New Mexico state record., 1921-07-29
LEN SMALL IS INDICTED
GRAND JURY INDIcTs GOVERNOR
SMALL AND STATE OFFICIALS.
MILLIONS IN STATE FUNDS SAID
TO HAVE BEEN PUT IN
FICTITIOUS BANK.
Western Newspaper Union News Service. }

Springfield, H., July 2l.-Warrants
were issued for Governor Small, Lieu
tenant Governor Sterling and Vernon
Curtis, the Grant Park banker, follow
ing their Indictment on charges of EN-
bezzlement, conspiracy and operating
confidence game through the alleged
use of interest on state funds for their
personal gain.
Available historical records give no
instances of governors of other states
being indicted while in office, but
there have been several instances of
impeachment.
Four indictments were returned.
| They covered charges of fraud by the
trio during the terms of Small and
Sterling in the state treasurers office
between 1917 and 1921.
The first indictment charged the
governor lieutenant governor and
Curtis Jointly with embezzlement of
sIOO,0OO
A separate indictment against Coy
ernor Small charged him with embez-
element of SjOO000, while Lieutenant
Governor Sterling was individually
charged with embezzlement of $780,
40.
The fourth indictment charges the
three with conspiracy and operation of
confidence game. involving $2,OOO,OOO
interest on state funds.
The alleged illegal operations named
in the indictments centered around de-
posits of state funds within the
Grant Park Bank, held bv the grand
Jury to have been II fictitious instilu-
tion since 1908, when it ceased 10
| function.
| Individual bonds on each indictment
were fixed al $4,000 by Judge +. :.
| Smith.
The Grant Park Bank established
many years ago by AlonzO Curtis
father Of Vernon Curtis and the late
Senator Curtis, although having
ceased to function several years prior
to Smalls term as treasurer, was used
by the alleged conspirators as the
agency through which to make loans
of state funds to Armour X Co. and
Swift X Co. Chicago packers, accord
ing to the indictments.
Although the packers notes drew
rs per eeni interest, ii is charged
thai less than = per eent was turned
in to the state treasury during I'll,
Small and Sterling terms.
Under the law in operation then III,
state treasurer was required to oh
tain AT least = per cent on state funds
but, according to Attorney General
Brundage, who pushed the inNesiiga
tion. the law did mol permit the treas
urer TO use for private gain any inter
est earnings in excess of per cent
Governor Small, in n message II
The People of Illinois, said that h,
is absolutely innocent of every charg,
they make" lie added thar he 3e
lieves Lieutenant Governor Sterling
and Vernon Curtis, indicted with him
are equally innocent.
The governors statement follows:
"lou, who elected Inc your governor
by the greatest vote ever given Il chic
executive in Illinois, are entitled "a
this time 10 a frank statement from
me concerning the indictment re
turned against Inc today by the Sanga
mon county grand jury.
For the present, may ! not ask yol
to accept from me with the same con
fidence which you accepted my candi
dacy for governor, assurance To yol
that ! am absolutely innocent of an!
charges which the public may conside
brought against me by the grand jury
after Il one-sided hearing In whlcl
personal and political enemies wer'
heard and had no yOicef