Show REPORT CHARGES GIGANTIC FRAUDS FRAUD I Pin dings of St Louis Tair Committee Submitted to House ARRAIGNS AR AWARDS SYSTEM RIBBON SYSTEM CONDEMNED UTAH OFFICIALS CRITICISED I N TERMS of or no uncertain meaning i I the thc report of the special house i committee appointed to investigate Investigate Investigate gate the Louisiana Purchase exposi exposition exposItion tion commission which was submitted late last night arraigns the officials of commission on as having been guilty of gross carelessness and neglect in conducting the exhibit and in Id 1 ren rendering rendering dering a final accounting of state moneys reaffirms the charge of forg forgery forgery ery cry against John Q Cannon secretary of the commission in having haing signed the name of oC Governor GoY Heber 31 L Wells VeIls to warrants and in an appended re report report report port from the subcommittee which went vent to St Louis alleges a gigantic conspiracy on the part fart of the officials c the exposition in the matter of awards and prize ribbons The report was drafted by Representatives Representatives Representatives Kuchler and Miller Uller of the com corn committee committee was submitted to the com corn committee commIttee and approved Friday and was considered in executive session and approved yesterday afternoon It was wasat wasat wasat at first intended to present the report Monday but a few minutes before re recess recess recess cess was taken last night at 11 it II was returned to the house and unanimously adopted adapted The report is in the form of a gen general general eral oral and a the former as the findings of the special house commit committee tee composed of Kinney Kinne Miller Kuchler Kuehler Joseph Gundry and Peterson This contains in effect the testimony adduced at committee hear hearings hearings ings The covers fully what was w t learned by Representatives Jo Joseph Joseph Joseph seph and Gundry during their stay in St Louis Together they con contain contain tain tam over words Report of SubCommittee Following is the report of the sub subcommittee subcommittee subcommittee committee Committee Room Salt Lake City March 9 1903 1005 Hon Cesson Clesson S Kinney Chairman St StLouis StLouis StLouis Louis Purchase Exposition Commission We your subcommittee after visiting I St Louis as directed bet beg be leave to fur tur further further I Ither ther resort as follows That after atter as thorough an investigation as the time at our disposal would permit we are arc unanimous in reporting that ac according according I cording to our knowledge and belief the he I awards of medals ribbons etc supposedly given g ven as marks of merit bv by b the St Louis official award I ribbon committee by b authority of the Louisiana Purchase to the successful exhibitors at the said Louisiana Purchase exposition is In our opinion an tn Immense and gigantic fraud with President Francis standing as spon sponsor sponsor sponsor sor for and approving the same We Ve are arc convinced from the result of our Investigation Investigation gation that the people have been deceived and have been led to believe beU o that the awards received represented real merit of oC exhibits offered while in fact they were nothing but a mock and a fraud issued by b a I straw strow incorporation for the sole purpose of Qt being sold to be bc used in a commercial way as a advertising matter matterand matterand and In order that they the might apr appear ear as genuine on the face tace they were issued un under under under der the authority of the president Mr Francis and the commission which gentlemen according to the information information information mation received In turn for Issuing these awards under their authority received a handsome profit Story of an Agent Vo We met one of the agents a Mr Ir Page who was employed specially to sell on commission these awards He lie showed us one award which was issued as superior over all others which he assured us I that as agent for the St Louis official award ribbon committee by authority of II the a Purchase r exposition it ho had sold for and received c his corn com commission o I mission thereon He Ho also showed us an Conti on Pace p c 2 R ES S Continued d from Pago Page j other othor official ribbon award avard which ho he had hadJ J Ol ana 10 o us UH Wat Ln tee tau person jun junto to whom he had hud sole sola It nod nac neer nev r nna natU an exhibit m in n tho the Lair fair at alt all Ho ric 10 also alba ue ae that the NationaL Cash Register r rc company c had lad paid as much as t SMA sw VJ tor lor these awards to t be e tor Zor tac t c purpose o oi advertising the business of ot Said ild company He lie in informed Informed Informed formed us further that there were many more Inore awards that he had sold as a weil as us great numbers sold b by other othar agents e visited the of oft office rice ce of oC the St Si l Louis official award ribbon committee by au autHority of tho the Louisiana Purchase expo exposition In the Demenil l building and aiR found that the tho representative In charge Ras as li on hand and ind ready to do business by b additional awards although the tho exposition had closed months mouths ago We Ve also learned from irom the testimony of ot Di Dire Director re rector Whitaker and other wit witnesses nesses that this system of or awards was a gigantic scheme for tor the securing of ot money Medals Madam Are Arc Held Back Backe Ve We e also find ind that no medals have been received by prize winners so su far as we have hive been able to learn and that when ti thy y are received they will vill have bare to be paid for and still further that they are not likely to be bo received as lone lorn as s this 0 fichtl a award ward ribbon committee can con continue continuo Continue to sell aen sIl its goods We Ve your committee condemn this s s st t m at or commercialism In awards