The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1895-06-22
TAYLOR TELLS HIS STORY
He Comes Back 10 Save Bonds
men Further Trouble.
The State Had No Idea of His
Whereabouts.
The Dcraulter Says That He Has l.ccn
Living Openly in THIS Country tho
Past Three Months ssI5
MI lie Has Left.

Sioux Falls, S. D., June 1S.-"That is
Every cent l nave In the world said cx-
State Treasurer w. w. Taylor to IL re-
porter of the Argus-Lcadcr today, taking
out of his pocket two twenty dollar bills
and one for 1--WE. six months ago 1 was
worth easily 500, coo, had first class credit,
a good name and a host of friends, Today
l am going to surrender myself to the nu-
thorities as a defaulter with the peniten-
tiary before me and with everything / care
Tor IN the world gone except my family
and my few friends"
Taylor today voluntarily presented him
self before Judge Gaifcy of the circuit
court, at a special session summoned for
the purpose and pleaded guilty to embcz-
2llng $3il,Ct 4 from The state in January
last. His flight from the detectives and
MS JourneyiESs under the southern suns
has not changed him. He looked the same
rotund. jolly, popular fellow he was when
a few months ago he was the most sought
aiser among all the politicians in South
Dakota. His hair has turned ~ little
more silvery. but otherwise he shows no
signs of care.
Taylor returned to Pierre voluntarily.
The state authorities had no idea of his
whereabouts and the detectives who have
been trying to lind his trail since his dis
appearance had practically given up the
task. He has. however, good friends here
and they succeeded in making a compro-
mise under which the bondsmen were re-
leased and a minimum sentence was prom
lsed, Then he came back.
The Past threr Months.
You will be surprised to know he
said, that | have been in the country
frt. tho most t1,>, ,,.,tI.. ;;..,
and free and enjoying myself as well AS
one could who knew that there was a
price set on his head. j left the country
earlier than many suppose. ] did not
make up my mind that it would be inn
possible for me to settle until the day
before Christmas. / then consulted my
friends and on their advice decided to
place all OF my property in trust to pro-
tect my bondsmen and conceal myself.
On January 3 | left Chicago and went
to Tampa, from which place l sailed on
the 9Th for Havana by way of Key West.
Thence after a few days sailed to Vera
Cruz. l did not go to the city of Mex
leo. l bought Il ticket for that place in
order to throw the detectives off from
the track and evidently succeeded adj
80 ! uiihCiSlaiIl'i Una tlltS
have repeatedly reported that ! was in
Mexico. From Vera Cruz i sailed south
along the east coast to the lsthmus of
~Tehauntepec, which / crossed, and sailed
up the west coast. Changing steamers
l spent the next weeks sailing down past
the coasts of Guatemala, Nicaragua and
Costa Rica. l had intended to go to
Panama, but feared that the detectives
might run across me there and so
stopped at Punta Arenas, where the
climate is delightful and the scenery SUI
perb. On the steamer, which was the
Went III Good society.
Ill fated Colima, l met Richard Harding
Davis and a number of other prominent
people. who were charming companions.
BY that time l had grown a luXuriant,
bushy beard, and as had always been
somewhat near sighted wore spectacles.
III February l rode across the noun
tains of Costa Rica on horseback and
sailed to Jamaica, where l became well
acquainted with Chief Clarence. the ex-
He'd prince of the Mosquito Indians. At
Jamaica / purchased a ticket for Bar
BADGES. in order to delude the detcc-
tives, and then sailed for this country
and went to ono of the large northern
cities, where ! have live for the past
three months and where | could have
remained Indefinitely without fear OF
discovery.
Fooled the Detectives.
81 did not see a detective during nc
entire time. and non saw me They
certainly did not prosecute a very Wig
orous search. and while | travelled
N .
They did not trace me at all beyond ia
maica. but | understand are still in Bar
BADGES following the false clue which /
laid for them. | did not go to South
America at all, and all the reports Of
the detectives about NY wandcrinss
after leaving Jamaica are pure moon
shine, as we'll as much of what they
told earlier. | finally decided to come
in and give myself mp. All the reports
about pleadines of my fanny and my
friends are untrue. No one asked me to
surrender. The state had no idea where
l was. and could not have caught me in
years. In fact | understand that they
had practically given up the search.
But knew that my absence was caus-
ing my family and friends very great
sorrow. and ! did not want to give up
my name and my home for all time. /
therefore decided upon the step | have
taken. l know | have committed a
crime in the eyes of the law, and am
ready to AXE the penalty. My con
science Is clear of any intent to do
wrong, but | could not see the bonds
men, who are my friends, suffer. /
have therefore coma here voluntarily,
have turned owe to the state enough
property to wipe out the deficit. and am
now ready to tax any sentence which
my acts have warranted.
The reporter asked Mr. Taylor To
give a sketch of the facts which rou.h
about his downfall. and he complied
frankly.
Story of Ills Fail.
Until the Gay before Christmas" he
gaid, II had no more notion of taking
the states money than you have. The
catastrophe was the result Of the panic.
In good times II would not have oc-
CURED. 1t Is entirely untrue th.t NV
predecessor in the treasurership was
short. Mr.. Smith made his settlement
with me in full. But when he did so he
exacted a promise from me that l would
let him have some large deposits after
ward, and iii pursuance of that promise
i WdS Caught IOT St,.Uu III MS failure,
The loan was amply secured, however,
and the state will get the sum in full.
Nor Is 1t true that l would have proved
a ~efaulter had a settlement been de-
manded of me at the end of my first
term. Had the state called for a settle
ment l could ave raised every cent
without trouble. My credit was high,
was good for a large sum Of money,
and l had extensive property.
1t Was ii Moral Duty.
1T Is also entirely untrue that Com
missioner Ruth of the school and public
lands had any angemen or agree
ment with me about the holding UP of
the school money in the summer of 1893.
We never exchanged a word about the
matter. l did hold up the states money
at that time, and I believed, and the
other state officers believed, that it
was my moral duty to do so. hi money
was deposited in various important
banks of the state. Strictly under the
law l should have drawn this out. But
had l done SO 1t would have certainly
wrecked them and probably every
| financial institution in Caufb 1nko{,