Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-10-31
STAIN ON THE STATE.
IL RESTS THERE ENTIRELY WITH
OUT JUSTIFICATION.
Such the Contention of Attorney
General Crawford, Who Narrntes
the Facts Connected With the
. Prosecution of Taylor.


the Facts Connected With the
: Prosecution of Taylor.
Pierre, s. D., Special. Oct. H.-Your re-
porter called upon Attorney General Craw-
ford to-day and called his attention to q
number of criticisms and slurs made
by papers outside the state In re-
gard to the late decision Of the su-
prem court In the Taylor case, and
In regard to the alleged failure OF the
state officers to do their duty In prosecut-
ing the case, and asked him II he had
anything to say In reference to these mat
tiers. In reply this officer said:
80 far as | am personally concerned, i
do not care to notice these vague and Ill
considered criticisms. 1t is a pretty good
answe to say that not Il single one OF
them is based upon fact or any report from
Pierre, where everything has been done
openly and Is a matter Of record which
any one can inspect who wants to learn
the truth. They have nearly ali emanated
from the Argus-Leader at Sioux Falls, a
partisan Democratic paper. whose editor,
as | understand 1t, Is the accredited cor
respondent in this state Of a large number
OF Eastern papers; and through these pa
pers outside the state, and In his own pa
per within the state, he has worked zeal
ously for months to create the impression
tNtI( bNi NhuA IN ANANo W SN'Nh
Dakota entered into a corrupt agreement
with Taylor and his representatives to
compound the crime be had committed.
The people within the state have no doubt
learned months ago that his statements
are wholly unreliable and recklessly false.
"From Massachusetts TO Colorado the
fair name of this state has been cruelty
and recklessly libelled and slandered
through the false reports made by these
men to the outside press about this case
"Will you state wherein these reports
are false, so that the false impression ex-
listing abroad in regard to this matter may
be corrected as far as possible?'
Eyes, very willingly, as it Is n duty to
the state to do so.
wherein Reports Are False.
"First-It was claimed In these false re-
ports that when Taylor's crime was dis
covered last January the state authorities
and the legislature then IN session neglect
ed TO move promptly in the matter. Ihis Is
lie number one, and a most willful one.
too. The facts which appear as clear as
MONDAY from the records, show that on
the very day the defalcatlon became known
the legislature, by joint resolution, offered
$4,000 reward for Taylor's apprehension,
and on that and the following day this offer
was telegraphed by me all over the United
States. On the following day l opened
negotiations with Pinkertons for the pur-
pose OF eIlplOl lDs lHcIE agency, nv uS oOVh
as their terms were learned an executive
session of both branches of the legislature
was held and a bill unanimously agreed
upon appropriating $4,000 to prosecute
suits within and without the state upon
TaylOr's bond and to pay detectives Tor
hunting him down. This bill was rushed
through as rapidly as the limitations or
the constitution would permit, and a con-
vEact at once closed with Plnkertons and
five expert detectives at once set to work.
On the very day the defalcation became
known / commenced suit upon the treasur-
er's bond and procured attachments for
the property of all the defendants Be-
tween that day and the 10th of January
every parcel of property within the state
situated in over thirty counties, was at
tached, personal service made on resident
defendants and publication commenced
against non-residents Suits were also in
stituted in New York and Indiana against
certain of Taylor's bondsmen residing
there. During this same busy time the
present state treasurer was earnestly de-
wishing some means for raising revenues to
save the credit of the state, and l myself
prepared the draft of the law promptly
enacted for the sale of anticipatOry war
rants Oy the treasurer, by means OF which,
through the skillful management OF that
able officer. the state in less than three
weeks after the defalcation was paying ev-
cry obligation In cash, and its credit has
been equal and better than that OF its
neighbors ever since. No fact Is better
known in financial circles than this.
$50, in reply to the charge that we did
not act promptly and earnestly In this
matter, | cite the above as evidence of
Its absolute ~falslty. At the first term OF
court held at Pierre after the suit was
commenced upon Taylor's bond the case
was crowded for trial. and after a stubborn
fight judgment was recovered for the full
amount OF the shortage. The legislature
also appointed an investigating committee
which made a most unsparing and thorough
investigation of the facts connected with
ttn defaicatioh, and alled a very exhaust
I've report. This report Is a public record,
accessible TO all. Upon discovering, through
the work of this committee, that some of
Taylor's bondsmen had secreted his prop
erty in Chicago, and that he had left money
of the state there with a view to procur-
ing q settlement with the state and inn
munity for himself, l Instituted criminal
proceedings against every one suspected OF
aiding him In this scheme, and struck
right and left without stop, let or him
dranee. The result was that the grand jury
of Hughes county returned indictments
against Taylor for embeZzlement and
against one of his bondsmen, two OF his
attorneys prior to the discovery Of the
defalcation, and his brother-in-law. for
criminal conspiracy. All these facts were
fully known by the Sioux Falls correspond
ent who has so zealously circulated lies
throughout the Eastern press.
TaylOr's Surrender.
"After these indictments had been found
ana several arrests made under them. and
after the judgment had been recovered
upon his bond, and Taylor had been fol-
lowed by the detectives through Central
America and the West Indies with rare
skill, he surrendered himself to the state
authorities In June.
''Second-Thls surrender was the coca
sion for a series OF prepOsterous falsehoods
OF the most grotesque and sensational
character from the same cold -blooded and
constituencies correspondent. Upon the
strength of his falsehoods South Dakota
was held up before the world by great
daily newspapers in Chicago, New York
and elsewhere as having abjectly surren-
dered its honor and self-respect to Taylor.
One paper In Chicago set out a picture
representing Taylor as returning like the
'Conquering Hero an archway OF roses In
front of him and the State or South Da-
kota abjectly upon her knees before him.
THE editor Of the Argus-L.eader at once
published the charge that before Taylor
consented 10 return there bad been a con-
farAnaa hnt hfa frfnnIs and tho stain