The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-22
PROVIDED; PROVIDED
That Committee OF His Friends
Will Investigate,
Engaging Accountants la Whom
He Has Confidence!
What Governor Bailey Says
Coleman Leaves Town.

The latest act of t. t. Kelly, the de-
fauIting state treasurer of Kansas, is
another species of temporizing and evas-
ion which the Republican party and the
people of Kansas have stood for years
from this corrupt official.
Kelly seems to be laboring under the
idea that he is dealing with people of
no intelligence and that the discoveries
OF shortages by Accountant ROwett and
the return of about twenty-five hundred
dollars covering two of the shortages
show what an honest man he is.
His latest move is to resign something
he has not got; to request something
which has already been granted, not by
his bondsmen, but by the state: a
searching investigation; and to con-
tinue the plea that the state has not
lost a dollar. 1t is certainly very kind
for a. criminal who has been caught by
police to resign himself to the authori-
ties.
Here is a piece of almost unexampled
bravado: Il resign the position of state
treasurer for the years 1905-06, but the
resignation not to become effective un-
til my accounts have been investigated
by my bondsmen and other friends and
found crooked
Mr.. Kelly's bondsmen are certainly
1Ol dS allAlOuS 10 nave MN CODFICI6Q
as the state is to secure justice.
Mr. Kelly's move in this respect even
lacks the sincerity in it developed by
his action in putting up a Thousand dol
lars to the county commissioners of
Miami county to cover any shortage
which they might find in his accounts.
The commissioners had already found
shortages and forgeries and Mr.. Kelly
not only paid the thousand. but he
paid three hundred dollars more.
The prepo&-e-ous claim is made that
all this investigation is for political eff
feet for the purpose of accomplishing
the defeat of the entire Republican
state, legislative and county ticket, and
not for the punishment of his crime
and the discovery of it's ramifcations.
This is simply another insult to Gov
ernor Bailey who is trying to do his
duty.
There is one thing the State Journal
is absolutely clear of; that is, Mr.. Kelly
and his friends cannot lay it up to this
paper that we withheld the charges
and proofs of KeIly's corrupt practices
till just before election. We began the
business over two years ago and have
kept up pretty lively fire ever since,
including exposures previous to two
Republican state conventions.
In connection with the Comanche
county transaction, not completed un1il
August, and discovered with great dir
hculty on account of secI&t proceed
tngs, the State Journal has prosecuted
this matter promptly and vigorously
for the last two months. and has pro-
dueed the absolute testimony to SUBJ
staLtiate its statements.
Kelly asks the people of Kansas 20
re-elect him treasurer of Kansas with
the understanding that he shall be in
vestigated during the Hoch admins
tration by some "disinterested ac-
countants." MoXey, Buckingham and
Rowett suit the state. but they don't /
suit Kelly. nor possibly his bondsmeu, |
nor possibly Mr. Burton and Mr.. D. w.
Mulvane. and others known to be per-
Eonally and politically friendly to the
state treasurer.
A judicial determination" which
finds him guilty would necessarily
make him forfeit the office anyway.
Kelly is facing just that sort of ''ju-
dfcial determination" now. if Attorney
General Coleman will do his duty. Mr..
Coleman has specific cases before him
in which Kelly is guilty of embezzle-
ment. In one of them the sworn testf-
mony of bank officers is on file in the
courts that Kelly loaned $123,0OO of
state money to a private individual
with which to carry through a deal TO
swindle the state.
In another case Mr.. Coleman has
documentary evidence at his disposal
which proves that T. T. Kelly took
$1,402.50 of state money and kept it for
over a year, returning it in a mysteri-
Gus manner when he saw the discov-
vitable.
Kelly's resignation is worded very
adroitly- He places it in escrow in
the hands of H P Dillon, for his
bOndsmen. In closing it he says
The condition of the escrow is that
If my accounts be found to be short or
my administration of the office of
treasurer dishonest in any respect, the
resignation shall be delivered to the
governor and by him accepted 4
This sounds as though it meant i'm
ynediately after the accountants should
report him short, but the next SEN
tence qualities that: i
IF by these expert accountants
or judicial determination
be acquitted of the charges, the resig-
nation is to be returned to me-
Here is the course, then that
Kelly contemplates. and which would
doubtless follow his reelection and
the acceptation by the people of his =
proposition:
First, Hoch would be elected: his
Inauguration would follow in January: /
1t would be some time before he
would get around to appoint his ac-
countant: Kelly says it would take
several months to make an investiga-
tion of his office; so that it would be
months before these accountants would
report. Fhen, if he cannot secure
report from them whitewashing him,
Kelly would demand a chance in
court, which would, of course, have to
follow a report of a shortage, anyway
Kelly could depend upon Attorney
General Coleman to take time to in
vestigate'' matters for himself and :
thus secure delay In the meantime he !
could put back more of the money
and Mr.. Coleman could hold that
there was no occasion for prosecu-