The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-02-11

deposited in the First National
bank at Biwabik after the war
rant had been sent to the Cooper
Meyers company at Duluth.
st. Paul. Mimi, February sc. R.
Pickit, clerk of the investment board
in the state auditors office, today
made a confession to State Auditor
J. A. o. Preus to having forged and
caused the cashing of warrants against
the state permanent trusts funds in
a sum exceeding $4,000. The last of
these warrants was for the sum of S4,-
453 so. However, Pickett has man
aged to raise the money and has paid
back all the money of which the state
treasury was thus looted.
The warrants were drawn by r. c.
Pickett, and were cashed in the Of
fee of State Treasurer w. ]. Smith.
One of the warrants, amounting to
$4,000, was drawn in favor of the
treasurer of School District No. G.,
Aitkin county, and the Endorsement of
the school treasurer's name was
forged.
3. Mr.. Smith contrary 20 the advice of
itol at noon today Oh account of this
matter He had been staying at the
home of this physician in Minneapolis,
the latter being personal friend of
his.
80 know nothing at all about this
matter, except what / read in the
newspapers, said Mr.. Smith. ut is
true that / have lent money to Mr..
Pickit, as / have to other people, but
/ know nothing about the forgery
charges that have been made against
him" ....
Mr.. Smith was so i'll when he came
into the capitol building that he near
ly fell to the floor and had to be sup
ported.
Had Not Asked For Warrant.
a. r. d. O'Brien, Ramsey county attor-
ney, stated today that he had had a
talk on this subject with State Audi
tor Preus and Assistant Attorney Gen
eral Walter ]. Stevenson, but they
had not asked for a warrant for the
arrest of Mr.. Pickit and he had not
issued one. Mr.. O'Brien expressed
al great deal of vexation over the fact
that the state officials had given the
whole story out to the newspapers,
before bringing the matter to his at
tention at all. He said the case would
Be all the more difficult to handle on
that account Mr.. O'Brien said he un-
derstood that the warrants had first
been cashed in Duluth and the money
had been sent back to the state treas
Lrer, who held it as trust fund for
IL, 81 90, ;a+e IN fou 10
warrants had been drawn. He had moi
completed his investigation of the
matter.
Smith Statement.
Developments came thick and faS1
following the published statements
that Walter J. Smith, the state treas
Irer, and R. C. Pickit, the invest
ndent clerk in theoffice of the state
auditor we're involved in irregulari-
ties on their books. Smith and Picki
made statements as to the transac.
tioi and Pickit admitted an irregu.
larity Of S4,443.50 in addition to The
$4,000 irregularity which was dis.
covered last week The entire IL.
regularity has been made good.
meeting of the board of investment
was called hurriedly to receive re.
port from ]. A. o. Preus, state audi.
tor, regarding the transactions.
e. Walter J.. Smith came to the cap.
itol today from a sick bed in Min
neapolis hospital and explained hi
knowledge OF the affair, which hi
claims he was not involved in. HI
said: Last spring somebody sent tt
the Cooper Meyers company of Du
luth which is a bonding company ant
is interested in banks in northern
Minnesota, a warrant for $4,000
Fred Meyers, member of the firm
and a friend of mine wrote me
letter saying that his firm appreci
aide the deposit, and added tina
there was nothing to show no sen
the warrant
Mr.. Meyers said that he thought
had sent it to him, and thanked m'
for depositing that amount with hi
company. | thought no more of tn,
transaction believing it to be regular
Mr.. Meyers came to st. Paul shor
time ago and said that the matte
looked irregular / told him that j
was all straight, so far as / knew.
held certificates from the First Ma
tional Bank of Biwabik, showing tina
$4,000 was deposited there.
= Last Friday Mr.. Preus and hi
Deputy, Claude S. Brown, inquired o
me regarding the warrant and l toll