Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-07-04
GIGANTIC STCA-.
State Treasurer Chipiey Guilty of
Queer Proceedings.
(Denver i'inesi.

NDenVer ~ nesi.
The most gigantic in the history
of Colorado has just beeu consummat.
ed by State Treasurer J. y. Chi.,i.,
and w. II. Griffith If the Ire and po.
lice board.
State Treasurer Chirlcy has paid
out $S9,37d.16 on warrants of the ia
nous Robber Seventh. W II. irif
.ith, the reform member Of the fire and
police board, receives the interest on
the warrants. amoun.ln; to nearly the
The people have been robbed without
to get at least $4,000 out of the deal
till this morning.
he least concealmen:. L.: order to
make the deal Su"cessfi, those con
cerned have paid the money In small
hecks, so as not to attrac. attention
but the checks were AL made payable
to the same concern. 10 al private
banking firm which oUerated with
Griffith
None of the attorneys for the hold
ers of the warrants, suit on each and
every one of which is now pending In
he district court, knew that the mon
ey was being paid. Even Governor
Orman knew nothing about the pay
ments being made. He was in abso
lutte ignorance of the whole affair un-
total of the principal and he expects
Throughout the city there is feel
ing of disgust and dismay. The most
brazen Jobs of the notorious Robber
Seventh have been put to shame by
this star of all public thefts. There
was some nominal decency about the
transactions of the Seventh which is
sued the warrants, but In the deal
Just closed there was not n shadow
of fairness or consideration for the
public. and the penitentiary yawns for
the men who were Interested In the
scheme by which the state and the peo.
pie were robbed of thousands of dol
lars.
State Treasurer Chipley Is under
bond of 81 900. 900. the First National
Bank being his surety, and because 1t
knew the warrants to be worth at the
present no more than the paper upon
which they were printed the bank was
kept in ignorance of the payments.
Treasurer Chipley defends his ac-
tions by an opinion written by Attor
ney General Post month ago. For
a rpose--undoubtedly for the pur
pose of closing an infamous deal-the
attorney generals opinion has been
kept secret. The payments on the
| warrants in small amounts, have been
| going on all this time. and not until
| the money which could be used In this
l Il -
cerned in the deal allow the public to
know that the warrants were being
taken up.
| There was no question OF the ille
| gality OF the expenditures of the Rob
| ber Seventh Even the robbers ol
that legislature admitted that they
were looting the treasury. The ques
tion was as to the legality OF the war
rants For twelve years state treas
urers have refused to pay the amounts
on the face OF the warrants.
TREASURER j. H. FESLER WAS
OFFERED SIS 900 BY ONE OF THF
PARTIES TO THE DEAL If HI
WOULD SELL HIMSELF AND PAY
THE WARRANTS. HE REFUSED
THE OFFER.
But the issue OF the Seventh Is owe
now--all except the aftermath Stat
Treasurer Chipley has paid the none
and has kept his private actions as
public official in hiding. w. H. Gri
fifth who managed the deal, may r.
: ceive his heavy percentage. notwitl
, standing the fact that the suits on tn
warrants are still pending.