The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-29
NO WHISPER OF LOAN
MADE IN GEN. POPE's LETTER TO
DIR. WOOD ABOUT LIBRARY
FUNDS
MIR. DONALDsON's RED LINE
Gen. Pope Says He Never Heard of
1t Until the Publication of the
Attacks on Him In "a st. Paul Pa
per Fortnight Ago-The Gen
erals Statement


There was no change in the status at.
the office of Gen. e. M. Pope, public ex-
aminer and superintendent of banks, yes
terday save that the general had returned
from Mankato and was again in charge of
affairs in person.
He is still averse to talking about the
Mankato matter, which has been the basis
OF a number of attacks on him by some
newspapers. especially an evening paper
in this city, and declined to be inter
viewed. He has presented his side of the
case, however, in the following, which
appeared in the Mankato Free Press.
Gen. E. M. Pope, public examiner OF
Minnesota, arrived in the city last night
and will remain for day or two. While
here he will look up data in regard to the
library and also investigate the claim
that W. H. Shepard owes the city treas
urer. He states that If he owes anything
owes anything, the claims will be paid.
In speaking Of this matter Gen. Pope
stated that 1t would have been just as
well and just as fair. If they had been
lowed an opportunity to have an eXplana-
ton go out at the same time with the re-
report.
his financial transactions with the city
have been strictly legal, and have been
done open and above board, with no effort
to CONCEAL anything from the officials or
the public. His holding $500 for the public
library was not done in secret, but in pub
t Tic, and "a was authorized d and was for The
money was turned over to President
| Wood, In May last, 1t was turned over to
the library fund because it needed the
money then as much as it would at any
r haa fJIrr1 nod tIas,
or II 1t had not been held In reserve for
| such an emergency, the library would
nave had no money to go on for several
months. owing to the empty state of the
| treasury and the strictness followed this
| year In regard to borrowing. In his let
| ter to DR.. Wood there was no suggestion
Gen: Pope has secured from DR.. Wood a
certified copy of his letter to disprove
the talk that he attempted to loan the
| money back to the city.
| In regard to w H. Donaldson's claim
| 70 having discovered ANYTHING regarding
| the accounting of the library that was
| not correct. Gen. Pope states that the
expert,s examination and report simply
verified statements made by him to the
| expert as to the situation before he had
been employed by the city to make the
| examination.
Gen: Pope. explains the statement at
| tr1buted to him in regard to cautioning
| MI. pc, Donaldson not to go back of the
| red line. by saying that this talk oc-
| CURED at private conference of the
mayor and aldermen, at which he and
Mr.; Donaldson We're present. The only
| talk he had was In regard to the inves-
! tfgation of the books of the city recorder
and the municipal court. Gen. Pope
| UP to June. 1895. and that the matter
was closed UP to that date, and that It
/ would be useless to go further back. At
| the same time he. told the meeting that
| he had made no investigation in regard
| to the road. water and fire departments
| and that If these were to be looked into
| the expert could go back as far as he
| wanted to. as it was all new ground.
| Cen; Pope said that the talk of red
line was. new. that he had never
| heard of it.
| Cen. Pope is inclined to charge the
cancellation of the bond and the almost
simultaneous publication of the fact to a
recent bitterness known to be felt by
| Mr., NOVEL; toward him. NOVEL; resided
| in Mankato some years ago, and it was
| on account of old acquaintance that Gen
Pope allowed his company to prepare
! the bond.