The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-12
Calls Off Investigation Started
by Mr.. Dillon.
Reason Given That the Expense
Will Be Too Great.
ROWETT HAS A THEORY
Says That Accountants EN-
plOysd Didn't Suit.
Would Be Useless to Have a
COnfirmat0ry Report.

State Treasurer T. T. Kelly has in
structed Hiram P. Dillon, to whom he
directed his resignation in escrow a
short time ago, to forward the resigna-
tion to Governor-elect Hoch together
with the letter that accompanied the
resignation. With this action the in
vestigation begun by Stuart & Young,
the accountants employed by Mr.. Dill
Ion. stops.
There is much speculation as to why
Mr. Kelly took this action. He alleges
that he desires to relieve Mr. Dillon OF
the annoyance put upon him; that the
expense of a private investigation is too
heavy, and that the auditors office re
fused the private accountants access TO
some of the records.
But there is said to be more than
these reasons back of Mr. KellyS ac-
tion. State Accountant Rowett says
that Stuart & Young are a firm of ac-
countants with a reputation to main
tain, and he believes that they lnVeSll-
gated just far enough to know that
they could not give Mr.. Kelly cert1h-
cate of a clean record, and that Kelly
thereupOn discovered that the eX-
pense was too great. He could not
head off an investigation by the incom-
ing governor anyway, so there was no
use in paying for a private investiga-
tiOn which would only strengthen the
reports already made by Mr.. Rowett
and Mr.. buckingham. He still has the
chance that Mr.. Hoch may make a
mistake in the appointment of an ac-
countant, although it is generally be-
lieved that Mr.. Hoch will carry out his
determination to have a thorough in
VeStigatiOn.
Mr.. Kelly's letter to Mr.. Dillon is as
follows:
KelIy's Letter to Dillon.
Topeka, Kansas, Nov. 10, 1904.
IA. p. Dillon, Esq. Topeka, Kansas.
Dear Sir-Several weeks ago 1 wrote
1e-l< rn 11rka md
impartial investigation to be made of
my accounts and official acts and 1
placed my resignation in your hands
in escrow to- abide the results of such
investigation. I took that action with
out your knowledge or consent; al
though you finally accepted the trust,
you did so with great reluctance
now ask that you hand that letter and
my resignation to Hon. Z. ". Hoch,
recently elected governor of the state.
He has pledged the people a rigid eX-
animation. It is my desire to relieve
you of the whole matter and to sub
stitute him in your place; 1 wish it to
be as though the letter had been orig
inally written to him; and he is to
have all the rights, powers, duties and
obligations that you now have under
my letter. I take this action for sew
eral reasons:
1. / have been criticised for placing
the investigation in the hands of a
bOndsman. A bondsman. it is charged,
by my enemies, is an interested party;
II any shortage De IOunQ ne may De IN
part liable; he cannot be expected to
hew to the line; his report will be
partial and prejudiced, if not some
thing worse. OF course, no one who
knows you personally or by reputation
has said this, but all do not know yolI.
2. You accepted the trust, which 1
fear 1 thrust upon you, with reluctance;
and, as / understand it would be agree
able to you to be relieved. You felt
the matter to be serious duty and
responsibility which could bring you no
compensation and which might bring
you much criticism and annoyance. |
You felt that it was no more your duty !
to undertake this task than that of any !
other private citizen. In these feelings /
you were right and 1 am under great /
obligations to you for having accepted
even with reluctance but I feel that /
you ought to be relieved.
3. 1t now appears from your letter |
of November with enclosure, that /
the investigation which you have be-
gun or prepared to begin will cost
$4,000, or $1,000 more than the salary
of my office for the two years. I am
not able to pay so large a sum. A i
report procured by bondsman even
at such a large expense would not
command universal respect, so my
critics say.
L. The assistant state auditor on
yesterday refused your accountant, al
ready at work, access to certain books.
or to a certain book, in the auditors
office. This refusal was I under
stand it, based upon the ground that
the investigation being conducted by
you was not a public, but a private
investigation 1t thus appears that
any investigation which has not the !,
full authority of law behind it will
not be entirely free and unhampered.
Personally, 1 was not only in favor of
a private investigation but also a pub
lie investigation by competent and fair
accountants
3. I desire that the investigation
shall be made in the way and under
the authority and by the person that
will command the fullest and the wild
est confidence of the whole people,
and I desire that my resignation shall
be placed in escrow with a man who
has to the highest possible degree the
confidence of the largest possible num-
ber of citizens to the end that the
people shall understand that the step
took before election was not mere
strategy but was taken in entire good
faith and because I knew my own in
nocence of the charges made. Gov
ernor Hoch is naturally the proper
man to assume such responsibilities
and / doubt if my bitterest enemy will
be able to suggest any more appropri-
ate successor to yourself in this mat
been put to any trouble and grateful
to you for what you have already
done. Yours respectfully.
Mr. Grimes Letter to HOch.
Following the formal declaration of
E w Hoch, governor-elect, that he
will insist upon a thorough investiga-
ton of every department of the siate
F. E. Grimes, eX-state
treasurer, has addressed the following
letter to Mr.. Hoch:
Topeka, Kansas, Nov. IL, 1904.
"Hon. K. w. Hoch, Governor-elect,
Marion, Kansas:
My dear sir: l noticed in yester-
days paper that it is your intention.