Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-02-13
A S36O, ,OOO SHORTAGE.
Sureties of the Late State Treas
 urer of Illinois Paid Ii.
HE WORRIED HIMSELF TO DEATH
Suits Against tho Estate of Rufus Ramsay May Result In the Recovery of Ss25, 900. Discovery of a Shortage When Ramsay's Son Was Named For the Office.

Discovery or A shortage " hen hamSlyA
 Son Was Named For the Office.
 CARLYLE, Ills, Feb. 13.-Judge Jones of Clinton county, sitting as probate judge in this city, made tho claim of tho bondsmen of the late Rufus Ramsay. as state treasurer of Illinois. against his es- tate. amounting to S360, GOO, preferred claim of the sixth class
 . The bondsmen who stood in the place of the state took this action to reimburse themselves for having made good tho same amount of shortage in the accounts of the late treasurer of Illinois when his office was transferred to his son Elijah in last November.
 The Ramsay estate is valued at Sl5o,- 900, and if tho widow does not forogo her dover rights the hondsmen expect to re- alize $l25. 900 from their claim. Judge Jones allowed only one other preferred claim amounting to a few thousand dol lars.
 Carl Moll cashier of the National Bank of Illinois, one of the surotieS on tho bond of the late state treasurer. Rufus Ram say. and an appointee of Governor AltgeId as West park commissioner said to re- porter in regard to the claim of the bonds. men against the Ramsay estate and the reported dedication of S360, 900:
 Officers and directors of the following Chicago banks were on the bond of the late Rufus Ramsay for the aggregate sum of $500. GOO. divided unequally: Chicago National, Corn Exchange, Fort Dearborn National. Metropolitan National and the National Bank of Illinois
 These banks wero used as Repositories of state money. When Mir Ramsay died suddenly at his home in Carlyle carly last November, Governor -Altgvld appointed Elijah, the son of tho deceased. to servo the rest of the term.
 Big Deficiency Discovered. Tho law requires the presence of the bondsnen when any transfer of the treas. urer's $ office is to be made, so F. M. Blount. cashier of the Chicago National hank. and | myself. representing tho hondsmen, were present in Springfield when the accounts were examined and the funds turned over. The startling discovery was made at that time that S36O. OOO of the stato funds had been misappropriated. We found notes of Henry Setter. a banker of l.eb anon and O'Fallon, Ills, aggregatinS $245. GOO.
 ] The only security attached to the notes 1 was stock in the Illinois Farm company, 1 which owned several thousand acres of | farm land in Illinois We also found due bills of Ramsay for Sll5. .0U0. He had sim | ply taken that amount of money from tho treasury and left due bills To show for it. The total deficiency was made good at 1 once by tho banks, and when Elijah Ram- say became state treasurer Nov. II there was not dollar owing the state, When | the present treasurer, Henry Wul0. came 1 into the office. he was not satisfied with l the checks OI the Chicago hanks and de- l manded currency for every dollar rCpre- scented by the checks ,a>r was at uuce 1 sent him, and We hHN,. ..a,c q 'vL receipt 1 for every cent uwiuA nn .eccSsor. 1 Tho report that t.rA~ .4..- ,liI l syUver- l cd tho dc:alc ,t,uu is ul!JU.
 MT Ramsay Was u !r1Ektr in Carlyle and his estate VrObAh worth SI5O. GOO. Tho bondsmen may get Sl25. 0o0 of tbat Henry Setter. who evidently began uorrow- ing from the state treasury as soon as Mr. l Ramsay camo into possession of tLs funds, was former partner ot the lato treasurer in the banhiE!: business Setter was In l the state senate for several years and was a Democratic leader in southern Illinois
 Suicide Theory Not Relieved
 'We made him turn over to the bonds l men 5O0 acres of land which was in his own name He mado an asSignmen; last month. The bondslncn have 2,O0a acres of land near Mitchell. Ills. to realize on.
 We may got together from the farm lands and the Ramsay estate from S2n0.- OUO tO S@-O,upt, WnlCn "OuIu leave us iOs CTS of Sl35. 000
 Did you learn anything as to what Setter and Ramsay did with the money:'
 II talked with Softer all night and tried to find out how they spent the money hut could not, believe Ramsay. although reputed to be wealthy, entered tho office not only poor, but in debt, and used the $llS, 900 to pay his debts with As for Setter. l think he used the $24O, GOO to buy the land we now hold and maybe to bolster m his banks during the financial panic
 Did you hear any intimation as to the death of Mir Ramsay being due to his own act?"
 II don't believe he committed suicide He was subject to heart trouble, and the worry over his shortage, coupled with the knowledge that his successor having been elected, and Republican at that exposure would soon follow hastened his end.
 His son was present when he died. The bondsmen did not think they could be compelled by legal process to mako good the shortage. but to avoid public scandal we decided to pay it
 At the time Treasurer Wulff was in. stalled in office the fact was made public that there had boon found in the treasury certain mortgages and other securitie: for money loaned by the late treasurer
 but no amount was mentioned. and thert
 was no intimation of any crimo having . been committed by MT. Ramsay while ir office The statement was made that the securities found in the treasury could not be realized on in the depressed state of the
 market to the full amount of the money loaned. and as . consequence the bonds
 men made good tho deficiency and received l the collateral.