The morning call., 1895-02-13
LEFT A BIG DEFICIT.
Rufus Ramsey Was a Heavy
Defaulter.
SCANDAL CAME AFTER DEATH.
While Treasurer of Illinois He Looted
the Funds.
iNDAL CAME AFTER DEATH.
TOOK NEARLY HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
BOndsmen Trying to Collect From the
Estate the Sums They Paid Out
to Make Up the Shortage.

ST. LOUIS, Feb. PA special to the Post
Dispatch from Carlisle, Ill, says: 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
$500, 600 in claims against his estate have
been filed, but the most startling is that
two were Chicago bankers who were his
surety as State Treasurer. When Henry
Wulff succeeded the dead man he found a
shortage of 1868, $50 81, which he communi-
Gated to Ramsey's bondsmen, who made it
good, but have so far suppressed it in the
hopes of reimbursement out of the estate of
the dead man. Now Blount and Carl Moll,
cashiers of the two Chicago banks, have
fled in the County Court claims for the full
amount of the shortage.
When the bondsmen filed their claim in
the County Court for 1858, ,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 February 9, when an itemized state
ment of the amounts abstracted by Ram
sey from the State treasury was put in the
hands of the court. 1t showed that Ram
sey had begun tampering with State funds
seven days after taking Office. He was
sworn in January 3, and on January Il,
1893, he helped himself to $3.50 One
form of his embezzlement 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 January 19 he took $4,000; January
"a, $4,000; March 4, $4,000; May 10, $4,000;
June 6, 5000; June u, $1,000; July 81,
$12, 600, and so on down the year. His last
withdrawal in 1893 was on November II,
when he took S4761. For a whole year
then there was total intermission, so far
as the itemized statement of the bondsmen
shows, and then there comes one more, the
last $4,000, taken November 6.
The day upon which Mr.. Ramsey was
taken TO his bed the claim of the sureties
on the bond was filed in the County Court.
1t is very simple in language and reads as
follows: Estate of Rufus NJ. Ramsey to
John H. Wilbeck ct al. debtor; to cash
paid by them as bondsmen for Rufus II.
Ramsey, late Treasurer of the State of Hi
nois, to Elijah P. Ramsey, his successor in
Office, to make good the formers deficit as
such State Treasurer, 1865, ,539 81
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 a paper connecting Ramsey with
Henry Setter, the Lebanon (Ill.) banker,
who failed so disastrously just after Ram
sey's death. This paper shows that the
banking firm Of Henry Setter & Co. owed
Ramsey personally the sum of $243, ,778 81
The first note was drawn September s.
1888, for $181, ,278 81. 1t was the largest one
drawn. The others ranged from $4,000 to
$4,000 in amount. The last one was
drawn October 81, 1894, ard was for $340O.
The first is written in the regular form of
a 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 were also due
Bills from the Napa Land Company
amounting to $4400 The three amounts
made up the sum which the bondsmen
were obliged to make good.
In addition to the claim of 1868, $50 50
made by the bondsmen, claims Of mer-
chants and farmers of Carlisle and Iron
counties have been filed in the County
Court the entire Indebtedness up TO date
amounting to $468, ,278 So, while the estate
is probably not worth over 100000, in
Guiding the assets of Setter, which can be
hold