The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-06-24
OFFERED TO REPAY:
STATE, SAYS BELL
Admits Cooperating With, kep-
hart in "Rsva'y|ag IND"
PROPOSAL WAS REFUSED
Pittsburgh Banker Says He Desired
to Help Those Stricken by War ane
That He Did Ne Wrong.

Pittsburgh, Pa, June o4.-An o6el
TO reimburse the state for any amour
ii may have lost in interest as re
suit of the "rerolving war emergenc!
fund" created by former Treasures
Harmon VI. kephart has been made b!
John \. Bell, president Of the Colonis
Trust company, he said
Mr.. Bell. whose name has figured
prnlil:n eC1iy in the public investisa
zion inIo kephsrt's accounts STARTED
by Auditor Geuera, Samuel >. Lewis
declared that the COMMON wealth hut
refuseti 10 accept any reimbursement
from him. AZ il considered the so:'
mer treasurer the responsible person
In every way The banke- verified The
testimony concerning the secret "@:'l
fund" that WIS gwen kephart at :''e
last public inquiry Al Harrisburg. tn:
fund amounted to more than 500. 'h't
and experts have figured the statt
may have lost as much rs 600 il
interest by having this am"unr liz
idle in the treasury vault.
Nr Bell said his action in he.pips
kephart create The fund WAS inspired
by desire to help those stricken b!
lac war, that he lad done no Wrons
ind that he would not hesitate to d.
the same thing again in similar cir
C'Imstances.
The Carnegie Trust company, q
which institution MIR. Bell is also pres
ident, apparently profited by kephar;'
creation of the "war fund.- IN which
he held over checks received from
the treasurer Of Allegheny county an
exchanged them for checks signed b.
Bell on the trust company. Tt wa:
for this reason that Mr.. Bell offeret
to reimburse the state for any possible
loss Of interest.
Mr. Bell became party TO Kephert'
financial operst tons late in 1913. As
he puts 1t, he was an unhappy anC
horror-stricken victim of the worl(
calamity. His daughter had dies
while engaged in self-sacrif1clng effort:
to aid the helpless victims OF the ca
tastrophe He himself was daily i'm
mersed in war work activities. He
says he thought only Of the war
worked only for the success OF tht
allies and purposed every thought ant
designed every action to one end--ait
for the sufferers Of the war and vie
tory for the nation and Its associates
sMr. Kephart," said Mr.. Bell, 'dit
not know the amount Of the check he
held In Harrisburg, and considering
the request plausible and having con
fidence in Mr. Kephart I considered
might take the risk, and / did SO
knowing all the time that the cheeks
were going to a responsible offcer OF
the state government.
subsequently. upon request, l re
peated this method. sent such checks
to him. I think there were about
twenty checks in all. Upon request
would send to Mr.. Kephart two OF
three blank checks signed by me al
president. He would send me the Al
legheny county tressurer's check.
held that check in each instance Until
a requisite number OF the checks
which I forwarded to Mr.. ;Kepha.
made. out in sufficient totaN to cover
the amount of the Allegheny count!
treasurer's check were negotiated.
"Then the checks which issued Mr.
kephart were returned to him can
celed and the Allegheny county treas
urer." @
Mr.. Bell contends that the substt
tute checks given by him to Kephari
could not have been used by Kephar
for any other purpose than in the
business Of the Commonwealth, be,
cause, he asserts, each one Of them
when returned to him, were made on
to the order Of the commonwealth o!
Pennsylvania.