The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1895-07-04
STATE VS.. TAYLOR.
STATEMENT MADE BY ATTOR.
NEY GENERAL CRAWFORD,
Tho Defaulter Was Closely Followed by
Dctectives-No Compromise with Crime
Treasurer.
The State vs.. Taylor.

~ 0ONNh DuAOt a NouDOu Iud1y /
to be set afoat by the enemies of the state
and persons having an object in defaming
the state officers who have been successful
in conducting the prosecution and bring
ing to justice the guilty parties. These
have been annoying to the officials, and as
a result Attorney General Crawford has
prepared the following statement of the
states side Of the case:
The Statement.
/ trust l may be believed when I say
that 1t Is extremely distasteful to me to
occupy newspaper space with a state
ment OF facts in regard to the Taylor
case. and that it Is through no desire to
create sensational discussion that l make
one at this time.
However, this case is one in which the
people Of South Dakota are the real par
ties In interest, and they are entitled to
know, whenever the Information car be
given without prejudice, all ahe facts in
connection with the management Of the
litigation. 1t should be given honestly
and without reference to personal or par
tisan interests. 4 here attempt to make
such a statement, simply and briefly. l
shall sign 1t. Let him who contradicts
enter his denial over his own signature
in the same way.
The authorities of South Dakota first
learned that Taylor was a defaulter on
January 9, 1898. We now know from the
reports Of the detectives, verified by Tay-
lor himself, that he left Chicago January
3. and was not within the United States,
but in Havana, Cuba, when the defalca-
ton became known January o..
The legislature. the state officers and
the people Of the state generally were
completely stunned and surprised by the
news on January 9. They were dazed,
many were incredulous and refused to
believe Taylor had run away.
Notwithstanding this. however, a joint
resolution was passed the first day of the
session Offering $1,000 reward for Taylor,
and news Of the offer was telegraphed
all over the United States on January 10.
On that very day I opened negotiations
with Pinkerton'G detective agency fSr the
purpose of employing them In the matter.
We found the Pinkertons would not
employ them a contract must be made
at a fixed price amounting to- s. per day
for each man and his actual necessary
This fact was promptly reported to the
legislature in executive session and a bill
appropriating $4,000 for the employment
criminal suits and suits outside the state
upon Taylor's bond was agreed upon and
regularly passed through both houses
and agreed to by the governor. This bill
was rushed through Just as rapidly as
the limitations in the constitution would
permit. AS soon as its passage was as
sured a contract was entered Into be-
tween the state and the Pinkerton agency
Nstr
Covered His Tracks S%iSilifully.
Taylor had covered his tracks skillfully
and had IN various way misled the eu-
thorities and 1t was several weeks before
a tangible clue was discovered as to the
One Of Pinkerton's men. however:
struck the trail in February and reached
Havana March 6, about sixty days behind
to put tho best man in their service upon
this trail and to follow it-no matter
where 1t took hin1-until We ordered him
70 stop, and to dismiss all other men; !
did this to save unnecessary and reckless
expense, as I was satisfied that we were
on the right track, and one good man
could follow it better than more than one.
This detective followed Taylor from
Havana through Mexico and Central
America. thence to Kingston. Jamaica,
with a faithfulness that deserves some
thing more than condemnation. He has
been economical In his expenses and
has endered from time to time an Item
ICED statement accounting for every pen
ny expended. He left Havana March u
and followed Taylor's meandering trail
as above stated, arriving at Kingston,
Jamaica, May 4. He remained some days
on the island searching for his man. who
had covered his tracks with great skill.
but hnany satisfied himself that Taylor
left Kingston for Barhadoes en- route to
Brazil, and he therefore left for Rarba-
does May II and arrived there on May 20:
indies. from which place we recalled him:
Sine his return Taylor has been allowed
to xamin some of the reports OF this
detective. After doing so he admits that
ne was more CLOSELY followed tina he
thought when he made his first statement
to the press. He says he came north to
the United States upon leaving KINGSTON:
that the detective would nave found that
fact out and followed him there. This Is
q correct history of the detective service
in this case.
Property Attached.
Next, as to the suit upon Taylor's bond:
On the 9Th of January suit was begun
upon this bond, and between that day
and the 20th of January every bit OF prop
erty in the state which could be discov-
cred belonging to Taylor and his bonds
men was attached. and personal service
was made Of the summons upon all resi-
dent defendants and service by publlca-
After this was done lawyers were re-
tanned in New York city and Lafayette,
Ind, and suits begun there against 1ohh
r. McChesney and William Taylor.
this state a very strong and determined
effort was made to obtain a change OF
venue from Hughes county to Sphinx
county, where a ma5Eri,y Oh Oh t me oe sfots
took numerous dispositions and prepared
the case for trial at the May term OF the
circuit court at Pierre.
When the case was called for trial at
the opening of the May term the de-
PENDANTS applied for a continuance over
the entire term, which was denied ana
the case set for trial May q. They then
attempted to remove it to the federal
court and failed in this. and the case was
trisd and a Judgment obtained for $344,-
III 4S and has been duly entered.
Upon the suit in New York against Jonn
T. McChesney the defendant answered
and counsel for the state moved to strike
out most Of the answer as incompetent
and Irrelevant. This motion was denied
r. xHo oo,,rt ha1nU a nd the state annexed,
The appellate court has reversed
this decision and ordered that the
motion to strife out be sustained.
Chesney's answer except the allegation
that the shortage occurred during Tay-
lor's first term.
The authorities found hat in the last
days Of December. 1894. Taylor and his
hrother-in-law, Benedict. had transferred
TO one Charles H. Well. in Chicago. Ill.
all Of the real estate belonging to the
Northwestern Mortgage company. OF
which Taylor was president. and all the
real estate belonging TO Taylor and his