The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1916-02-24
TREASURY PROBE
FOLLOWS FORGERY
STATE OFFICIALS REPORT WAR.
RANTS TOTALlNG $28,962
CASHED.
CLERK is HELD WITHOUT BAIL
Robert c. Plckit in Alleged Confession
Admits Specu'atons and Involves
State Treasurer-Smith Under
Official Surveillance.


There is persistent report that
Walter J. Smith, has consented to re-
sign as state treasurer.
r. c. Pickit, charged with forging
state school warrants, has told coun.
ty Attorney r. D. O'Bren that the
money realized from the forgeries had
gone for Speculation" "WaIter Smith
and | expected to double our money
and square everything up" he is al
legged to have said.
St. Paul, Minn.-Robert c. Pickit
alleged confessed forger of state war
rants, said to aggregate $2S,962, is
locked up in the central police sta
ton here charged with second degree
forgery and first degree embezzle'
ment, and Walter j. Smith, state
treasurer, is in Minneapolis sanitar-
ium, under official surveillance. Pick
ct is held without bail.
R. D. O'Brien, county attorney of
Ramsey county, announced that he
would present to the grand jury facts
in his possession relating to alleged
irregularities in the state treasurer's
Office
Picket Placed Under Arrest.
Mr.. Picket was arrested at his home
on the request of County Attorney
O'Brien. He repeated his confession
of speculations later and in them in
volved Mr.. Smith, saying that with
one exception, he had split the pro-
ceeds of the irregularities evenly with
the state treasurer. Mr.. Smith could
not be reached at night to make a
statement.
The warrant was put into circula-
ton in Duluth after it had been forged
by Mr.. Picket, who was clerk to the
state investment board, and who al
legged he had the conniyance of Mr.,
Smith. A few days later it came back
to the state capitol where it was cash.
ed with the approval of the officers of
the state auditor and the state treas
urer.
Neither when it was issued from
the Offices of the state treasurer and
state auditor nor when it came back
for payment was it discovered to be
a forged paper issued and put into cir
culation in defiance of a court injunc-
ton.
Picket Makes Full Confession.
Mr.. Picket made what j A. O. Preus,
state auditor, considers to be a full
confession and attached thereto plea
fer mercy.
Mr.. Preus reported to the state in.
vestment board that Mr.. Picket had
confessed that he forged the $4,000
Aitkin county order, that he forged a
st. Louis county school district order
in 1918 for $4,000, that he appropria-
ted $152 in interest money which
came in from Roseau county and that
he realized $4,000 on Pope and Stevens
county school district bonds. The lat
ter was repaid to the state from pro-
ceeds of the $4,000 warrant.
Claims Smith Party to Acts.
Mr.. Preus, when he had done tell
ing the investment board of Picket's
confession to his own actions then told
the board that Mr. Picket had further
confessed that Walter J. Smith, state
treasurer, was party to all of these
acts excepting the appropriation of the
$152 in interest money and that Mr..
Smith had shared with him in the
spoils.
Mr.. Smith, broken in health and de-
claring himself to be suffering from
pneumonia, during the day left Min
neapolis sanitarium, made his appear
ance at his Offices shortly before noon,
made statement which the investiga-
ting authorities declare to be entirely
unsatisfactory, and then disappeared.
He said he was going back to the san
itarium.
Full Restitution Made.
There was deposited in the office of
the state treasurer a certified check
for $4,453 which, with the check for
$18,509 deposited Monday night is
declared to be restitution in full. The
check for $4,453 was given by Picket's
relatives.
When Mr.. Picket had told his story
to Mr.. Preus he went voluntarily to
the Offices of Richard D. O'Brien, Ram.
sey county attorney, to repeat the same
and the question of criminal prosecu-
ton will be left to the Ramsey county
jury which meets Thursday.
Agent Found Dead; Revolver Near.
Bemidji.-Ralph Remmey, 29 years
old, station agent for the Minnesota
& international at Turtle River, was
found dead revolver WAS 1uino