The Arvada enterprise., 1921-07-28
Len SMALL IS INDICTED
GRAND JURY INoicrs GOVERNOR
SMALL AND STATE OFFICIALS.
MILLIONS IN STATE FUNDS SAID
TO HAVE BEEN PUT IN
FICTITIOUS BANK,
twe,tsrn Nsvspspes Union News Service.

Springfield, ILL.,, July 2l.-Warrants
tenant Governor Sterling and Vernon
Curtis, the Grant Park banker, follow
ing their indictment on charges OF en-
bezzlement. conspiracy and operating
Il 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 treasurer's office
between 1917 and 1921.
The first indictment charged the
governor, lieutenant governor and
Curtis Jointly with embezzlement Of
100000.
separate Indictment against Gov
ernOr Small charged him with embez-
element of 100000, while Lieutenant
Governor Sterling was individually
charged with embezzlement OF $780,
900
The fourth Indictment charges the
three with conspiracy and operation of
IL confidence game, involving $4,000, 600
interest on state funds.
The alleged Illegal operations named
In the indictments centsred around de-
posits OF state funds within the
Grant Park Bank" held bv the grand
jury to have been fictitious institu-
tion since 1908, when 1t ceased to
function.
Individual bonds on each indictment
were fixed at $4,000 by Judge f. s.
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 Smalrs term AS treasurer. was used
by the alleged conspirators as the
agency through which to make loans
of state funds to Armour K Co. and
Swift 4 Co., Chicago packers, accord
Ing to the indictments.
Although the packers notes drew
IN per cent interest. 1t 10 charged
that less than per cent was turned
In to the state treasury during the
Small and Sterling terms.
Under the law in operation then the
state treasurer WAS required to OBJ
tain Ut least . per cent ou state funds.
but, according to Attorney General
BrundaCr, who pushed the investiga-
tiOn, the law did not permit the treas.
urer to use for private gain any inter.
est earnings In excess OF per cent.
Governor Small. in " message to
THE People of Illinois," said tlut he
is absolutely innocent OF every charge
they nuke" He added that he be.
lieves Lieutenant Governor Sterling
and Vernon Curtis, indicted with him.
are equnlly innocent.
The governors statement follows:
You. who elected me your governor
by the greatest vote ever given u chief
executive in Illinois. are entitled at
this time to n frank statement from
me concerning the indictment re-
turned against me today by the Sanga.
mon county grand jury.
For the present. may | not nsk you
IL.
fidence whirl, you accepted my candi-
dHcy for governor. assurance to you
that am absolutely innocent of any
charge. which the public may consider
brought against me by the grand jury.
after ons.sided hearing In which
personal and political enemies were
heard and | had no voice?