The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-05

The school fund does not hold and never
did hold any Comanche county bonds,
except those recently purchased from Mr..
GODDARD. 1t does hold two school district
bonds of $1,000 each from districts Nos.
i and In that county, purchased nearly
thirty years ago. which, for some reasons,
have been declared and treated as fraud
on May 80, 1904 (and fifteen days after
MT i 81 81 keiiey n addPessed 0 to each mem
ber of the board a writing purpOrting to
make an offer of the old per cent bonds
matter was pending before the board Nj Nj
Coleman of the board that he was work
ing on the Comanche county bond deal
and if he succeeded might offer the board
learned that Mr.. GODDARD had contract
TO buy the bonds from the owner, dated
ished statement that his contract ex-
pired on May Is. 1904. Hence it is clear
troll the bonds when he made his offer to
sell them subject to prior sale on .
happened, and the board paid no further
attention to Mr.. kelley'S offer MI
Godard did not at that time make any & Of
upon which he would offer them. The
board heard nothing further of the trans
when, about July p, Mr.. GODDARD appeared
before an open meeting of the school
fund commission and made an offer of
the refunding bonds which were after
ward bought. The offer followed the
usual course The proceedings were re-
ferred to the attorney general for ex-
animation, a full investigation was made
of doing business. the result of the litiga
tion of the officials toward the new Issue
and the legality of the same We were of
the opinion then, and we still believe,
that the school fund has no better. safer
or SOunder investment than We then
made. The county has paid the judgment
and costs for the disputed interest, has
has paid all interest accrued to date, has
made the Ievies to meet accruing interest
in both the sinking and general fund
The refunding issue removed all ques-
tions of the Intention of the county to-
ward the bonds.
we do not know what Mr.. GODDARD re-
of the rate of interest We did
not ask him. and he did not tell us
It was matter entirely between nun etb ana
ing from his any one else. directly or |
indirectly. and all statements and in.
situations to the contrary are false ana
That there was any concealment about |
the registration of these bonds so far as !
the board is concerned is wholly false. |
No member of the board ever mentioned |
it to Mr.. Wells or any of his clerks, nor |
heard it mentioned to them. and no one
with their knowledge or consent ever
to Mr.. Coleman that he ever stated that
he had promised the other fellows, or
any one else. that he would conceal bond
or anything else in his rec
By the purchase of these bonds the
state receives an investment of it's funds
absolutely safe and-at a better rate than
can usually be obtained. Comanche coun-
ty gets an opportunity to carry its debt
at a rate better than it has heretofore
paid. and the members of the board be-
ieve that when the investment is safe.
the people of that county are as fairly
entitled to borrow the school funds at 4
Or 41z per cent as any other county IN
the state.
The charges and insinua tions made by
the State Journal are so false, Scandalous,
atrocious and malevolent that we be-
ieved we could meet them in no other
way but in the courts. Each of US has
instituted suit against that paper for
libel. We have instructed our attorney
10 demand immediate trial, to waive all
Eormalities causing delay and to make
nfg agreement necessary TO bring trial
without delay.