The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-02-22
WELLS NAME
WAS FORGED

Continued from Page -
po you know where those twenty or
twenty-five orders are now?''
do not. But 1 suppose they are in
ne possession of the treasurer of the
commission.
/ Who was present at the interview ?''
John n. Cannon and Joseph , S.
& At this point the report of the com
mission was handed to the witness for
<cchiiHcatioD. He said he presumed it
as all right though his memory told
flim that he had signed the report while
ne one in hand was signed in type
&Nr1cng- The report was admitted as
Nldence pending the return of the
'riginal from the printers. According
. the report the deficit of-the commits
kion az originally announced was
bout $4,000. OF this amount $1,000
as caused by Understanding the ex-
penses that would have to be incurred
making the Utah exhibit a success
at the fair. High transportation
harges. high wages, strikes, etc, were
directly responsible for part of the
ieticit and the balance was incurred
,vhen 1t was determined TO add an edu-
rational branch to the main exhibition
following this it was found necessary
o appropriate $4,000 that would have
zone ordinarily to pay expenses con-
aected with the exhibition as first out
ined.
Trying to Get Around Deficit.
How to even UP this account was the
question that caused much discussion
imong the members of the commission
Some Of the more spirited expressed
themselves as willing to advance the
money and depend on the present leg
stature to reimburse them. but it was
Tr.rs
icable. It was then thought likely
hat at the conclusion of the fair a
considerable part Of the states ex-
hibits could be sold, enough it was
8 thought to clear the deficit. One of
-hese exhibits was a new concentration
f Of great value. and the members
bought they might be able to dispose
Z IF it at a fair price to the state uni
versdty, but when the matter was sub
nitted TO the faculty of the institution
he commission was informed that it
was their hope to have the concentra-
or given to them outright on it's re-
urn from st. Louis.
1T was at last proposed to ask some
.bf the local banks to take UP the notes
7bf the commission in the same way
hat was done during the Worlds fair
1T Chicago" the witness resumed.
& The banks consented and in this way
Z he deficit was met. the banks agree
.
purse them"
Mr.. Smith reverted to the converSa-
ion held between the witness and John
- Cannon in January concerning the
orged orders. Mr.. Wells replied that
% the best of his recollection Cannon
had answered:
Your signature is on the orders, but
-Ou did not write it."
Since then the witness had been in
Formed that the amount of the secre-
ary's populations had been made good.
Continuing he said:
Il do not know where Mr.. Cannon
S now; haven't seen him since that
hay in January. I have not heard
.)f any other Irregularities on his part
.lnd the subject has never been brought
o the attention of the commission. that
s it was not brought up while I was
hairman. I first learned that my
name had been forged to the orders
. he day before I saw Cannon 1 was
Informed of the fact by members of
The commission. I think I could dis
inguish the forged orders if I saw
hem"
Whitaker's Accounts Straight.
The matter of the transportation of
he commission while it was actually
-nea ged i'm looking after the interests
IDf the state was then taken up. Mr.
Wells said that railroad passes were
ssued 10 the members good as far as
he Missouri river. Beyond that point
hey paid their fares to St. Louis. The
hex question touched upon was the
matter OF the filing of vouchers incur
ed while the commission was in st.
.ouis. Director General Whitaker, the
witness said, was instructed to file the
IOuchers as rapidly as possible with
he state auditor but il was learned
subsequently he did not act as prompt
: as the board desired There was an
being taken up every hour of the day
with the details of the exhibit at St.
louis He was an exceedingly busy
man. but the commission never found
anything improper with his reports
There were some trivial complaints
'pade concerning his conduct of his Of
ice. but they never amounted to any
|hing.
At this point Willis Johnson, treas
'Irer of the commission, brought in a
package containing the orders certified
10 by the commission from the day
h first expenses were paid down to
ne present time He wanted re-
Eeipt for the package. but Represen-
lative Joseph assured him that the
committee was trustworthy and would
bake excellent care of it. The orders
1ecre handed to Mr.. Wells and he was
equested to pick out those to which
his name had been forged He was
excused while making the search and
fIr. Johnson was called to the stand.
In answer to Mr.. Smith, the new
Witness said that the deficit of the
actually approXimated
Z .000. but that in January Secretary
cannon told him that the total would
reach $4,000. He then told of the
memorable conversation which Sena-
Tor Sherman had with John NJ. Cannon
when the latter offered to make good
ne deficit of the secretary providing