The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-13
Shortage Discovered by Ramsey's
Successor, Which the Dead Mans
Bondsmen Tried to Cover.
THE STEALINGS MADE GOOD
But THE ENTERTAINMENT RE-
vEALED BY FILING OF CLAIMS.
Debts of $46S,27S Against an Estate
That Will Not Yield Over 100000
"A Thief from the Start.

CARLYLE, ILL.,, Feb 12.-When Rufus
Ramsey, who died suddenly three months
ago. supposedly of heart disease, went into
the State treasury two years ago he was
thought to be the richest man in southern
Illinois. Within a week over $685. in
claims against his estate have been filed,
but the most startling is the demand of
the Chicago bankers who were his surety
as State Treasurer. When Henry Wulf sue
ceeded the dead man he found a shortage
of $363, o59.52, which he communicated to his
bondsmen who have so far suppressed it in
the hope of reimbursing out of the estate
of the deceased. Now F. NJ Blount and
Carl Moli, cashiers of two Chicago national
banks, have filed in the county court claims
for the full amount of the shortage In
the claims filed by Messrs Blount and Mol
it is especially alleged that the shortage
was of the amount named; that the bonds
made it good and that the claims are filed
for the reimbursement of the bonds
When the bondsmen filed their claim in
the County Court for 1868, 539. 50, the amount
was so stupendous that Judge Jesse Jones
refused to allow it until further proof of
its correctness was filed. This was done on
Feb 8. when an itemized statement of the
amounts distracted by Ramsey from the
State treasury was put in the hands of the
court 1t showed that Ramsey had begun
tampering with State funds seven days after
taking office. He sworn in Jan. g. and
on JAM II, 1898, he helped himself to $25 600
One form of his embezzernent was to take
the cash from the State funds and turn in
a personal due bill, having it charged up as
cash. all others being much the same On
Jan. 10 he took $4,000; JAM "a, $4,000;
March 4, $1,000; May 10, $4,000; June g. s., GOO;
81 M
down the year. His last withdrawal in 1898,
Nov. H. when he took $4,761 For a
whole year then, there was total inter-
mission, SO far as the itemized statement
of the bondsmen shows, and then there
comes one more, the last, $4,000, taken Nov.
TO. the day on which Mr.. Ramsey took to
his bed
The claim of the bondsmen the bond
which was filed in the County Court, is
very simple in language and reads as fol-
lows: Estate of Rufus N. Ramsey to John
III. Wilbeck ct al DIR. to cash paid by them
as bondsmen for Rufus N. Ramsey late
treasurer of the State of Illinois, to Elijah
P Ramsey. his successor in Office, to make
good the formers deficit as such State
Treasurer 1868, $685. This sum will have
to be paid before any of the other sums
can be satisfied 1t is what is known as the
sixth class trust funds, while depositors'
claims are in the seventh class. Together
with the claim was paper connecting RAM
sey with Henry Setter. the Lebanon, ILL.,,
banker who failed so disastrously just after
Ramseys death. This paper shows that the
banking firm of Henry Setter & Co. owed
Ramsey, personally, the sum of $2437
The first note drawn Sept 5, 1893, for
$1S1, 1882. 1t was the largest one drawn. The
others ranged from s., 900 to $4,000 in amount.
The last one was drawn Oct 81, 1884, and
was for So, 400 The first is written in the
regular form of note, but the others are
in the form of due bills with no date of
maturity given These notes and due bills
were in the treasury, together with his own
due bills, representing cash. There was also
due bills from the Napa Land Company,
amounting to $i400. These three amounts
made up the sum total which the bondsmeni
were obliged to make good. In addition to
the claim of $780,, 952 made by the bonds
men. claims of merchants and farmers of
Carlyle and Iron counties have been filed
in the County Court, the entire Indebtedness
I'D to date, amounting to $46S, 27SS5, while
the estate is probably not worth over $780,,
600. including all the assets of Setter which
11a hold