The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-11-10
WHO GOT Cash.
Sid Brakeman Mystery Is Be-
coming Interesting.
Now Appears That Money Was
Paid to Some One.
VOUCHERS MISSING.
They Have Been Stolen From
Auditors Office.
Strange Erasures Appear on
the Warrant Register.

Here Is Mystery. Ut fdlner series
of Mysteries.
Sid Brakeman drew pay from the
state as an employe of the legislature
during the first thirty days of the last
session, and then he seems to have
been pried loose from the pay roll
This is the first mystery.
Mr.. Brakeman is the patriot concern
ing whom a dispute has arisen as to
his services to the state as private in
Company B, Third regiment, assistant
sergeant-at-arms to the late house of
representatives.
The dispute has arisen from state
nent made by Representative Brandon
of Butler, to the effect that Blakeman's
name was placed on the pay roll by the
Machine and he was paid out of the
state treasury in order to build up the
machine. Speaker Pring1e has been
charged with swearing in Mr.. Brakeman
when Mr.. Brakeman was not in Topeka
at all, which charge Speaker Pringle
Denies
The warrant register in the state
auditors office shows that a warrant
for Brakeman was made out on Febru-
ary for $780, He did not get on the
pay roll in time for the first payment.
SO on the date of the second payment
he drew pay for twenty days, or from
the beginning of the session.
On February II another warrant was
made out in BIakeman's name for $50
for ten days services. After that there
were two more pay days, but Blake
mans name appears no more on the
warrant register.
But there are no vouchers for Blake
man, sworn to by him, on file. The
vouchers are made out by the chief
clerk of the house and furnished to the
respective employees, who swear to them.
The vouchers are generally taken in a
bunch, arranged alphabetically, and the
warrants are placed on the warrant reg
lister in alphabetical order. Blakeman's
name appears in its regular order
among the BIS, which indicates that his
voucher came down with those Of the
other house employees, but they cannot
now be found among them. The Office
force in the auditors office believe they
have been solen. but for what purpose
they do not know. This is another mys-
terry.
Every person who receives a warrant
in the auditors office is required to re-
ceipt for it by signing his or hen name
in the warrant register. In both in
stances, in the case of Blakeman,s war
rants name has been erased in the re-
ceipt column and Blakeman'6 name
written over it. Whose name was origi-.
nally written there. and why the eraS-
ure? This is still another mystery.
Brakeman was an appointee of Repre-
sentative Brandon. It is asserted that
Brandon and Bun Adams, the other
Butler county representative. had an
agreement that they should eventually
get together on United States senator
Brandon was for Curtis and he agreed
if Curtis withdrew he would go to Stan
lev Adams was for Stanley, ana he
agreed if Stanley withdrew he would go
to Curtis-so Brandon alleges. Stanley
withdrew but Adams went to Long in
stead of to Curtis. Now Adams was a
member of the house steering committee
which consisted of two members from
each congressional district Adams was
secretary of the committee. To paclfy
Brandon, Adams asked him If he did not
have some constituent that he wanted
to appoint to some job in the house.
Brandon replied in the affirmative and
named Brakeman. who had been an un-
successful candidate for sheriff in But
Ter county Adams had Brakeman named
as an assistant ergeant-at-arms.
From this point on there is a dis
crepancy in the different statements.
Pringle says that Brandon came to
him and said Brakeman wanted ms
voucher dated back. to which PrinRle
/ objected. Pringle was in Topeka
few days ago, since the controversy
has arisen, and asked If Rlakeman
/ clerks in the auditors office hunted
/ through the bunch of vouchers of en-
ployes of the last house, and finding
none, told Mr.. Pringle that Brakeman
had never drawn any money, but this
was erroneous, because it seems the
vouchers have been stolen
'sI am sorry we did not discover the
facts sooner" said Assistant Auditor
Nation today, because we have evil
IDENTIFY led Mr. Pringle into making
wrong statement. The vouchers were
evidently taken at least a week ago.
but we did not discover that there had
been warrants there and that they had
been stolen until Blakeman's name
was found on the warrant register just
a short time ago. The vouchers must
have been here. because warrant is
sworn to and approved"
! The Cancelled warrants themselves
show that they were both cashed at
the state treasury on February IA.
The signature on the back of the war
rants is the same Is that which now
lappears in the warrant register.
AV1EEN TIT E7,VTpNG