The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-07-14
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT
and COUNTY TREASURER
HEIDI FOR EMbEz Element
W. L. Taze, h-President
East Moline Bank, Re-
tanned on Like Charge. ]

Lon Il Harris, Of this olty,
former county superinteaAent !,
Of scAeols, Frank ]. ClenAenln, /
Of East Moline, ex.treasureF Of i
Rock Island county, and ". !. !
Taze Of East Moline, formerly
president Of the Manufacturer |
State hank Of East Moline, !
have been indicted by IL /
grand jury on separate, i
unrelated charges Of En-. i
beEzlencnt All three defend.
ants appeared before Jslge ". i
T. Church in circuit court this
morning and arranged bonds
for their release from castedy.
On three charges. two for OBJ
tanning money and credit through
fraudulent checks and one for en-
bezzlement Of $4,000 from the
schools of the county. Lou NJ. Har-
ris was indicted by the grand jury
which ended its May term last
Saturday. Twenty indictments
were returned. IL of those named
the true bills being in custody at
that time.
Taxe is alleged to have convert
ed money, bonds and other property
Of the Manufacturers State bank
Of which tho time named In the In
dictment, Sept /, 1919, he was
president, 70 his own use. the spe-
cific charge being embez1lement..
On another bill returned BY the
Jury he was ordered held for forg-
cry. Not all Of the indictments In
this case have been made public
Clendenin. - treasurer Of Rock
Island county, on March l. ls1S.
is charged With embezzlement OF
81, ,781.26 from the county.
A short summary OF the trua
bills which were returned BY the
jury, defendants Of which appeared
before Judge Church this morning.
are as follows:
Lou NJ. Harris, obtaining money
and credit by means OF . false
check, Jan. IA. 1890. Check for more
than was in the Central Trust and
Savings bank was given to H. b
Simmons, cashier Of the bank and
treasurer Of Rock Island.
Lou N. Harris, passing fraudulent
check. Check payable to Central
Trust and Savings bank TOR w.
OF. IL was drawn on Bank OF Taylor
Ridge, Jan. IT, 1890.
Lou M. Harris, embegxlemantf
Nov. /, 1919, $4,000. Funds were
in her possession by virtue OF said
once.
Frank ]. Clendenin, embezzle-
ment, March l, 1918. As treasured
Of Rock Island county he embez-
zled $1,7S1.26.
W. I. Taze, embezzlement, Sept
1, 1919, and before and since, a.
president Of Manufacturer State
bank, he converted to his own use
, money, bonds, and other property
valued at $122,276.78.
W. /. Taze. forgery. Jan. 70. 1919.
Forged check purporting to have
been made and executed by Eldon
Cornell and drawn on Manufactur-
ers' State bank for payment OF
money to self or order.
Jury in Many Session.
During the May term Of the grand
jury, many extra sessions were
called to delve into the details Sf
these. the most important indict-
ments returned. Most Of the cases
have been hanging fire for long
time, the action of the grand fury
being in accord with the popular
sentiment that the rumor Of defal-
cation either be affirmed or dis
proved, and officials implicated BY
the reports proved not guilty or
sentenced.
II is understood that in all throe
cases the deficits have been made
up by assignment Of personal
property to the organizations hit
by the misuse Of funds.
In the case of Taze. immediately
after the discovery of the shortage
by the state examiner, property TO
the value Of over two hundred
thousand dollars was assigned e
/ the bank. OF the amount, real
estate has been converted which
has reimbursed the bank to the ex.
tent OF 100000 and titles ana
equities amounting to an addttionas
500, 900 are retained. leaving the
bank fully solvent.
Cases Long Drawn.
The cases of both Clendenin ana
Harris have been of long Standing