Evening star., 1921-11-26
SUES EX-OFFICIALS
FOR ACCOUNTING
Continued from First Page)

torney General Brundage and his in
vestigators are said to have made an
exhaustive search of all the treasury
records relating to deposits and loans
and interest earnings.
This law was in operation until the
present measure, requiring the treas
urer to loan state money to the high
est and best bidder. became effective
this year.
Lieut.. Gov. Sterling is defendant in
a suit which alleges that $4,000 600
of state money, alleged to have been
used by Treasurer Len Small and the
late Senator Edward c. Curtis for
their own personal profit continued
under the control of Curtis after
Sterling. Small's successor, became
treasurer.
The bill alleges that shortly after
Small became treasurer. in 1917. he
entered into a scheme with Curtis to
use large sums of state money for
their own private gain. Small. at the
expiration of his term. the bill con-
tinues. removed from the treasurer $
Office books and records relating 10
deposits. loans and interest earnings.
Alleged Plan to Control Fund.
Immediately upon the commencement
of his term as treasurer Sterling, the
bill further alleges, became a party to
continue under the control of Curtis;
that additional sums were to be turned
over to him, and that the scheme was
carried out. to the personal profit of all
in the alleged plot.
Money thus handled was carried on
the books in an account characterized
as the safe fund" in order. the bill
stated. to conceal the real facts.
Curtis, according to the bill. issued
pretended certificates of deposit in the
"Grant Park Bank" an institution
which the prosecution declared did not
exist.
A large part of the money handled
through the arrangement was invested
in notes of Armour & Co. and Swift
& Co. Chicago packers. and the bill
charges that Curtis collected approXi-
mately $2.o0o.o0o interest from the
packers.
These particulars of the civil suits
are similar to and cover the same
charges made in the criminal cases
pending against Small and Sterling and
| Vernon Curtis, who is a brother of
Senator Curtis, whose death occurred III
March. 1920.
All of the bills charge that the five
former treasurers made only two re-
ports each on interest earnings during
| their terms; that the interest accounts
| were not itemized but submitted in lump
sums.
Collections UnaccOunted For.
| Although Sterling's aggregate inter-
est return amounted to s996,121, the
! only available records. the bill contin-
| ues. show that he collected approxi-
! mately 100000 from banks and that
the amount collected by Curtis from
the packers was greatly In excess of
| the difference between the sums. The
bill adds that interest unaccounted for
| exceeds $1,000,000.
The bill against Gov. Small charges
that Small. while treasurer. collected
from the packers more than 1000, 600,
| reported only $450.010, unitemized, and
| that interest unaccounted for is ap-
proximately S1.OO0.0O0.
Bills against Russell. Ryan and
| Mitchell contain substantially the
| same general charges except as to
amounts.
Inclusion of Ryan in civil cases car
| ries the alleged treasury scandal
across party lines Ryan. a democrat.
was treasurer during the first two
years of the Dunno administration.
All the other defendants in the crimi-
nal and civil cases are republicans.