The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-02-17
VAN KURAN A SPHINX
Will Talk to No One Concern
ing Shortage.
ABBOTT is ASTONISHED
STRANGEsT CASE THE AGENT
EVER MET WITH.

A j. Van Kuran is still at the coun-
y Jail, where he has the freedom of the
inside corridors, with a lingering hope
that by today some of his friends will
have succeeded ia getting the $4,000
BAH demanded by Che court for his APP
pearance in answer to the charge Of
embezzIeme1t. Mr.. Van Kura7 still
declines to discuss his case, which
might be natural. all things considered,
but his silence on every question relat-
ing to the shortage in his accounts COM
pletely mystifies his former colleagues
who are trying to straighten the doe
tored books.
The prisoner spent a restless night in
one of the lower cells. He looked yes
terday morning as though he had not
slept a wink. His nerves appeared to
be completely uustrung, and during a
brief interview ne fidgeted as though
on the verge of nervous pTOstratiOn.
Il have no statement TO make pro-
tested Mr. Van KuTan. Il do not want
to discuss the case at all at present
You see it is one thing to charge a. man
with crime, and quite another thing to
prove it,
DO you maintain that the apparent
discrepancies are due to errors in max
ing up the accounts? % he was asked.
Il have not had to say that" was
to say a word about it until L have to-"
NJ. Van Kuran said he had been
treated with every courtesy since his in
generation, which he hoped would not
last more than twenty-fodr hours
longer.
Considering the surroundings" he
said, Il am quite comfortable, although
nobody likes to feel confinement"
Agent Abbott's Statement.
A g -
Surety company left the city last night
He is going to Omaha while a complete
investigation is being made by Audi
tor Hills and his clerks. Before going
away Mr.. Abbott expressed himself as
follows. --..-
In all ny experience this is the most
astonishing case 1 ever met with. 1t is
a mystery to me. Mr. Van KuTan
maintains sphynx-like silence He
VIII not talk to US at all about the
condition Of his books, nor viii he raise
a finger to aid US in getting at the bot
didn't
''The other day I said to him: For
Gods sake, man, if there is any posi-
bility Of a miX-up in your accounts, say
something. Do you realize what this
means to your He would hardly an
SWer me.
But that isn't the only mysterious
feature Of the case. The thing no one
seems to be able to understand is where
the money went to. Did he lose l. in a
lump, or has it been a process of system
attic Stealing2 Until we get farther
along with the Investigation we cannot
answer this question. All sorts of
stories have come to Us, and we have
tried to run them down. But so far we
have been unable TO subStautiate any
OF them We cannot say that he gam
bled, dealt in stocks, or caTOused in
any way. His family has not been iiv-
ing eXtravag antly, and he does not
seem to spend any money TO speak Of
ON himself. What he did with his splen-
did salary, even, is a question yet un-
solved. 8, -
But we propose to get at the bot
this money and what he did with it, if
st takes six months"
From present appearances, Mr.. Alb
bolt said, the shortage viii not run over
$4,000, and a complete examination of
the books may prove favorable to the
ex-treasurer.
Some humOrOusIy inclined railrOadeTs
have expressed feigned disgust that the
Short Line treasurer did not take Fl
600 or 900 While he was at it. 1t
could have been just as easily accom-
plished. The treasurer handles sums
ranging upwards from $4,000 every
day.
Mr.. Van Kuran's wife and family
uDOn whom the case has been a ter
rible strain. are still at the residence
on South State street. but are likely
to leave in the near future. Mrs Van
Kuran has d sister in Omaha, which is
also the home of her husband.