Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-06-29
TELLS HIS STORY
He Comes Back to Save Bonds
men Further Trouble.
The State Had No Idea of His
Whereabouts.
rho Dcfaultcr Says That lie Has Been
Living Openly in Thts Country tho
Past Three Months $40
all lie Has Left.

all lie Has Left.
Sioux Falls. s. D., June 1S.-"rhat it
every cent ! have in the world, sald 'N-
state Treasurer w. w. Taylor TO Il re
porter OF the A~rgus-Lcader Today, taklha
out of his pocket two twenty dollar Diili
and one for five. six months ago / wa
worth easily 500. 900, had first class credit,
"A good name and a host of friends. Iouag
! am going to surrender myself To the au-
thoritics as a dcfaulter with the peniten-
tiary before me and with everything l care
for in the world gone except my FAMILY
and my few friends
Taylor today voluntarily presented nm
SELF before Judge Gaffcy of the circuit
court. at IA special session summoned for
the purpose and pleaded guilty TO embez-
zling $3ii. 600 from the state in anuary
last. Ills flight from the detectives ana
his journoyiLgs under the southern SUM
has not changed him. lie looked the same
rotund, jolly, popular fellow he was Wheh
a few months ago he was the most souShl
afser among all the politicians in South
Dakota. Ills hair has turned a little
more silvery. but otherwise he shows no
signs of care.
Taylor returned to Pierre voluntarily
The state authorities had no idea OF HI
whereabouts and the detectives who hay
been trying to lind his trail since his dis
appearance had practically given up TIA,
task. He has, however, good friends here
and they succeeded in making u compro.
mise under which the boudslncn were re
leased ana ii minimum sentence was prom
Used. Then he came back.
The Past three Months.
you will be surprised TO know H.
said, that | have been in the country
for the past three months, living openly
n free and enjoying myself as well "a
one could who Knew that there was q
price set on his head left the country
earlier than many suppose. | did no,
make up my mind that 1t would be I'm
possible for me to settle until the da3
before Christmas. l then consulted M
friends and on their advice decided I,
place all OF my property in trust TO pro
tect my bondsmen and conceal myself
on January 3 l left Chicago and Wen
to Tampa, from which place | sailed OF
the 9Th for Havana 10y way OF Key West
Thence after a few days ! sailed to Vera
Cruz. / did not go to the city OF Mex
leo. ] bought a ticket for hat place IN
order TO throw the detectives off from.
the track and evidently succeeded ad
mirably, for / understand that theJ
have repeatedly reported that ] was IL
Mexico. From Vera Cruz / sailed soutl
along the east coast H. the lSthmus o!
Tehauntepec, which ] crossed. and SAILED
up the west coast. Changing steamer
] spent the next weeks sailing down pas
the coasts of Guatemala. Nicaragua ano
Costa Rica. ! had intended to go to
Panama, but feared that the detectives
might run across me there and sc
stopped at Punta Arenas, where the
climate is delightful and the scenery su'
perb. on the steamer, which was the
Went la Good >ociety.
I'll fated COlima, / met Richard Harding
Davis and a number of other prominent.
people. who were charming companions
BY tina time I had grown a luXuriant
bushy beard, and as ] had always beer
somewhat near sighted wore spectacies
In February / rode across the noun
tains OF Costa Rica on horseback and
sailed to jamaica, where became well
acquainted with Chief Clarence, the ex.
He'd prince Of the Mosquito Indians. Al
Jamaica | purchased a ticket for Bar
BADGES, in order to delude the detec.
tives. and then sailed for this country
and went to ono of the large northern
cities, where l have lived for the past
three months and where ] could have
remained indefinitely without fear OF
discovery.
Footed the Detectives.
"I aid not see a detective during .ic
entire time, and none saw me. They
certainly did not prosecute a very Wig
orous search, and while l Travelled
slowly they were still more dilatory,
They did not trace me at all beyond ia
maica, but | understand are still in Bar
badoes following the false clue which ]
laid for them. L did not go to South
America at all, and all the reports u
the detectives about ny wandering
after leaving Jamaica are pure moon
shine. as well as much of what they
told earlier. / finally decided to como
I'm and give myself up. All the reports
about pleadings Of my family and my
friends are untrue. No one asked me tG
surrender. The state had no idea where
/ was, and could not have caught me H.
years. III fact ] understand that they
a W 6'fNAi ~ t"N
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. I know l AVE committed a
crime in the eyes Of the law, and am
ready to take the penalty. My con.
science is clear of any intent to dc
I,,N 4 oil .At .oD A. ll.
men, who are my friends, suffer. ]
have therefore come here voluntarily,
have turned owe to the state enough
property to wipe out the deficit. and am
now ready TO take any sentence which
my acts have warranted.
The reporter asked Mr.. Taylor to
give a sketch of the facts which BROUGHT
about his downfall. and he complied
frankly.
Story Of Isis Fall.
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 It would O have oc.
Cured. 1t is entirely untrue that my
predecessor in the treasurership was
short. Mr.. Smith made his settlement
with me in full. But when he did SO no
exacted a promise from me that / would
let him have some large deposits after
ward, and In pursuance of that promise
I was caught for $1,000 In his failure.
The loan vas amply secured, however,
Int the state will get the sum In full.
Nor is 1t true that I would have proved
q defaulter had a settlement been de-
manded Of me at the end Of my first
term. Had the state called for a settle
ment I could have raised every cent
without trouble. My credit was high,
was good for a large sun of money,
n l had extensive property.
1t Wa - Moral Duty.
1T Is also entirely untrue that Com.
missioner Ruth OF the school and public
lands had any arrangement or agree
ment with me about the holding up OF
the school money In the summer of 1898
We never exchanged a word about the
matter. i did hold up the states money
at that time. and I believed. and the
other state officers believed, hat II
was my moral duty to do so. The money
was deposited In various important
banks of the state. Strictly under thu
law I should have drawn this out. But
had I done so It would have certainly
wrecked them and probably every
financial institution In South Dakota
was keeping careful track Of the
banks and knew that to carry out thu
law at that time meant disaster. BY thu
most vigorous work and pulling every