The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-06-09
ANOTHER REPORT.
Miami County Commissioners
Make Another Report.
Going Fully Into Details With
Dates and Figures.
CONDEMNING KELLY.
Holding Him Responsible For
Many DefalcatiOns.
This is Man Republicans Named
For Treasurer.

The records upon which these itemizedi
findings are made are before us, none OF
them are missing altered or mutilated
Where warrants have been drawn 1or q
board. OF where duplicates have been made
out the stubs of these warrants are All
The board further found during the inves-
tiEation that other sums had been unlaW-
fully paid out by the treasurers- -laXtract
from another and recent unanimous report
of the board of county commissioners of
Miami county attested BY the county
cferk made June 5th and 9Th, 1892. and
spread in detail upon the RECORDS OF sala
county
The names of these commissioners are /
r. Hampson, Thomas Crawford and
Reuben Smith. The name Of the county
clerk is L. Flanagan. The address Of
each is Paola, Kansas, and all are now
holding said Offices.
These four men have spent a great
deal of time investigating the defalca-
tions Of Thomas T. Kelly. The charges,
in a general way. were published in
this paper in February Mr.. Kelly. of
course, promptly denied them Matters
became so warm, however, that an Of
fetal investigation was not only de-
manded but made. Kelly was driven to
put up $1,000 to cover deficits or to be
returned if not shown to be a defaulter
This amount official examinations prov
ed an insufficient sum, and the county
claimed the forfeiture and more, too
Ten days time was consumed going over
the books, records and accounts. Mr.
Kelly was at hand during the entire
time
The findings of the board were pub
hshed in this paper and a. number OF
other daiiies and weeklies during the
week before the Republican state con-
ventiOn recently held at Wichita. and
suppressed in certain other newspap apers.
Mr.. Kelly agreed at one time to with
draw from the race Of state treasurer.
but for some reason he changed his
mind
At the Wichita convention every effols
was made to nominate Kelly for the
office United States Senator Burton
and present State Treasurer Grimes
seemed more anxious for the nomination
Of their friend Kelly for the office of
treasurer than they did for any other
result; they were successful The ac-
tions of party conventions in some
respects are simply incomprehensible.
No charges on the floor Of the cOnven-
tion were made against Kelly, although
delegates knew he was guilty and ought
not to be named for the place of trust.
His nomination was railrOaded through;
not a word was said in his favor or
against him by any speaker
Mr. Kelly was told by some of his
good Republican friends that his ex-
plantations were not satisfactory. He
has thereupon made additional explana-
tions, which have been Investigated and
found to be untruthful He tried to
shoulder some of the responsibility for
the shortage on others, but when he
gave names and the matter was run
down Kelly proved himself as unrelia-
bic in his recent statements as he was
incorrect in keeping the accounts in his
books
About the only real explanation Mr..
KeIly's friends are able to make is that
his defalcations occurred nine or ten
years ago; that he is a competent book
keeper and has reformed. Do the voters
Of this state regard this explanation as
satisfactory2
In view of the official findings spread
on the records, is there any reason why
the name Of Thomas It. Kelly should
not be removed from the Republican
state ticket? Should the people be call
ed upon to vote for a man with this
record before them2 If Senator Burton,
Treasurer Grimes and other politicians
are so deeply indebted to Mr.. Kelly
---t-7-
thick and thin. why do they not get some
good position for him in some place that
he can fill with credit to his ability as
an accountant and where the funds Of
the state are not to be in his special
keeping?
THE OFFICIAL FINDINGS.
As stated above the charges and
proofs were published months ago. The
official findings of the board, in brief
were printed May %. That document
found Kelly short 1924. These findings
We're so damaging that the present
county clerk. L Flanagan, who was a
delegate to the Wichita convention, re-
FUSED to serve, inasmuch as the Miami
county instructions would compel him
10 vote for the man against whom these
defalcatl0ns appeared Of record Kelly
delegation.
There is a current belief that Kelly
IS short six thousand dollars, although
the commissioners in their report only
hold him accountable for s1,324
There has been so much unfavorab1e
comment and so many protests over the
nomination Of T. T. Kelly for state
treasurer, in view Of the unrefuted fnd-
1ngs OF defalcatiOn brought against him.
BY the officials Of Miami county, that
the commissioners deemed 1t advisable
to make still another report and record
Ii In the minutes of their proceedings
giving in detail the nature and char
acter OF the items The board met in
special session at Paola last week. June
and g. and made and recorded the re-
port given below upon the books OF
Miami county, open to all
This report is copied below Just as
the commissioners make it on their rec
ords, with the exception Of the sub
headings in capital letters, which are
written in to emphasize the findings
Ine detailed report as above noted, here
follows.
The Official Report.
June 5. 1902-Board adjourned as a
beard Of equalization and was immedi-