St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-13
FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND
Short, When Supposed the
Richest Man in Southern !
Illinois.
TWO YEARS OF REGULATION
Put an End to by Death His
Bondsmen Have Begun
Suit.

CARLYLE, H., Feb. 12.-When
Rufus Ramsey died suddenly
three months ago, supposedly of
heart disease, he was thought to be-
the richest man in Southern Illinois.
Within week over $500, 900 in claims
against his estate have been filed,
but the most startling is that Of five
Chicago bankers, who were his
surety as state treasurer. When
Henry Wulff succeeded the dead
man he found a shortage OF $685.
so, which he communicated to his
bondsmen, who have so far sup
pressed it in the hope of reimburs-
ing it out of the estate of the dead
man. Now F. M. Blount and Carl
Moull, cashiers of two Chicago banks,
have filed in the county court claims
for the full amount of the shortage.
In the claims filed by Messrs. BlOunt
and Moull it is specifically alleged
that the shortage was of the amount
named; that the bondsmen made it
good, and that the claims are filed
for the reimbursement of the bonds
men. When the bondsmen filed their
claims in the county court for $685.
539. so. the amount was 50 stupendous
that Judge Jesse Jones refused to al
low it until further proof of its cor
rectness was filed. This was done
on Feb 9, when an itemized state
ment of the amounts distracted by.
Ramsey from the state treasury was
put into the hands of the court. 1t
showed that Ramsey had begun
TAMPERING WITH THE FUNDS
seven days after taking office. He was
seven days after taking effect. He was
sworn in Jan. 8, and on Jan, II he helped
himself to $4,000. One form of his en-
bezzlement was to take the cash from
the state funds and turn in personal
due bill. having it charged up as cash,
all others being much the same.
On jan 10 he took $15, 0O0 Jan. q, S20,-
600; March 4, 5000 May 10, $4,000; June
5, $1,000; June 81, $1,000; July q, $4,000,
and so on down the year.
His last Withdrawal in 1885 was Nov.
II. when he took $4,76l. For a whole
year then there was an intermission,
so far as the itemized statement oil the
bondsmen shows, and then there comes
one more, the last, $4,000, taken Nov.
8, the day upon which Mr.. Ramsey.
took to his bed The claim of the bonds
men on the bond. which was filed in
the county court, is very simple in Ian
guage, and reads as follows:
Estate of Rufus n. Ramsey to John
H. Wilbeck ct al, dr., to cash paid by
them. as bondsmen for Rufus N. RAM
sey, late treasurer of the state of Hill
nois, to Elijah p. Ramsey, his sue
cessor in office, to make good the for
mers deficit as such state treasurer,
1858, 539. 81
This sum will have to be paid before
any others can be paid. 1t is what is
known as the sixth class trusts, while
depositors claims are in the seventh
class.
LOST IN A LEBANON BANK.
Together with the claim was paper
connecting Ramsey with Henry Setter
the Lebanon, H., banker, who failed so
disastrously just after Ramsey's death
This paper shows that the banking firm
of Henry Setter & Co. owed Ramsey.
personally the sum of $243, 1882. The
first note was drawn Sept. 8, 1885, for,
$181, 278.52. 1t was the largest one
drawn. The others ranged from $4,000
to $4,000 in amount. The last one was
drawn Oct. 81, 1894, and was for $3,400.
The first is written in the regular form
of the note, but the others are in the
form of due bills, with no date of ma
turity given. These notes and due bills,
were in tho treasury, together with his
own due bills, representing cash. There
were also due bills from the Mapa Land
company amounting to $l,4O0. These
three amounts make up the sum total
which the bondsmen were obliged to
make good. In addition to the claim OF
$3.50, j39. 50 made by the bondsmen, claims
of merchants and farmers of Carlyle
and Iron counties have been filed in
the county court, the entire indebted
ness up to date amounting to AG8, 2IS.SJ,
while the estate is probably not worth
over 100000, including the estate Of
Setter, which can be held.