The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-29
The KELLY FACTS.
His Conduct of Office in Miami
County.
What Has Led to the Opposi
tiOn to Nomination.
THE FORGED VOUCHERS
Figures Had Been Changed and
Raised.
Total Amount Paid Back by Mr..
Kelly Was ST, 1924.
THE FORGED VOUCHERS

There seems to be a considerable
number of people who do not fully
understand the charges of embezzle-
ment and forgery against T. T. Kelly
in Miami county, and still more do not
understand the full history of the
matter
T. T. Kelly, now state treasurer,
was county clerk of Miami county for
four years during the early nineties.
Nothing was known concerning any
crookedness in his office, however, un-
til two years ago. He was popular in
his home county, and when he became
a candidate for state treasurer, the Re-
publicans of Miami county. holding
their convention very early, allowed
Mr.. Kelly to choose the Miami county
delegation to the state convention.
About that time, however, a former
county official intimated to some of the
leading Republicans that Kellys rec
ord as county clerk was crooked They
| demanded proof and one or two in
stances were cited. The records were
/ investigated and seemed to bear out the
I statement.
THE FIRST CHARGES.
1 In one instance a voucher in favor
/ of Crane & Co. of Topeka was raised
from $46.25 to $146.25 by inserting a fig
ure -'1' between the dollar mark and
the figure "A The records showed
that a warrant for $146.25 was issued by
the county treasurer in favor of Crane
& Co. and receipted for by Kelly, who
was supposed to remit the amount to
Crane z. Co.
In another instance a voucher of the
Hamilton Printing company was raised
from SIG to $66 by converting the II
into "6'' by making little circular
mark on the bottom of the 4. The
III
$66 from the county treasury on this
voucher, when the bill was only SIG.
Convinced that Kelly's record was
not right, statement was furnished
the board of county commissioners OF
} Miami county concerning the matter,
and A L Thomas, who had been regis
ter of deeds of the county and chair
man O. the Republican county central
committee, furnished the State Journal
with a. similar statement together with
Photographic plates of the changed
vouchers and receipted warrants.
!! KELLY'S "EXPLANATION."
Believing the truth, whatever it
might be. should be given to the public,
the State Journal published Thomas
statement, but the statement was first
submitted to Mr.. Kelly in order that he
might explain or answer the charges in
the same issue in which they were pub
lished. Mr.. Kelly's answer, however,
was not satisfactory. He did not at
| tempt to explain anything about the
changed warrants, but made counter
charges against Thomas, saying ne was
an ex-jointist and had tried to hold him
up for job. He also said the books
of the county since its organization
had been checked up by an expert ac-
| cOuntant after he had gone out OF Of
flee and had been found correct. He
intimated to his friends that the rec
ords had been altered but he refused
to put this into his written statement.
A hearing was held by the county
rn concerning
Two of the commissioners were person
al friends of Mr.. Kelly and did not
wish to believe him guilty of anything
/ wrong. The Crane discrepancy was
explained by Kelly to the commission
ers by saying that there had been an
other voucher for 800 pinned inside the
one for $4625, and that the outer one
, had been raised to the total. Kelly
took Mr. Crane to Paola to testify to the
same thing, but the books of the Crane
company were not produced, and the
: record of bills allowed by the county
commissioners covering the time when
the bill was alleged to have been due,
showed that no 800 item was allowed
by the county commissioners, and
therefore if paid, was done Illegally
The record of bills allowed, sworn to
by Kelly, was published in the official
county papers, and the Crane bill for
500 does not appear.
Mr. Kelly made no attempt to explain
the Hamilton bill whatever The coun-
I commissioners,
him, accept ID the explanation concern
ing the Crane discrepancy, and con-
cegning the Hamilton discrepancy it
found:
THE FIRST FINDINGS.
s'Frotn documentary and oral evil
dence we find that on the third day of
April, 1898. the Hamilton Printing COM
pany filed with the county clerk, Thos-
T. Kelly, it's account against said coun-
, tv in the sum of SIG which said ac-
6111zy oil
drawn therefor; that said warrant, so
drawn. was by some person, by this
board unknown, without the knowledge
or consent of said Thos. T. Kelly, raised
from SIG to $66; that said warrant so
raised for the sum of S66 was duly paid
by the county commissioners of Miami
county Kansas, to Thos. T. Kelly, S16
of which said amount was duly remit
ted to said Hamilton Printing Co"
This finding, while stating that the
warrant raised without the knowledge
and consent of Kelly. held that Kelly
got the money.
matter at the time, but the county COM
| missioners, being rather dissatisfied
| with what they had found, instituted an
investigation of their own, which re-
ouired three or four months time. The
general public knew nothing about this
: and supposed there was nothing fur
ther against Kelly. but Mr.. Kelly him.
/ self knew about it, and, relying upon
. the friendship of his two friends on the
L board of county commissioners to clear
him, offered to put up a thousand dol
lars to cover any discrepancy they
/ might discover where he was the guilty
l party At the same time he asked foI
: an examination, knowing it would be
made anyway
MORE DISCREPANCIES"
The investigation by the county com
nissioners however, disclosed such
wholesale theft on the part of Mr. Kelly
: that even Mr.. Kelly's friends on the