Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-24
Senate Committee Will Not Admit Taxpay-
ers to Revenue Bill Disou sion.
sTUEFER BOND DEALS
Former Treasurer Says He Employed Neigh
to Buy the Bonds
LATTER CLIPS COUPONS FOR HIS PAY
Denies Having Issued Certified Checks
in Payment, as AIIeRed--BuTN
County People on Hand
to Testify.
cFrom a Stan correspondent3

CFrom Stan Correspondent.)
LINCOLN. March 23.--(Special Tele-
gram )-The passage OF Il. X. 1o2. appro-
prlating 100000 for an agricultural coll
lege at the state university, favorable re-
port of the deficiency bill increased to
900 by the house. the FIRST meeting of
the Stuefer investigating committee and
the fiat refusal of the standing revenue
committee Of the senate to admit taxpayers
OF the state to its meeting tonight were
events Of importance In legislative affairs
today.
The house and senate held afternoon
meetings and the house was in session
until 1925 tonight. The entire night ses-
sion was devoted to consideration In COM
mtttee of the whole of the deficiency aud
claims bills. Some items we're stricken
from the former and others inserted, net
ting an increase which brought the total
amount up from S11S,000. approximately, to
100000. AS two or 'three items In the
claims bill could not be settled, that bill
went over for further consideration. No
changes were made In the bill, as far as
decided om Its total originally was about
sec, 900.
II. r. 102. by Cropsey OF Jefferson, set
ting aside 100000 for an agricultural coll
lege at the university, has been pushed
through over strong opposition and ma
priation budget. Warner Of Lancaster has
been leader in the advocacy OF this bill.
investigating Bond Deal.
The committee appointed by Speaker
Mockett, on motion Of Nelson Of Douglas,
to investigate the official acts OF ex-State
Treasurer William Stuefer in the purchase
OF the. Burt county school bonds. began
its work this afternoon. The committee
l.
man; Davis of Buffalo. Mangold of Douglas,
Meradith Of York and Fishback OF Clay.
Representative Sears. who instigated the
| Investigation as chairman OF the claims
committee OF the house in refusing to al
low Mr.. Stuefer's claim OF $1,000 to pay the
premium on his official bond for the last
year of his term Of ufices was chosen by the
committee as It's attorney and ex-state
Senator ]. H. Van Dusen OF South Omaha
represents Mr.. stuefer
The committee began It's operations with
MIR. Stucfer on the stand about 4 o'clock
this afternoon and adjourned at $50 to
meet again at 1880 tomorrow morning. The
hearing was frequently interrupted by pro-
ceedings in the house which called the
committeeman away at intervals Nothing
important was brought out.
This investigation grows out of the writ
! ten statement submitted by Sears to tho
| house when he refused to vote with the
other ten members OF the claims committee
| to pay Stuefer's $1,000 claim. At that time
Mr.. Sears said:
ITO so much OF the portion Of H. r. 164
as provides for the reimbursement of Will
liam Stuefer. late treasurer Of the state,
am opposed. My reason is that two years
ago Mr. Stuefer was only reimbursed for
his first years bond expense after stating
publicly before the house that the earnings
| OF public money should go to the state.
After that he did not conserve the public
! funds in this that he neglected and re-
fused opportunity OF buying bonds for
| the permanent school funds. but did in at
| least one instance, that Of the Burt county
bends, furnish the school money to an out
slider and then bought the bonds, or pre-
tended to buy them. after coupons 10 the
extent of nearly $4,000 had been detached
and retained by such outsider loss to the
| school fund OF the state or to the county
| in any event to the public-of the amount
so detached. he state> both furnishing the
money for the transaction and losing by It,"
What the committee proposes to accer-
! tain is whether Mr.. Stuefer did cause the
state to lose and himself to gain an amount
| equal to $4,000 as a result of this bond
| transaction and is therefore. by reason OF
this fact, not entitled to obtain from the
legislature the appropriation which he
| seeks.
Stuefer Employs Neigh.
| On examination by Sears, stusfer tes-
tfed that he bought the 900 issue Of
! Burt county school bonds. bearing date OF
July, 1901, by order Of the state Board OF
Educational Lands and Funds. The bonds
bore interest at az per cent and he bought
them at SA he said. He stated that he
employed W. 7. S. Neigh to make the
| transaction. The difference on the rates
OF interest, he said, was determined by de-
| tachng the coupons, which were given TO
Neigh. He said that Neigh left about $3.50
In coupons undetached. It was not brought
out how much OF the $4,000 difference"
went to Neigh or where the state got on
in the deal. These points will be probed
for at another hearing.
Stuefer denied that he issued two checks.
one for $4,000 and the other for $40 900 for
payment OF the bonds and that these checks,
dated July 5, 1901. we're taken by Neigh
to Burt county July S, when the bonds were
in Stuefer's possession state treasurer.
stuefer said he made a record OF the salo
| OF these bonds September 10, 1901, in the
ONCE OF State Superintendent Follmer at
the meeting OF the board, under whose
| direction the deal was effected. and that
he did not make the record at the July
meeting because he, stuefer was not in the
city at that time. Stuefer said Neigh told
him the bonds we're 20. K" after ne had
detached the coupons, leaving the $3.50
worth. Stuefer did not explain why these
coupons we're left, but said that no nc
cepted the bonds as all right on the au-
thority and advice OF Neigh. He I-ld they
we're registered july 5.
Checks Not in Evidence.
In the subpoena which the committee is
sued for stuefer he was requested TO bring
all certificates OF deposit he had given
Neigh during the negotiations for this
bond purchase and he brought them. But
the subpoena said nothing about certified
checks, which stuefer testified were used
in the transaction instead Of certificates Of
deposit. Sears insisted that these bS