Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-03-06
Interesting Session Of Joint Legis.
lative Committee Was Held
This Morning.
BANKERS TELL THEIR STORY.
Men Who Bought Fraudulent Warrants
Relate How They Purchased Them
From Alleged GraItcrs.

How the fraudulent bounty claims
passed from the hands OF grafters in
TO the hands of innocent purchasers OF
state negotiable papers, and the
amounts held by each purchaser. was
the subject OF a special hearing be-
fore the legislative joint committee on
bountles this morning.
The matter of the responsibility OF
the state for the $4,000 outstanding on
fraudulent claims, and the $40, 900 out
standing under the old law on genuine
kills, figured largely In the hearing, at
which representatives from many Salt
Lake and ogden banks, as well as
brokers and buyers Of scrip were pres
emit
The conclusion Of the committee APP
peared to be that It would probably
recommend an appropriation 20 cover
the amount actually paid for these
claims by the various holders, which
according TO their testimony ranged
from discount Of IS TO 25 per cent
The questions for the committee
were asked by Representative VIM,
McCrea, Of Salt Lake while Senator
Lawrence presided AT the conference
Suspicious there were In plenty In the
minds Of all buyers as 10 how the cer-
tIfcates represented or could represent
actual kllls I'm each case they told
OF writing 20 the state auditor, and
showed his replies that the papers were
regular and would be met by an appro-
pratlon at the next Legislature, or OF
telephonlng the county clerk and get
ting his reply that the claim was valid
and regular In one case capt, Jos.
u. Game had had a preposterous cer-
tlncate come in from an Ogden man,
20 the Utah Commercial and Savings
bank and the man wanted him to tele-
phone the county clerk at Ogden, II he
had any doubts, and asked further that
he telephone to Swan, IN the clerks
Office However, this aroused his sus-
plcions, further, and he took particular
care Ia telephone to the clerk himself,
This official took down the items and
In ter read each one OF them back, de-
claring them to be regular and correct.
The bankers suspicious had first been
aroused by an erasure on the claim.
one Ogden banker, James Plngree.
Of the Pingree bank, had telephoned to
see that each certificate was regular TIL
he couldn't take even the word OF the
office any more and absolutely shut off
buying them despite the statements
that they we're all right,
The list OF unpaid claims on hand. as
stated by various bankers present is!
Plngree National, ogden u,..S4S2900
j, c. Nye. broker, ogden city. 2,33100
First National Bank, OGDEN. 93lt00
Glen Miller Salt Lake ...... 3,S20.50
Utah Com & Savings bank"."l4oOO0O
other bankers present promised TO
submit their statements before We'd
nesday with sworn statement OF the
amounts paid for them,
Capt. Game, explaining the big
amount on hand, Of $4,000, said that he
had frequently wondered where Utah
got Its good hunters, but It had never
occurred TO him that the county clerks
Office was making fraudulent certifl-
Gates. He had telephoned In each case
to have the claim verified, and In the
ca so OF out~of-town certificates, had
mailed them to the clerks for identfi-
cation.
Glen Miller had bought most Of his
certificates from Mr., Openshaw an
employe Of another bank who bought
them direct az n personal speculation,
small percentage TO him as
All bankers agreed that state war;
rants and certificates for money due,
have always been treated as negotla-
bic In this case an endorsement was
printed on the back Of each claim
showing that the state had prepared
the blanks with the intention of having
them become negotiable,
In case the Legislature refuses to APP
proprllte money TO cover the certlfl-
ca tes, suits against county clerks viii
he Instituted by the banks according
10 the statements OF most OF those pres-
ent. However they are now looking
for legislative action, as anything else
they tend 20 consider reputation.