The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1895-01-18
A SHORTAGE FEARED
SOUTH DAxorNs STATE TREAS,
URER Is MISSING.
w. w. Taylor IL Gone, His Redaeld
Bank 10 Closed, and II IL Feared
That the State May BE Out From
&50,O0O to p260,OOO.

w. w. Taylor IL Gone, His Redaeld
Bank IL Closed, and IL Is Feared
That the State May BE 0ut From
| 9JO,O0O to q26O,OOO.
Pierre. 8. D., Jan. IL. - The most
startling sensation South Dakota has
ever known has just developed.
1t is that w. w. Taylor, for the past
TOUR years state treasurer, Is short in
Ills accounts. The shortage Ia not
definitely known, but Is placed all
the way from $4,000 to $25O,OOO
Bunk Examiner Myers is now at work
on the treasurer's books and snys the
amount of the shortage cannot be as
certained until the various banks In
which money has been deposited, have
been heard from.
MI. Taylor is president Of the First
National Bank Of Redfeld, and 1t is
announced that the bank closed last
night Alex c. johnson, prominent
In state politics, and a heavy grain
buyer In Central Dakota, had $1,000
In the bank. and left this morning on
q special engine for Redfleid. Ex.
Gov. Mellette, Speaker Howard and
Bob Mccoy Of Redheld, are on Tay-
lor's bond, and the Sphinx county dele.
CATION 10 all broken up over the defal-
cation. 1t falls on them like q thun-
Taytor lost some money in the fail
ure Of the Bank of Milbank. and some
In the failure Of Leppelman's Bank Of
Gettysburg, but these losses were not
sufflcient Of themselves to cause an
embarrassment.
Examiner Myers gives the following
explanation Of the matter: Last April
he called upon Treasurer Taylor for a
statement of his account with the
state. The statement gave the names
Of fifteen OF twenty banks In which
he had deposited money, and Examin-
er Myers received verifcation from
the banks as to the amount held by
them. If these statements were cor
rect Taylar was all right in April.
In November Mr.. Myers called for
. similar report, but Taylor, after re-
peated promises to make It, has not
yet done so. Moreover. he has been
out Of the state since some time in
November, and his precise wherea-
bouts are not known. This circum-
stance causes great embarrassment to
Taylor's friends, who say he has taken
poor counsel In not facing the music
and making clean breast Of 1t. There
ought to be In the treasury now about
$3.50, 600, but no one except Taylor
knows where the money is deposited,
and Consequently It Is impossible to
tell what the shortage is The sensa-
tion overshadows all legislative mat
ters, and no business will be done to-
day. '''''''' +, ;.
About the first of this ,icpt6 Taylor
was to take up $4,000 Of ssaniiing
warrants. If these wdrrantss were
pnid, the shortage will not be very
large, otherwise 1t will be very heavy.
Taylor's absence gives color to the
claim that the defalcation will be bad
as It can be. A telegram bearing Tay-
lor's signature was received from A.
have been sent by some friends.
Taxes have been coming In very
slowly, and South Dakota's finances
will be badly demoralized IL the worst
should he true. Members of tine legis-
lature are dumfounded at the situa-'
tion. Taylor deposited money In DIFF
ferent banks to his own private credit,
and 1t will he difficult to get at the cx-
act facts unless he should appear per.
sonally.
48yAVE NOt IN NC" IOE&s
New York, Jan. 11.--Numerous in.
quiries from the West reached bank
Ing houses to-day in regard to the
whereabouts Of w. w. Taylor. who,
as outgoing state treasurer Of South
Dakota, failed to appear to turn over
his Office to Ills successor, and against
whom I'm alleged shortage in the state
funds is recorded. AS proprietor of a
bank In Redfeld, Taylor did business
with the Chase National bank of this
city. According to President Cannon,
of the Chase National bank. however,
his accounts with that institution are
all right, his indebtedness being amply
secured.
Mr.. Cannon said: "Mr. Taylor was
here about I'VE weeks ago on a mat
ter Of business connected with the
bank. have not seen him since, and
have no idea where he is. Sew er,l
inquiries were made today by inter-
ested parties as to his whereabouts
and his standing. but we were unable
to give any information as to the
former, and regarding the latter
have nothing definite beyond the fact
that his credit with the Chase National
bank was well secured. I do not know
where Mr.. Taylor is, but l am certain
that he 10 not in New York.
Redneld, 8. D., Jan. 1.-THE First
National bank closed it's doors this
morning. Depositors are to be paid In
full. The president, w. w. Taylor,
was state treasurer, and his term just
expired.