The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-04
A STEP TOO FAR.
Il. L. Kelly OVerreached Him.
self I'm His Denials.
Gives Out a Letter From 4. s.
StOVer.
WHAT THE FACTS ARE.
Coupons In Allen Stamped as
Property OF State.
Money for Them Stolen Same as
the Rest.
NOT ALL STAMPED,
GA. X. Brown" Coupons Didn't
Bear State Stencil.
Still Money Collected on Them
Was Paid Back.
ga. X. Brown" Coupons Didn't
Bear State Stencil.
Still Money Collected on Them
Was Paid Back.

The people of Kansas, who hold the
Nstate's honor and welfare above the
political fortune of any party or per-
son, should not permit themselves to
be fooled again by false, impudent and
ridiculous stories
Next Tuesday they should vote out
of the state treasury a man who for
nearly six unbroken years, has unmo-
Tested. shamelessly betrayed his trust
and conducted his office as a private
graft and in a notoriously corrupt and
careless manner.
t. IT. Kelly's efforts to show that
some of the shortages found by the
state accountants are really not short
ages have resulted in his oversteppinS
himself. He has given out letter
addressed to him by T. S. Stover of
lola in which Mr.. Slower says that he
has made inquiries of the county
treasurer of Allen county and was
informed that coupons on which the
state accountants reported shortages
in that county were clipped "to equal
ize interest and never belonged to
the state"
AS matter of fact, about half of
the coupons referred to by Mr.. Stover
were stamped as the property of the
that they were the property of-the
state, yet the money paid for them
was never accounted for in the state
treasury. although credited to the ac-
count of the state treasurer by the fis-
cal agency in New York.
The evidence is prina facie that
all the money in payment of such
coupons was stolen from the state
treasury. There can be no doubt about
1t. because the cancelled coupons
themselves show that they We're state
property
The letter from Mr.. Stover as Civ
en- out by Mr.. Kelly is as follows:
lola, Kan, Nov ,. 1904.
IT T. Kelly, Esq, Topeka, Kan
Dear Sir have made a little in
qulry OF Miss Wilson, the county treas
urer, regarding the Usage, Marmaton
and Elsmore township bonds, so far as
the coupons for which the state treas
urer is accused of being short. and find
that the coupons named were clipped
here by the township board to equalize
interest, and commission for refunding
and were cashed here by the county
treasurer. The coupons never left the
county, and the state treasurer did not
handle either the coupons or the funds
for their payment.
The coupons from the city bonds are
in the same class never belonged to
the state, and the funds were not
handled by the state treasurer The
shortage should be reduces by an
amount equal to the Allen county
transaction. Respectfully yours
IT S. STOVER."
Mr.. Stover does not say that he
examined the coupons himself but
State Accountant RoWett personally
examined all of the coupons which
were in the office of the county treas
urer of Allen county. Here are the
facts as he found them:
On Marmaton township bonds there
are shortages claimed on two coupons
bonds in, (
ber. 1899, but the first coupon on
which it is claimed there was a short
age was due July 1. 1900. These cou-
pons were not stamped as state prOn-
erty- The amount was $4OO. The sec |
ond coupons, due January l. 1901
were stamped as state property so
there can be no doubt that they were
the property OF the state Tire s40o
in payment for them was paid To tbe
nscal agency in New York and cred |
lteu 10 the account of the state treas |
urer on January Il, 1901. 1t has
never been accounted for Somebod1-
In the state treasury stole that money |
according to the records of the
School fund commissioners the first
Soupon winch was not stamped also
belonged to the state. and tbe sfate
accountants therefore held a shortaee |
on poth, amounting to $500
Inc evidence is prima facie that the
Ssuv ~ on the second coupons was stolen |
from the treasury. and it is reasor<tIo
TO suppose that the money for ~. go I
coupons was also, in view of the fact
tnat the school fund commissioning !
records indicate that they were bouob+ |
by the state. IL
The case of Usage township is exac+l1- /
hke that of Marmaton township az
cept that the amount was S2S7 5o on /
each OF the two sets of coupons 1rha
hrst set We're not stamped as state nro-
perty- but the second set We're sta1,n
ed ana the money for them was nIacel /
10 the account of the state treasiirar II, |
the fiscal agency AZ
In the case of ElSmore township Tho
third one mentioned by Mr. Stovar
both the county treasurer and co11ntr /
clerk of Allen county hunted for tba |
cancelled Elsmore coupons for Mr.
KoWett but they could not be found
one other township was not mentio,-
ed by Mr.. Slower, and that was Elm,
township. OF the coupons due JuIv / |
1901. the first nine were stamped as |
state property, and the other seven
were not stamped They amounted 20
$3.50, none of which is accounted for in /
the state treasury.
The defenders of t. T. Kelly have
been publishing reports that various |
coupons mentioned in the state ac- |
countants' report of last Saturday were /
not stamped as state property Just as /
they did in the Allen county instances.
The truth is that part of them are
stamped and part are not stamped But |