF secre-
fary of state /, salaried one, and the
law requiring that all moneys received
by that officer for feeu must be turned
over tn the slate treasurer at the end of
each month. That the law was intsn.
tionally violated, and that belief was
entertained that the violation would
escape dstection, Is most clearly evinced
by the TACT that no. one OF the books in
which were entered the daily transac..
iions OF the office can be found, and the
Zee and cash books, which were left be-
hind, contained so many false and mys-
tifying entries. as to show that the de.
termination was to make detection all
the more difficult.
But through an inconceivable over
sight on the part OF Burns' office, yet
more fortunately for the state, some
Thousands OF letters were LETT on file
from parties in other states. ordering
work TO be done inclosing currency and
money orders, in some cases for the
payment OF the work, and in others re-
qlesting that it be sent q. o. ID.
These letteis furnish clue which,
when ffdowed up, develop a systematic
embezziemsnt OF the states money. In
the case OF certified copies OF documents,
hundreds were issued at the request OF
the writer's OF tneee le.ters In sums
ranging from 81. 50 TO sos, paid for the
same.
No record OF the issuance of these GER
t.hed copies appears on tha books, and
no entry whatever OF the payment of
the money. The only evidences of their
existence was found through these let-
ters and OF the payments By Wells,
Fargo & Co.'s books. Had these letters
been destroyed it would have been next
to i'm mposaible ever to have discovered
these theits, which eeems to have been
forseen, as no one except the secretary
OF state. Eis deputies, his clerks and the
parties to whom they we're sent had any
knowledge Of their existence, and these
latter could have had no knowledge OF
the fact that the money paid was not
turned over to the state.
Subdivision ID OF section 40S, Political
retary of state, read as follows $40
keep fee book in which must be en-
tered all fees, commissions and compen-
sation of whatever nature or kind by
him earned, collected, or charged, with
the date, name OF payor. paid or n t
paid, and the nature OF the service in
each case, which book must be verified
annually by his affidavit entered there.
in."
Instead OF complying with the require
ments OF this section, the fee books
Kept by Mr.. L. Ii. Reynolds, deputy
during the most OF MIR. Burns' incum-
bency, failed in numerous instances to
have any record of the services per-
formed or the amount OF money re-
ceived for such; in other cases amounts
for less sums than were received are
entered, and still in others amounts are
entered in the cash and not in the fee
book. No affidavit whatever was writ
ten in the book.
Parties would sometimes send three
or i've articles of incorporation to be
hled. In the fee book of entry but one
wonld be made, and no mention OF the
money paid. The same in regard TO
trade marks. Three, five, and in one
case II, we're filed, but the entries in
tne ise book for the same are for but one,
TWO and three. Notariss public were
appointed, qualified, and paid So for
sheir commissions, but no record Of such
appointments. qualifications or receipts
OF the money appear on the fee or cash
pooR' Inc same state of affairs exists
IN regard to commissioners of deeds and
miscellaneous appointments, snch as
members OF the state and diBtrict
boards of agriculture, trustees of the
insane aylums, trustees OF the state
library, etc.
There is more lamentable absence OF
record IN regard to the money received
from the surveyor general's Office. for
sttesting land patents. The books of
III. ), W. 6hsns!;a, surveyc. general ct