The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-14
The Treasury Department Ad-
mits Was One Shortage
or the "Thousands of Dollars"
Discovered
And Reported by State Account
ant to the Governor.
ROY RICHEY RESIGNS.
Assistant State Treasurer Has
Differences With Chief.
State Treasurer Says Richey in
Bad Health
Has Gone to New MexicO-Mrs.
Richey Says Not.
ROY RICHEY RESIGNS.
Declares Richey Is Innocent =
Charged With Doings of Others

The state treasury has confessed that
1T was short in its accounts.
There has been some difficulty be-
tween State Treasurer Kelly and As
sistant Treasurer Richey has resigned
and left the state.
This particular shortage is one of
the many thousands of dollars of
shortages referred to in State Account
ant Rowett's official report to the gov
ernor as printed in the State Journal
Monday
One thousand one hundred and sew
enty-five dollars paid to the state treas
ury in July, 1900, while Frank Grimes
was treasurer and T. T. Kelly was as
Eistant state treasurer. had not been en-
tered on the state treasurers books,
and that the money was not in the
treasury; but that on September 7, 1904.
the money was SO entered.
Rowett's specific statement in the re-
port is this:
"On September 7, 1904. payment of
S1.175.OO to cover interest due July 1,
1900, on $4,000 Abilene City bonds;
(S12.0OO dated January 1, 1898; $685.
600 dated April Is. 1S98). This pay
ment was made direct to the state
treasurer. receipt of which was ac-
knowledged July 2, 1900, but not en-
tered on the cash book until Septem-
ber Z, 1904"
Treasurer Kelly today says that c.
r. Richey, assistant treasurer of state,
has resigned and gone to New Mexico;
that he made some mistakes, etc. Mr..
Kelly's own words are given below.
T. L. Kelly is trying to make a scape-
goat of his assistant c. r. Richey. Mr..
Rlchey has assumed the responsible
ty' for the shortage in the Abilene re-
mittance, discovered by the state ac-
cOuntant resigned his position as assist
ant state treasurer and left the city
The Abilene shortage occurred during
1900 when F. E. Grimes was state treas
urer, L. I. Kelly was assistant and
handled most of the funds, and Mr.
Richey was chief clerk in the treasurer's
Office A draft in payment of S1175 to
pay for interest on Abilene bonds was
received at the state treasury on July
1. 1900, and Mr.. Richey, as chief clerk
issued a postal card receipt for it. en-
tered in on the draft register and sent 1t
TO the bank for collection. That ended
MS connection with it, and when the
draft was collected it was not placed on
the cash book in the treasurer's office
and Abilene was not given credit for
it.
The discrepancy was discovered by ].
j. Buckingham, the assistant account
ant. few weeks ago, and on Septem-
ber Z, last month, the money was put
sumed responsibility for it as the re-
cept was issued by him..
How this money was raised and put
back is not known. The State Journal
hears many rumors about it, but IS
unable to tell at this time who put up
the money on September Z, 1904, to
make good the shortage that had ex-
listed four years! The state account
ant is surely earning his salary. Mr..
7. t. Kelly knows how the money was
put up but has not yet confessed 1t
will come out.
The Abilene shortage is one of the
items made public in the state ac-
countant's report on Monday. Richey's
resignation as assistant state treasurer
has followed and Kelly says that
Richey has gone to New Mexico, but
he has not.
On Wednesday afternoon the State
journal had a subpoena issued re- |
quiring Mr.. Richey to give his deposit !
tion Thursday in the S45, 900 libel suit |
which is pending against this paper for |
exposing the inquitous Comanche coun- |
ty deal The notary, James ]. Wick, /
who tried to serve the subpoena, call /
ed at the state treasurer's Office Wednes- /
day afternoon and was told that Mr.. !
Richey had been there Wednesday /
morning, but that he had gone home t
sick
No one who knows Roy Richey be-
lieves that he had anything to do with |
taking that H,175 Neither is it be- /
lieved that he is the one who returned |
the money to the treasury. 1t would be |
difficult matter for Mr.. Richey to /
raise that amount of money on short |
notice. Therefore it is believed that
some one else put up the money re-
turned to the treasury on September I.
Mr.. Richey may have been intimi-
dated and told that the evidence was
against him, at least technically, and
for that reason may have been fright
ened by those above him to assume
the responsibility for the shortage
and leave the state. But those who
know Mr.. Richey do not believe for
a minute that he took the money Mr.
Richey has been about sick for a
month over the matter.
On September z, the day the short
age was made good in the treasurer's
office, Mr.. Richey wrote letter to NJ
II. Malott, city treasurer of Abilene. |
regarding the matter. 1t is in that
letter that he assumes responsibility
but he does not say or at all ADMIT |
that he ever took the money nor that !
he is the one who replaced it in the 4
treasury. His letter, as given out is
as follows:
Topeka, Kan. Sept. 7, 1904
''Mr. N. H. Malott. City Treasurer,
Abilene. Kan.
Dear Sir: Some time ago Mr..
the assistant state ac-
sountant. called the attention of the