Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-03-10
AFTER THE GOVERNOR J
Illinois Chief Executive Charged
with EmbczzIement.
Big COURT BATTLE NEXT MONTH

Case Grows Out Of the Charge that the
Governor, While Treasurer Collected
Interest on Funds Of the State to His
Own Use.
For the first time in the history Of
Illinois its chief executive will go on
trial during his term of office in the
courthouse at Waukegan, on April 8.
The case was to have been taken up
last Monday; but on motion was con-
tinued for thirty days.
Not since the impeachment. and re-
moval Of William Sulzer from the gov
ernorship Of New York in 1918 has the
governor Of any American state faced
charges so serious or which have at
tracted the widespread attention as
those pending against Len Small, 2Sth
governor of Illinois, and his fellow de-
fendants, Lieut.. Gov. Fred z. Sterling
and Vernon Curtis, a banker of Grant
Park, Illinois.
In Illinois 104 years of statehood
only two other governors have ever
been indicted while in office, and in
each of the previous cases the court
dismissed the charges without trial
because OF their trivial nature.
Although Governor Small and Messrs.
Sterling and Curtis are, charged jointly
with conspiracy to defraud tine state
through embezziement Of funds from
the state treasury during the terms OF
Mr.. Small and Curtis as state treas
urer, only the governor will go on trial
at Waukegan. Mr.. Curtis, whose case
was brought to Lake county from
sangamon county with that Of the gov,
ernor was granted a separate trial by
Judge Claire C. Edwards. presiding in
circuit court there. Lieut.. Gov. Sterling
did not ask for change OF venue and
his case Is still pending In thc Sang
anon county circuit court, at, Spring
field. ~ t@t
Only One Indictment.
Originally there were four indict-
ments against Messrs. Small, Sterling
and Curtis, three OF which involved
the governor, but only one-the COP
spiracy case--remains. ~ w.
One indictment, charging the three
defendants with enbezzlins $7ooQ00
was quashed by Judge Edwards be-
cause Of technical errors. The court
also quashed several counts II the
conspiracy indictmsRt ssFhtEhsi remains
to be tried, and a charge Of operating
a confidence game. The Judge thenlor,
dered the governor t3t trial on amin
dictment charging 5sNibezSlement of
s50O,OOO during his tern, as state, treas
urer, but the state objected to trying
this case first, and when the judge
insisted c. Fred Mortimer, states at
torney Of Sangamon county, dismissed
the Indictment. -. IN
The fourth indictment. which was
never brought to Waukegan,. charged
Mr.. Sterling with embezaling s7o0,0o0,t
The conspiracy indictment charges
the two former treasurers with enter
ing into conspiracy with Mr.. Curtis
to defraud the state out Of large sums
due II as interest. Curtis owned the
charter Of the Grant Park bank, a for
mer private banking institution, which,
the state alleges absolutely ceased to
function as a bank after 1908" Grant
Park is town Of 600 population In
Kankakee county a few miles from
Governor Smalrs home. 7'E
To this private bank the state claims.
Mr.. Small and Mr.. Curtis-the former
as state treasurer in 1917-18 and the
latter in 1s19-20-lent millions Of state
funds with no other security than Mr..
Curtis certificate Of deposit. Tho
money was then loaned to four Chicago
packing companies. Armour, Swift,
Morris and the Cudahy Packing COM
pany on short term notes paying from
to 8 per cent. interest, Of which, It
is claimed, mot more than 2 per cent"
was turned into the state treasury.
State Files Charges.
The bill Of particulars filed by the
state claims sthe total profits In the
alleged conspiracy are unknown be-
cause Governor Small carried away
part of the records Of the treasurer's
office when his term expired and be-
cause part of the books Of Swift & Co.
have not yet been found" The state
charges the three defendants. with the
late Senator Edward Curtis, brother
and business partner Of Vernen Curtis.
kept $535,OO0 Of state funds for their
personal and private property and the I
Of others unknown" in addi-
ton to the sums of interest retained.
Governor Small and Lieut.-Gov.
Sterling kept two sets Of books while
in the treasurer's office, the state says.
one accounting for a socalled vault
fund" which was loaned to. banks
throughout the state, and the other
known as the safe fund covering
money placed in the Grant Park bank.
During Mr. SmalPs term, the bill OF
particulars alleges. the funds In the
Grant Park bank alone earned 1924
O66.2S in interest, while the total
Of interest, discounts and pro-
fits accounted for by Mr.. Small from
all funds in his charge was only $780,
O1O.12. The earnings on the Grant