Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-06
Two Ex-Governors to Be Asked to Tell
What They Know Of Contents
MEsERvE is TO BE QUESTIONED ALSO
Sears Brings Up the Bond Deals of
kx-Treasurer stuefer.
STATEMENT OF THE BURT COUNTY CASE
Hall of Douglas Introduces an Even
Dozen bills, Several of which
Arc of Interest 60
Omaha.
(From a SIAN CorresnondentN


Having appointed a committee to invesb-
gate the so-called BARLEY cigar box AMI
certain official acts Of cXState Treasurer
Mescrve, the house took tho initiative in
movement 20 subject the official conduct
OF ex-State Treasurer Stuefer to public
inquiry.
Knox OF Buffalo, Ferrar Of Hall, Ribble
Of Saline, Nelson and Kennedy of Douglas,
form tho committee OF house members that
will conduct the investigation Of that cele-
brated mystery. the so-called BARLEY cigar
box, together with the official conduct OF
eX-State Treasurer Meserve insofar as IL
is said 10 relate to this case. This COM
mittee was appointed by Speaker Mockett
this afternoon on motion OF Knox that the
naming Of the committee be vested in the
speaker This motion followed the adop-
tion by The house of a favorable report
by the judicial committee, to which the
Knox resolution calling upon the house
to institute this investigation had been
referred
This is the status Of the movement to
have the present legislature 60 into and, II
possible, lay bare the facts OF this scandal
arising from the embezzlement by ex-State
Treasury. BARLEY of over $500, 900 of state
funds of which he was custodian. The
mysterious cigar box is supposed to con-
tain !. o. Us representing part of the
plundered funds. Governor Savage also has
said that such a cigar box is in existence.
The general assertion is that the names
of the persons to whom this money is
loaned and the amounts OF such loans arc
contained in that box. No one claiming
to have knowledge of the box has ever
consented to disclose its location or con-
tents
Call Ex-GovernOrs.
The demand for official investigation OF
this remarkable case has been persistent,
but never before has II met a response to
this extent. Mr.. Knox only a few days
ago introduced his resolution in the house
giving practical initiation to this move-
ment. As is Indicated in the resolution,
the committee is to summon witnesses ana
collect lpqres 70 facilitate It's work. /. s
| the avowed determination to secure, II
| possible. those persons who are best quail
| fed TO throw light upon the case and in
this connection the committee will sum-
mon two ex-goveTnors Holcomb and Saw.
age. The former is now a member OF tho
! state supreme court ard the latter is In
| Seattle. Ex-TIeasurer Hill, who imme>
dately preceded Bartley. is another former
! state official who doubtless will be asked
/ to testify before the committee
! Sears OF Burt brought up the PROPOSE
| tion of looking into the affairs CT ex-
/
claims committee he submitted this state
ment, which went on the house record:
Sears Makes Statement.
Mr.. Speaker: To so much of the portion
In H r. 1854, as provides Tor reimburs-
| Ing William Stuefer, late treasurer of the
s1a.e, tn ! "a am , OppGse9; no @y reason is that
| bursed for his first years bond expense
after stating publicly before the house, that
| the earnings of the public money should 60
/ to the state. After that he did not con-
serve the public funds, in this that he neg
lected and refused opportunity OF buying
| bonds for the permanent school fund, but
! did in at least one instance, that OF the
Burt county bonds, furnish the school
money TO an outsider and then fought the
| bonds or pretended 10 Juy them, after
been detached and retained by such out
| slider, loss to the cchool funds of the
state, or to the county, IN any event to the
! state both furnishing tive money for the
| transaction and losing by IT,. / looked into
/ OF the county board of Burt county and
was assisted in the Investigation by Gov
| that from the evidence before him. il ap-
peared very great wrong had been com
4 asked then that the matter be Thoroughly
! investigated, which was not done, and later
sens as senator % Manderson. r. ]. Ma Mahoney @
and Mr.. Lambertson Investigate the matter,
! which suggestion was not acted upon.
! ] might add that portion of the ma
terial record In the matter OF the purchase
of the Burt CO unity bonds, appearing on
/ page ia OF the bond record book of the
/ treasurer's office has been changed since
! Investigated the matter In November, 1901.
Should the house desire 10 investigate the
matter l Will furnish such Information as
possess Without 'my present statement l
would not think that my duty 10 this
house, the state and my county had been
This claim. coming to, my committee.
must be acted on by me. The house must
Judge whether my conclusions are correct
or not.
Nelson Makes Move.
Immediately Nelson of Douglas submitted
this motion which was later withdrawn
before action was taken, as the author
wished to amend and resubmit It tomor-
row:
| move that a committee of FIVE members
OF this house be appointed to prosecute the
investigation of the conduct of ex-State
Treasurer William Stuefer I'm negectng
bonds for lie permanent school funds Of
the state of Nebraska and furnishing money
OF the state school fund to outside parties
with which they purchased county bonds
to the damage Of the school fund Also
that said committee be empowered to call
for books. papers and documents and com
pei attendance of witnesses during said In
vestigation and that II. r. 164 b. returned
TO the committee on claims pending the re-
port OF said special committee.
There seems To be no doubt of an in
vestigation being instituted into the Stue-
fer case.
This dominant spirit Of inquisition has
detracted from the interest in the revenue
bill for the present, although that meas
ure came back to the house today. It was
recommended for passage by the standing
revenue committee, containing fifty pro-
posed amendments. After much discussion
the bill was ordered placed on general file
TO come before the house in committee OF
the whole next Monday evening at 1880,
when series OF night sessions will be
begun for consideration OF this bill and
continued until It is disposed Of great
deal Of opposition exists 10 The revenue
bill.
The BARLEY investigation committee met
! tonight organized by selecting Knox chair
man ARRANGED To emDlov a ateuoRranhar