Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-26
GOV. SMALL ON TRIAL AS
ILLINOIS TREASURER
Four Other Financial Heads OF
State Before Court on SlmI-
lar Charges.
ny Associated Press to Every Even,nr

Springfield, H. Nov. Suits for
accounting against five former state
treasurers approximating 32600.000.
were started today by Attorneg Gen
cral Edward j. Brundaxe.
The suits cover the six terms pre-
ceding that OF the present treasurer.
Edward E. Miller and are directed
against all state trcasurers who held
office between 1909 and 1921. State
Auditor Andrew Russell who was
treasurer twice during the period. ts
defendant In two suits
The other former treasurers in
volved are: Governor Len Small
Lieutenant Governor Fred r.. Sterling
william Ryan. Jr.. and r. E Mitchell.
Bondsmen of all the former trea-
surers were made defendants.
Disclosures made through the In
vestigation OF the state treasury
which resulted In Indictment OF Gov
ernor Small. Lieutenant Governor
Sterling. and Vernon Curtis, banking
associate OF Governor Small, last July.
furnished the evidence on which the
civil suits were based. the attorney
generals Office announced.
The Sangamon county grand jury
investigation which ended in the In
| dlctment OF small, Sterling and Curtis
was the beginning OF n searching In
quiry into treasury affairs lasting for
weeks and months, according to the
Brundage office.
Going back 10 enactment of the Law
OF 1908 which required the state trea.
sprer to deposit money received by
him In Illinois banks that would pay
the highest rate of interest, Attorney
General Brundage and his lnvestiga.
tors are said TO. have made an ex.
haustlve search OF all treasury rec.
ords relating to deposits and loan.
ard interest earnings.
This law was In operation until tn,
present measure requiring the trea
surer 10 loan state money TO the high
est and best bidder became effective
this year.
Lleutenant-Gove Sterling IL de-
fendant In n suit which alleges tha
$40. .000. 900 OF State money alleged {,
have been used by Treasurer LEI
Small and the late Senator Edwar,
lC. Curtis FOR their own personal profit
4 lcontinued under the control Of Curt
latter Sterling. Smans successor, be
came treasurer.
The bin alleges that shortly efte
Small became treasurer I'm 1917. h
entered into a scheme with Curtis Q
use large sums Of state money 70
their own private gain. Small. AT III
expiration of his term, the bill con
= tinues. removed from the treasurer
flee, books and records relating 20 de
posts. loans and interest earnings.
Immediately on the commencement
of his term ss treasurer, Sterlinf
the bill further alleges, became n par
" to plan through which the none
was to continue under the contrc
OF Curtis. that additional sums wer
To 10 turned over to him, and tha
the scheme was carried out 20 tn
personal profit OF all in tho ailegs
plot.
, Money thus handled was carried d
, the books in an account characterize
as the safe fund" In order, the bi
states, 10 conceal the real facts.
/, Curtis, according 10 the bill. issue
pretended certificates OF deposits
! tho Grant Park Bank" an institutio
which the prosecution declared. di
not exist.
> A large part OF the money. handle
through the arrangement, was invest
: ed in notes of Armour and COmpan
!. and Swift and Company, Chicae
!, packers. and the bill charges tn,
: Curtis collected approximately $4,000
\ coo interest from the packers.
These particulars of the civil sui
are similar TO and cover the san
charges made in the criminal cas-
pending against Small and Sterlin
and Vernon Curtis. who is brother
Senator Curtis, whose death occurr'
n in March, 1920.
e All of the bills charge that the a.
Y former treasurers made only two r
IS ports each on interest earnings durir
# their terms. that the interest accoun
s. were not itemized. but submitted
Z hmm aiiuau