The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-25
STARTLING!
Mr.. GODDARD Pressed on His
Oath Finally
Tells He Paid County Attorney
Rich to Aid I'm Deal.
BORROWED OF KELLY.
Treasurer Advance the States
Money ON Accommodation.
For a Few HOurs-A Hitch Gre
ate CONSERVATION.
TAKEN IN DEFENSE
TAKEN IN DEFENSE
State Journal Driven by Con-
tinued Misrepresentation
Publishes Another Chapter OF
COmanche Dispositions.

The deposition of A. A. GODDARD, who
engineered the Comanche county bond
deal, was taken Monday before James
r. Wick. notary public, at the instance
of the defendant, Frank p MacLen-
nan, on account of the $4,000 libel
suits brought by the school fund COM
missioners against the State Journal
Mr. GODDARD was on the stand from
III O'Clock in the morning until /
O'Clock in the afternoon, with the ex-
ception of the time necessary for
lunch.
In view of the fact that, as usual,
the defenders of this iniquitous bond
deal have this morning misrepresented
! the evidence secured, Mr.. Godard'S de-
position is published herewith today.
| Mr.. GODDARD at first attempted to con-
vey the impression that no one besides
| himself received anything out of the
Comanche county bond deal, but after
repeated questioning and after a con-
sultation with Judge West, the attor-
ney for the school fund commissioners,
he finally admitted that he paid p. H.
Rich, the county attorney of Conan
che county, to help him get the deal
| through!
| The county commissioners at first
refused Mr. Godard's proposition to
them, and he hired the county attor-
ney, the legal adviser of the county
commissioners, to work up sentiment
and help him get the deal through!
Comanche county please take notice,
what your attorney has done!
d. H. Rich, the legal adviser of
Comanche county, whom Mr.. GODDARD
paid to help him put the Comanche
iS Of fh0 ma W
! have been rushing into print in defense
of the deal and making the claim
that Comanche county is a good coun-
ty and the investment a safe one.
Godard's. testimony throws a bright
light on one reason for Mr.. Rich 5
activity in the matter.
Mr.. GODDARD testified that he was
present at the meeting of the school
fund commissioners when the bonds
were purchased At first he said it
was on July %, but when his attention
was called to the fact that he was in
Kansas City that day to receive the
bonds and that he borrowed $4,000
from the Interstate National bank on
that day, he said that he appeared be-
fore the board on July 81, and that
the bonds were then purchased.
The school fund commissioners have
fixed up their records to show that
the purchase was made on July %;
not, mind you, in the recorded record,
but on single loose typewriter Sheet
Mr.. GODDARD also told of his arrange
ment to have State Treasurer Kelly
advance the money to take up his note
held by the Interstate National bank.
He said he was informed by Assist
ant Auditor Nation that he would not
register the bonds but that Mr.. God
ard would have to wait until Auditor
Wells himself came up to Topeka.
Mr.. GODDARD, therefore, on Saturday,
July %, went to Treasurer Kelly, told
him the circumstances, and asked him
to advance the money for few hours
for e-I,A
be brought to Topeka on the following
Monday.
He said Mr.. Wells would undoubted-
ly come to Topeka within a day or
turned to the treasury. He asked it
as an accommodation" and Kelly
accommodated" him. But Auditor
Wells did not come to Topeka for two
weeks, and the bonds were not reg
iStered, and not the property of the
state till they were registered. They
were finally registered in haste, at
night and in secrecy (See testimony al
ready printed.)
In other words, Kelly got caught
just like any other embezzler. He
loaned GODDARD s123,OOO of the states
money. expecting to get it back into
the treasury in a few hours or a day
or two, at furthest.
But the fact that Assistant Auditor
Nation would not register the bonds
and that Auditor Wells was absent
from the city, interfered.
After Wells returned the utmost
pressure was brought to bear on him
to register the bonds, and he finally
did so.
It's way of all embezzlers to take
money from funds entrusted to them,
expecting to pay it back the next day
or shortly, just as Kelly did.
That is the way embezzlements hap
pen.
Had Auditor Wells refused absolute
ly to register the bonds, or had the
facts become known so that an in
junction suit could have been brought
to stop the deal, Kelly would not have
got the $123,000 back into the treas
ury.
MFR. Godarl's Testimony
The following is from Mr.. Godard's
sworn testimony:
A A. GODDARD called as a witness on
behalf of the defendant, being first
duly sworn to testify the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth,
testified as follows:
Direct Examination
Questions by Mr.. Waters:
Q.-Please state your name.
A. A GODDARD.
Q.-The 21st day of July was the day
you ordered Mr. Thompson to send
those bonds (Comanche 6 per cents) to
the Interstate bank to get the balance