The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-12
HAS HIS OWN WAY
Warden Haskell at Variance
With Treasurer Tulley.
Refuses to Turn Over the
Oklahoma Warrants.
BEAR HIGH INTEREST.
Mr.. Tulley Wants State to Col
lect This.
Head of Penitentiary Prefers to
Do 1t Himself.
BEAR HIGH INTEREST.

Pending the decision by the Kan.
| sas supreme court in the T. T. Kelly
| case, involving the right of the state
| treasurer to sell Oklahoma war.
| rants before their maturity, it is no.
likely that any effort will be made by
the state to compel Warden Haskell
of the state penitentiary to make an
accounting for his recently disclosed
methods OF handling the Oklahoma
warrants.
There is no disposition to criticise
Warden Haskell unjustly for the man
ner in which he has handled the
Oklahoma warrants, but as one state
official said in speaking of the case,
while we believe Haskell is honest,
he adopted method of handling the
warrants which would lay him open
to criticism
Before Haskell became warden, and
while Kelly was still state treasurer,
it was the custom of the warden, when
the Oklahoma warrants were re-
ceived, to send them at once to the
state treasury. When Haskell became
warden, he did not do this, but in
stead, sent to State Treasurer Tulley
the cash-an item of about $17, 900
representing the face value of the
warrants. though the warrants bear
made the state for interest, or even
for a premium on the sale of the
warrents. though the warrants bear
s per cent, and under ordinary con-
d1t1onS command premium from in
vestors. Treasurer Tulley accepted
the money in lieu of the warrants. The
next time Mr.. Haskell appeared, he
brought with him another sum of
money which he had realized from the
sale OF warrants, and with the sec
ond installment a cash premium of
$236 which he said he had received.
Treasurer Tulley at that time no.
titled Mr.. Haskell that he would re-
ceive no more cash instead of war
rants; that the warrants themselves
must be turned over to the state to-
gether with accrued interest, and that
having taken the warrants into the Gus
tody of the state treasury, he would
hold them until maturity, and allow
the state to receive the 6 per cent in
terest.
The result was that Mr.. Tulley did
not receive any more warrants for any
more cash from Warden Haskell. and
it is understood that Warden Haskell
proposes to hold the warrants himself
until maturity and add the interest re-
ceived on them to the receipts of the
Mr.. Haskell has an am
bition to make a good financial showing
for the penitentiary and he believes
that he is entitled to the interest on
the Oklahoma warrants, as well as to
the interest on the binding twine fund,
which State Auditor Nation forced him
to disgorge.
It is not known how large sum in
Oklahoma warrants Warden Haskell
has on hand at the present time. nor is
it known whether he has disposed of
those warrants, or whether he is hold
ing them.
In selling the Oklahoma warrants,
however. and not allowing the state to
get the interest on them, Warden Has
ken had laid himself open to the same
charge of misappropriation of funds
which was made against T. T. Kelly
in the Oklahoma warrant case, which
is now pending in the supreme court.
In the Kelly case, the state claims
that by selling the warrants. and al
lowing the state nothing but the face
value, Kelly was guilty Of beating the
state out of about $4,000 1t was to re-
cover that amount that the suit was
brought. The district court held that
Kelly was not liable for the $4,000.