The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-11-24
Pope Vindication Resolution
Unanimously Killed.
The Public Examiner Did Not Put in an
Appearance at the Council
Meeting.

from the city to the library fund. that
there is nothing due the city from
General Pope for interest, or so far as
appears from any other cause" This
rather remarkable resolution, which
was presented to the council at its
previous meeting by Gen. Pope him
self, with the request that it be
adopted, was laid on the table last
night by unanimous vote, thus eff
fectually putting it to sleep.
Gen. Pope was not present at the
meeting, but his attorney, B. G..
Taylor, was silent spectator. Mr.,
Pope, is is reported was advised during
the afternoon by bosom friends not to
attend the meeting. 1t is also prob
able that, ascertaining the changed
feeling in the council, he considered
that it would be useless to appear again
before that body. Had he been there
and supported his resolution, there
would have been warm times. Aids.
Meyer and Weed were loaded for him,
and Aid. Jordan. who made speech in
his behalf at the previous meeting,
gave it out that he had come prepared
to tell Gen. Pope just what opinion he
had of his actions. Aid Jordan COM
ments severely upon Gen. Popes ad-
missions before the library board, after
having solemnly assured the council
that he had not had the use of a dollar
of the $500 for an hour. He is also in
dignant at the use which Mr.. Pope
made of the late John A. Willard 8
name.
A number of citizens dropped into
the council chamber, including several
members of the library board. Gen.
Pope had written President Wood that
he would appear before the council and
make certain representations, and the
expectation that he would do so filed
the lobby.
There was also present VIM. Fl.
Donaldson, of Minneapolis, the expert
accountant whose examination of the
city books is believed by most Mankato
people to be the cause of the returning
to the city treasury of $641 95 by Gen.
Pope. Mr. Donaldson has watched the
Pope controversy closely and with
much interest, and when he learned
that the General had written that he
would appear before the council again.
he took the train for this city, arriving
at p. m. He stated that he did not
to see the vindication resolution go
through without the council having
full light on the subject, and he was
prepared to tell more than was yet
known in regard to the peculiar $500
transaction.
When the subject Of reports of COM
mittees was called up. and the claims
committee had the floor, Aid. Weed
read the following resolution:
Whereas, By the records and books
of this city, it appears that the Man
kato public library was established by
resolution of the common council,
dated April 18th, 1894, and that on
September 10Th, 1894 a levy of So, 000 90
was made by said council for the es-
tablishment and maintenance of said
library. That the sum of $4,000 wa
withdrawn from the city treasury by
orders paid respectively March 28th
and April 9th, 1895, that on the 9th day
of April, 1895, an additional sum
of $500 was withdrawn from the city
treasury by E. M. Pope, president of
said library board. ostensibly for the
use of said library BOARD, ostensibly for
the use of the library board, deposited
by him in the National Citizens bank
on the 18th day of April, 1895, to the
credit of the Mankato library.
That said sum of 5000 was withdrawn
from said bank on. the Goth day of
April, 1895, by said E. M. Pope. and ac-
cording to his own statements used by
him for private business purposes.
That at the time of the Withdrawal
of the $500 from the city treasury April
9th, 1895. there were no funds due or
in process of collection to the credit of
the library fund, and that the same
was paid from the current fund of said
city.
That on the 10th day of May. 1899,
being four years and 30 days from the
time of the withdrawal of said $500 90.
from the city treasury same amount
was paid by E M.Pope to the president
of the library board; that during all
of the time from the date of the es-
Enlistment of the library until the
present time, the said fund has been
overdrawn Therefore be it
Resolved, By the common council
of the city of Mankato, that the $500 90
withdrawn by E. M. Pope from the
city treasury on April 9Th, 1895. be-
longed to the current fund of said city,
over which fund the Mankato library
board hs ! no Jurisdiction or control.
and in Il & opinion of this council, the
interest iue by E. M. Pope, for the use
of said hum of money, belongs to the
city o. jMankato, and should be paid
into Q city treasury, to the credit of
the trent fund.
Al~.Weed said that the resolution
had not been prepared by an attorney,
but expressed his views.
Aid. Taylor asked whether the in
terest had not already been paid into
the city treasury, and Aid Weed re-
piled. that he did not know.
The resolution was unanimously
adopted without discussion.