Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-22
J. Il, EDMISTEN'S SOFT SNAP
Searohlight Thrown Upon Some Of the Oil
Inspectors Methods,
BlttDS PUBLIC AND STATE TO The LIMIT
Reports show How 20 BE Sufficiently
Ubiquitous to Bc in Three Dif-
fcrcnt Places Mt the
Same Time,

LINCOLN, Oct. 21.-(Special )--Accordng
TO the official records Of the roformers who
have held office in the state house during
the past few years one Of the most startling
cases Of misappropriation OF state funds dur
ing the popocratic administration was in the
Office OF the state oil inspector. This office
was acknowledged by the populists to be the
biggest snap In the state house and when II
is fully realized that in a little over two
years time J. II. Edmisten, the Holcomb
appointee, was allowed to draw from the
state treasury as expense money enough TO
pay his fare four times around the world
and stil have left a balance OF about 5000
for incidentas, their acknowledgment will
not be doubted
The records in the office OF the state oil
inspector show that an appalling state Of at-
fairs existed there during the term of j. II.
Edmsten under the Holcomb administration.
On numerous occasions his monthly vouchers
called for over 5000 and for the month OF
May, 1897, his claim amounted to sil36l.
All of these claims were approved by the
governor and allowed by the auditor with
out investigation. In fact, there apparently
was check upon the reform" oil inspec-
tor. During Edmisten's term OF office war
rants were drawn in his name amounting TO
Ss.227.O5. Deductng from this amount the
salary allowed by law and balance of
50, ,10i93 remains Tor expenses.
These figures are all taken from the rec
ord made by Edmisten himself and are still
further substantiated by the vouchers on
file in the auditors office The smallest
amount drawn from the treasury by Eimis
ten for a single month was $2l725 and his
salary for the same month was S166.66.
Vow in had Reputc.
1t Is because of these unwarranted drafts
on the treasury while acting the pseudo
role OF a reformer that Edmisten Is now in
bad repute with the more conservative and
conscientious element of the populist party.
1t Is generally known that he rode on passes
and charged the state for each trip, made
either in the discharge of his duties as oil
inspector or in his own private interests.
Such methods are approved by a majority
OF the popocratic officeholders at the state
house, but there is nevertheless consider
able criticism heard from the few who
wanted to see the populist machinery placed
in the hands of more worthy man. AS
chairman of the populist central commit
tee Mr. Edmisten has surrounded himself
by men who counteSance such methods,
most of whom received good salaries from
the state while they are attending to the
work of the committee.
The monthly reports of Edmisten, filed
with the state auditor, snow tnat a large
proportion of the trips charged to the state
were to and from Dawson county, where he
holds a quarter Of section Of school land
upon which the lease money due the state
has not been paid for four or five years.
There are other instances where Edmisten
charged to the state expenses of a trip to
Omaha and return, going from the state
metropolis to Dawson county instead of in
oil OF at nv his
reports.
The following is a portion of Chairman
Edmisten's expense account for the month
OF May, 1897, as copied from the statement
in his own handwriting, now on fle in the
auditors office: