The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-05
THE ANSWER.



chased certain school bonds issued by
districts Nos and 3. in Comancht
Sounty, be empowered to report al
the Iacts in relation to the issue and
sale OF said bonds to the permanent
school fund and the value of the
same and their conclusions thereon
which resolutions authorize your
committee to investigate the charges
made against Andrew j. Mowry, by
attorney General A NJ. F. Randolph
IN his report for the year ending No
Vember 30, 1875, respectfully herewith
submit their report:
Your committee employed H. c.
Hoiiister as their clerk and stenog-
Eapner, who reduced to writing the
testimony herewith sumbitted, and
made a part of our report.
Your committee find that on the 18th
gay or March, 1874, the said Andrew J.
5aoWry, now a member of this house
xrom the Third district (Donipnan
county,. sold to the permanent school
Iund two bonds purporting to have been
issued by school officers of school dis
trlcts Nos. 2 and 3, Comanche county,
and received therefor from the state
treasurer, on the order of the commits
sioners for the investment of the school
fund, and of the money belonging to the
permanent school fund, the sum of
seventeen hundred and fifty dollars, as
per exhibits marked, respectively, "A,
B." &C" and ID"
Your committee further find that
Comanche county, at the time said bonds
PuApOEI TO nave DeGn lSSucQs AldA AlO
bona fide population, no taxable proper
ty, no organized school districts, no
school houses, no records of the county
or of school districts.
Your committee further find that pre-
tended school bond No. 1. of school dis
trict No. ?. Comancne county, was pre-
tended to be issued directly to said An
drew ]. Mowry; and that pretended
school bond No. l, of school district No.
3. Comanche county, was issued to y.
Mills. as the payee thereof; that said
pretended bond No. 1, in school district
No 2, Comanche county, winch con-
tains the name of A. ]. Mowry as payee,
purports to have been signed by Oliver
Ray, as clerk of said school district No.
2, and W. Henry, as director of said
school district No. 2 and the certificate
Endorsed on the back of said bond pur-
porting to have been signed by James
Hopkins, as county superintendent OF
public instruction of said COmanche
county. and William Allen, as county
clerk of said county, are not the genuine
signatures of the persons purporting to
have signed the same, as clerks and d.
rectors of said school districts. or the
persons purpOrting to have signed the
said certificates Endorsed on said bonds
as county superintendent of public in
struction, and the county clerk OF sald
county. Your committee have no hesi-
tation in saying. from the evidence pro-
duced before them:
Ffrst-That no such persons, whose
names appear to said bonds, ever lived
in Comanche county.
Secondhand said bond is a forgery,
and that the names of Oliver Ray, as
clerk, and w. Henry, as director. of
said school district, James Hopkins, as
county superintendent. and w. Allen, as
county clerk, were written and endorsed
on said bond. and the said coupons
thereto attached. by the said A. ].
Mowry.
Your committee further report that
said pretended bond No. l. in school dis
trict No. 8. Comanche county, contain
- l. xE
porting to nave been signed by Peter
Newman. as clerk, and NJ. Mitchell, as
director, of said school district No. 5,
of said Comanche county, are not the
genuine signatures of the persons pur
porting to have signed the same; and
the certificates on the back of said bond,
purporting to have been signed by
James Hopkins, as county superintend-
ent of public instruction, and w. Allen,
county clerk of said Comanche county.
are not the genuine signatures of said
James Hopkins and w. Allen; and the
committee ind that said bond, and the
coupons thereto attached, are forgeries.
and that A. ]. Mowry forged the names
of Peter Newman and NJ. Mitchell to
the said bond and coupons. numbered
from three to fifteen inclusive, and that
said A. ]. Mowry forged the names of
James Hopkins and William Allen to
the certificate endorsed on said bond.
Your committee further report that said
A. ]. Mowry received the sum of seven
teen hundred and fifty dollars from the
state treasurer aforesaid for the pre-
tended bonds aforesaid, and converted
the money to his (the said Mowrys)
own use. (See the testimony of S. K.
Lakin, cashier of the Topeka National
bank; VIM. B. Craig, of the firm of d.
NJ. Steel &, Company. where the said
Mowry deposited. in person. one thou
sand dollars On the oath day of March,
1S74-fve days after he received the
money on said pretended bonds.)
Your committee further report that
said Mowry purchased blank school
bonds of H. d. McCarty. state superin-
tendent of public instruction. some time
before the making and date of the pre-
tended bonds of school districts Nos. 2
and 8, Comancne county.
It appears, from the testimony here
with submitted. that w. H Small
wood, secretary of state, and H. D.
McCarty, superintendent of public in
struction. ard by virtue of their office
as commissioners for the investment of
the permanent school fund in the year
1874. purchased these school bonds, to-
wit: bond No. 1, school district No. ,,
and bond No. l, school district No. 3,
Comanche county. of A. J. Mowry,
without the consent of the other COM
missioner, Hon. A. L. Williams, then
attorney general, and against his ad-
vice and Instructions.
The conduct of said commissioners.
SmallwOOd and McCarty in purchasing
said bonds. purporting to have been
issued by school districts Nos and
3, Comanche county. when advised by
the said attorney general. in his en-
phatic manner, that said bonds were
worthless, and that the said Small
wood and McCarty, commissioners
aforesaid. in violating the following
rule in the purchase of said bonds, to-
wit: mo bonds shall be purchased 1ln-
til the attorney general has examined
them, and satisfied himself they are
legal in form and substance'.-is to
your committee something that is in
applicable and highly reprehensible.
Your committee, for prudential rea-
sons. do not report the testimony of
the experts examined by them as to
the genuineness of signatures, but
withhold the same, as criminal pros