The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-10
RISE and EXPLAIN
John SeatOn Seems to Have
Forgotten Something.
Resignation From Board of Pub
lie Works Twice Accepted.
LETTER TO GOVERNOR.
Shows How "Musty Memories of
Men, Cannot Be Trusted.
Soon Afterward Draws Three
Months More Pay.
THE STATE CONTRACTS
Both Mr.. SeatOn and Mr. Heery
Secured State Work.
Violated Law if Still Members
of the Board.
Shows How "Musty Memories Of
Men" Cannot Be Trusted.
Soon Afterward Draws Three
Months More Pay.
THE STATE CONTRACTS
Both Mr.. SeatOn and Mr.. Heery
Secured State Work.
Violated Law if Still Members
of the Board.

Vi Iuo DOaEus
John Seaton is placed in a very bad
light in an affidavit filed in the Shaw
nee county district court today by c. c.
Coleman and T. L. Williams, the Clay
Center attorneys who are fighting the
location of the asylum at town of Par
sons. Mr.. Seaton and Mr. Heery kindly
acted as members of the state board Of
public works to condemn a site for the
asylum at Parsons
The facts taken from the public rec
ords show conclusively that John Sea-
ton not only resigned as member Of
the board of public works. but after
his resignation had been accepted was
awarded pay for three months serv-
ices by the legislature for the time
Immediately following the acceptance
of his resignation. He had probably
forgotten that he had resigned.
The records show, according to this
affidavit. that on December 10, 1896,
John Seaton's resignation as a member
OF the board of public works was ac-
cepted by Governor Morrill,. Mr.. Seaton
at that tirue addressed Governor Nor
riIl a letter full of good advice and a
copy Of this letter is included in the
affidavit. 1t is as follows:
Topeka December TO- 1896
ITO His Excellency the Governor, E.
N Morrill,:
.-Honored Sir-Having accepted at
your hands the appointment of member
of the state board of public works, and
/ assumed the duties appertaining April
4 1, 1895 I beg leave to now present my
| designation, to take effect January /,
| 1897.
4 desire to state that all of the con
/ tract work to be done per appropria-
/ tions made by the legislature appii-
! cable to this board has been carefully
/ attended to, ard some unfinished work
/ transmitted to our care by our prede
J cessorS has been brought to d finish
and duly settled fOr-Our stewardship
! is properly recorded and accounted for
/ in the records. books and papers in the
I office Of the board.
/ An emergency occurred in June. 1855,
/ by storm partially destroying the state
! normal school at EmpOria, the correct
! ing and repairing of which will by a
! special report be submitted to you in
due time. with a full detailed history OF
! the matter.
BY my experience in the past dura-
! ton OF my official connection with the
| board of public works, L am impressed
| with the wisdom of the acts maintain
ing such board. empowering it with
| all duties of building and repairing and
having the custody and care of the
| physical conditions of all state buildings
| and grounds, and to whom all recon-
/ mendatiOns for increased, changed or
| alterations of existing conditions should
| first he made before attempts at such
should be made by superintendent or
! employees OF various Institutions.
I have observed that it is highly inn
portant that the books of the board
! carefully show a history of all the pro-
perty OF the state and should thereby
become a guide for each subsequent
board. and ifneed be, the legislative COM
mittees in determining appropriations
for betterments or deciding upon claims
that perchance may come against the
state.
The showing of a correct history in
the Inaugural ton and expense of each
institution in the state from the present
time is a duty the board should care
fully attend to, and. in my opinion the
legislature should not delegate the per-
formance Of portions of the duty to sep
arate and different boards. as the same
only continues the chaos which reigns
from the past: and important and eX-
pensive claims fasten upon the state
through the obscure and misty memor-
les of men.
Very respectfully. your Obt. Svt..
JOHN SEATON."
The attorneys discovered by an exam
| ination of the records that during the
session of the legislature an oversight
OF the preceding legislature in not max
ing an appropriation for the pay of the
hoard of public works was remedieo
and that Mr.. Seaton was paid for hi!
!. term including the months of January
, February and March. His resignation
| was accepted to go INTO erect January
l. The pay for the three months follow
ing his resignation amounted to $3.50.
In June 1897. the records show tha
Mr.. Seaton again resigned. this time t
Governor I4eedy and again his resigna
ton was accepted.
The affidavit also sets out the resig
nation of Mr.. Heery who acted with Mr.
, Seaton in condemning the Parsons asy
: luIn site. Mr.. Heery's resignation wa
not exactly like that of Mr.. SeatOn ant
) he resigned but once. He included in
: his resignation the words until M
successor is elected and qualified 'whicl
Mr. Seaton did not But Mr. Heeryl
4 / RESIGNATION was accepted by Governo
! Leedy on June 26
There is a provision of the state law
+ article 10, section 400, which makes it
crime for public officers to take con
. tracts for work over which they hav
control If Mr.. Heery and Mr.. Seato
, | continued as members of the board O
, | public works they must have VIC
lated this law for the affidavit
, | show that John Seaton was paid owe
! | $4,000 for furnishing material for tn
: | state reform school If he was mem
> Der of the board of public works he vi
? oIated a state law and made himsel
I'll criminally liable by such an act
The affidavit also shows small sum
o paid to Mr.. Heery for state work aggre
eating something less than 81, 900.
q The injunction hearing to prever
= Auditor Cole from paying for the site
set for this afternoon in the ShaWne
county district court.