The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-10
HUNTING A WAY.
CONTINUED from Page One,


statement"
Don't know-I absolutely don't
know and with that the governor re-
treated to his private office where the
advisory board was waiting for him.
Afraid of Rosyett Report.
If Governor. Hoch wants evidence
that State Treasurer Kelly has miSap-
propriated funds why does he not turn
to the Rowett report on file in his office.
which shows exactly the amount which
has been turned into the state treasury
and not accounted for?
Even if Governor Hoch is doubtful
about the accuracy of Rowett's figures,
it certainly would take the Haskins
& Sells accountants but a. few hours to
check up these figures, and see whether
or not they are correct. The data from
which the report was made is on file in
Treasurer Kelly's office.
If it is ground for criminal procedure
which Governor Hoch wants, he should
find no difficulty in finding it in the
Rowett report.
1t is stated, however, that Governor
Hoch does not want to take the Rowett
report as a basis for action, because
Rowett was working under authority OF
Governor Bailey. If Hoch should take
action on the Rowett report, it would
be an endorsement of Mr. Bailey's
work, and of course that wouldn't do
at all.
Allen Is Sarcastic.
G1GnIy AlSn was Topeka
and made few remarks about the pol
icy which Governor Hoch is pursuing IN
the present emergency. He said;
81 am SO glad that the governor has
begun this noble work. 1t thrilled me
when he announced his intention OF IN
vestigating the solvency of the BOND
company which is on the treasurer
bond. OF course, that feature OF the
thing ought to be investigated and If II
did not occur to the governor to IN
WaSfiV9fR the Wh5n ne arDrOV-
ed the bond, why it is a good thing TO
start the investigation now.
Our governor is also doing such d
grand work in requiring the treasurer
to strengthen his bond 1t will be ii
great comfort to the taxpayers Wheh
they find they must make good any
losses that have occurred by reason OF
this failure to know that Governor
Hcch forced the treasurer to strengthen
his bond-after the failure had occurred
1t is manly of the governor to come
out boldly and declare that a larger
bond must be given. But viii his time
~ action save me that additional seven
cents in taxes which 1 would not nave
had to pay next year if he had kept
closer account of things since MS IN
auguration? 1 see friends of the gov
erncr are commenting him and demand
ing that he stand by his guns what
the use when the gun isn't loaded?
Much Treasury Trouble.
Kansas has always had more or less
trouble with its state treasurers- 1t
commenced way back in 1863, when
George Graham of Nemaha county
was accused of depositing money IN
banks and receiving interest. Inc
legislature appointed a committee, ana
an investigation was made. was
found that no one would swear that
Graham got any interest, and Graham
served out his term.
J. E. Hayes of Johnson county sue
ceeded Graham, and he brought forth
| nix Of 272 tied
a lot of state funds in New York
banks. There was no law authorizing
the state treasurer to have any funos
in banks. Hayes, resigned. However,
| he helped the state to recover what II
had lost in the panic
Next came the Sam Lappin case
Lappin was an old farmer in Nemaha
county. He was elected state treasur-
er. He took Office in January, 1875.
He remained just eleven months and
eleven days. Early in the game he
began to forge school bonds. He got
! tripped up, and his defalcations, it was
bondsmen, at the end of a lawsuit, had
| to reimburse the state. Lappin was
arrested and lodged in jail. He was a
large man, but somehow he escaped
from the Shawnee county Jail by
crawling through a hole eight inches
square. For eight years he was in
hiding. Finally he was arrested in
Washington Territory and brought
| back Tor trial.. linen II Was Q1SCONCISO
that the forged bonds had been stolen
from the treasury and couple OF
witnesses had died. 1t would require
the bonds and the dead witnesses to
/ stick Lappln, so the case against MN
| was dropped.
From 1875 to 1890 the treasury had no
| troubles, except the old Lappin case
which hung fire until along in the sos.
Then James Hamilton, of Sumner coun-
ttv went wrong. That was in 1890. He
! mishandled some state funds, was
caught at it and resigned. William Sims
! of Shawnee county succeeded him. Sims
is president of the defunct First Ma
tional bank of Topeka.
S. G. Slower, of Republic county,
didn't get the treasury into trouble, but
brought enough on himself to defeat
him for second nomination at the
hands of the Republicans. He was a
member of the board that decreased the
railway assessment a million or more,
and it raised such a howl that the Re
publicans had to set him aside for a
second term.
William H. Biddle, of Butler, the first
/ PopuliSt treasurer, had all sorts of trou-
bic getting up his million dollar bond.
AS result he had to make deal with
some Republicans for jobs in his office
in order to qualify.
Frank E. Grimes had a turbulent
career During his first term he was
sued for interest which he was alleged
to have gotten on state deposits. 1t
was a political suit, brought in the
heat of the campaign. but it was a
serious affair just the same. The case
was finally dismissed after having
failed to accomplish Grimes defeat.
Grimes assistant, T. T. Kelly, next
got the Office, after a hard fight, in
which it was proven that Kelly had
been a defaulter while treasurer of
Miami county. The Rowett investiga-
ton during Kellys first term showed a
bad state of affairs in the treasury
} but Kelly hooked on behind the boss
buster movement and was swept into
! office on the wave. The last legis-
lature appropriated $4,000 to investi-
gate his Office. and this investigation
was in progress when the Devlin
crash occurred, and the present situa-
: ton developed.