The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-18
HAS He REFORMED
Mr.. KelIy's Apologists and
Their Present Claims.
Says That No Matter What He
Was, Is Honest Now.
A CASE IN POINT.
How a Bourbon County Remit
lance Was Sidetracked.
Conflicting Explanations While
Kelly Was Assist. Treasurer.

The Kelly organs are now attempt
ing to excuse State Treasurer Kelly's |
Miami county record by saying that it /
happened a long time ago and may |
have been only a youthful indiscre- |
tion,' and that since then he has
served four years as assistant state
treasurer and over a year as state
treasurer, and has made a good record
Mr.. KeIly's apoIogists evidently for
get the fact that nearly $1,000 of Bour-
bon county money was unreceipted for
for two years, and when this discrep-
ancy was discovered Kelly, who was
assistant state treasurer, hurried to
send a receipt for it and told a false
story of why it had not been accounted
for. He said it had been credited to
the wrong county. When this story
was called to the attention OF State
Treasurer Grimes that officer disputed
it, and said he thought the money had
been carried in the long" account
during the two years Mr.. Grimes.
however, did not handle the money
personally.
No state treasurer of course actual
-ly handles the money that comes into
his Office That duty usually devOlveS
upon the assistant treasurer. and Mr..
Kelly did it. as a rule, during MI
Grimes administratio The discrep-
ency with regard to the Bourbon cOun-
ty remittance was accidentally diScOv-
cred through some correspondence be
tween State Auditor Cole and the
Bourbon county officials, two years
after the remittance had been made
Otherwise it might not have been
found to this day.
How many other instances of this
character have occurred and not been
discovered?
AS soon as the Bourbon county mat
| ter had been uncovered, Ne. Kelly,
without taking it up with Mr.. Grimes,
/ fastened to write the following letter:
Topeka. Jan. 3. 1902
t"H. D. Hart, County Treasurer, Fort
Scott. Kan.
My Dear Sir: You will find enclosed
receipts to the amount OF $1,000 TO
comply with your remittance of recent
date. You will also find enclosed re-
ceipt for 81. 1873. IS to cover a remittance
sent here some time in December. 1893
This remittance was made D. h Hehe-
bower and it is that amount about
which. there has been some correspond
ence with the auditors office, also be-
tween you and this office.
IN some way the amount was cred
tied to another county, and, coming as
| it did about the time Mr.. Hefiebowel
was retiring and QUE advent into the
/ office, there has been some confusion
about it. 1t seems strange that 1t was
not caught before this, but IT IS one
OF those THINGS That Ot SCAAACt AAA4So -
up against that cannot be explained
Il send you the original receipt, to
gether with a triplicate to the county
clerk. and have filed the duplicate
with the state auditor, which l nope
will finally close the matter up
Why did Kelly tell q false story abou
this money by saying that it had beel
credited to another county, II II wa
carried in a long" account Tor wv
!. wears. WHY vas it never reported to tn
treasury. examiners by Mr.. Kelly? Is
good business to carry nearly Sl,2oO 1
a .long'' account nearly two years an
not know where it belongs2 Does TIM
incident show good record on heHy
account as assistant state treasurer
There is a mistake in Mr.. kellyS let
ter quoted about, but il is likely
topographic one made by the type
writer. The date of the remittanc
) should have been given as Decellio 80
1898. instead of December, 1899. as tn
former date was Mr.. HeheboWer's las
, + month in the treasurer's office, ana Nj
, / Kelly went in as assistant treasurer l
January, 1899
In view of Kellv's Miami county rec
, ord. is not the public justified in belieN
: ing there is something suspicious aoou
: this Bourbon county natter But SUI
posing il was not another of Mr. Kelly
Miami county transactions, does 1t sho
good record for him? And may NJ
J. the same thing have happened to 9TH
counties without being discovered
4 Mr.. Kelly had $1.199.6S in his Ions
L account at the end of two years as a
=. sistaut state treasurer, how much nj
u he in that account now that he HI
!, been in the office five years.
Il Il OF course this Bourbon county ma
y ter proves nothing more than careles
: ness and incompetency on the part
u Mr.. Kelly, but it certainly justities su
: picion. in view of his former record a.
II it does not allow his apologists to clal
- that he has made a good record IN |
= state treasury, without mentioning I
Il record regarding state taxes and dra'
ing interest on state deposits
In the Marshall county conVentI
0l Wednesday afternoon resolutions we
a. passed paying tribute to the late Sc
ator Hanna and endorsing the nation
N administration, but did not touch
:. state matters, except as follows;
= we are in favor of nominating m
70 for state officers, who will serve I
hest interests of the whole people a
lle never lead away from the great pr
- cipIes of our party
ay CONGRESSMAN Calderhead's policy
, to FOUND At 10