as be being being ing lug pernicious and dishonorable instigated gated and ADd maintained to deceive and de taud tho the public and to bring brit bri reproach and dishonor upon ullon this and all similar positions and at the same time to bring many thousands of ot dollars profit to tot t th the officials concocting and carrying Into luto effect this scheme for tor or self sel sela a aggrandizement Subcommittee S J Y Chairman AV v X N GUNDRY H 31 S Secretary tar Details as to Award Frauds In connection with wah the of or ort oft the t le he Louisiana Purchase exposition commission lon investigating committee Representative I te throws much 1 L Ight ht on the methods mett ds In vogue with the 1 r e awarding department of or the fair fairl Representative l as fiS one of the members rs of the subcommittee had an pp of or getting setting one of the j cards now being circulated f from i oin headquarters rs as a catch cat h to mer merc c Hants and anti m ln The rhe card canI IK is I an n 11 appeal from the SL Louis Official I cial ual cia Award Ribbon Committee On the face tace of the card Is a R halftone of an official award rib ribbon ribbon bon hon with aith the announcement that the original is 12 2 by 18 8 Inches Beneath the fie t h picture is this tillS announcement These authorized ribbons and andt t t each eh one onea a duly executed S i are re Issued I to successful ex cx 1 11 in ill lieu of the medals and di 1 J which cannot be delivered for I pome ome long lont time to come I This Tills official award comprises three separate parate ribbons red white and blue F in gold leaf and contains the signatures of President Francis and Director of Exhibits Skiff and the chief of the department to which the ex cx exl 1 l libit belongs On the declaration accompanies each ribbon is in inscribed inscribed scribed the name of the recipient the i whole hole comprising an artistic trophy troph significant of the award On the th reverse side of the card is the following By acquiring these award ribbons exhibitors will Aill be enabled to display tho only authorized emblems that can be 00 delivered until the final diplomas are issued un By this method metho of a award ard you rou will willbe b bl be enabled to make mako full use of or your Distinction received from the Louisiana I Purchase exposition by displaying ying these authorized credentials In your yo r principal and of ot your bianch offices as aswall wall we as al placing them in the bands bai of o your agents and representatives and large Irge buyers bu rs of ot your goods goo s Report of the Committee The report report of ot the special committee is as follows Committee Room Salt Lake City Utah March Marh 9 i 1393 15 Hon Thomas Hull S and nd tho the Members of ot the House of Representatives tires tives State of Utah I Gentlemen Pursuant to house resolution tion No 1 by Mr Cleeson Closson S Kinney passed 14 U 1905 which Is hereto at I lashed marked Exhibit A and made a n aport apart part port of ot this report your committee begs leave to as follows That our committee met root In the City I and County building In Salt Lake City on Tuesday Feb 21 t 1905 and proceeded to take tako testimony relative to the tho affairs of or orthe the Louisiana Purchase exposition com coth commission cOI 1 mission for the state of Utah and said ald investigation continued with adjourn adjournments adjournments adjournments ments from time to time timo until the th day da of or March IDOo 1000 at which time said sold Investigation was completed d that the evi evidence evIdence dence of all members of at The we commission was taken with the exception of oC the former Cormer treasurer Hoyt Sherman who was absent from the state of or Utah at atthe atthe the tho time of the Investigation that in ad addition addition to the evidence of the members of or ortho tho commission the evidence of or a u large larbe number of or other witnesses was taken all allI I of ot which evidence was reduced to writing and Is hereto attached marked Exhibit i i B and made a part of this report Your YourI committee found it necessary ary to secure I the services of or a competent accountant with his assistants to examine carefully Into all of at the accounts of the commis commission commission commission I sion and for that purpose the committee retained J AV IV V Heywood who has made madea a report In writing of his investigation to this committee which Is hereto at attached attached attached marked Exhibit C and made a apart apart apart part of this report Your committee fur further furth thor ther th r reports that owing owin to the condition in which they found the books of or ac account account count vouchers and other records of the commission slon that it is Ls impossible for lor the committee to tell to what extent ext nt the ac accounts accounts acCounts counts are ar correct or to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion as to the expendi expenditure expenditure expenditure ture of the tho money entrusted to the com corn commission commission mission Forgery Is Charged The first secretary of the commission was John Q Cannon who retained this position until about the l th day of Feb February February February 1905 at which time S T Whitaker was chosen secretary of the commission The books and accounts of Mr rr Cannon as secretary are in such condition as to render It impossible Sible for your committee to determine whether or not they are cor correct correct correct In accordance with section 8 S chap chapter chapter chapter ter 96 laws of ot Utah 1008 all payments for tor the expenditures of the commission wore required to be made by b the treas tress treasurer treasurer upon orders issued by the secretary and countersigned d by the chairman of or orI Continued on n Pase pae 4 I I REPORT HARGES GIGANTIC IATI fRAUD J I Continued from fro Page 2 3 i Ii I Ir the commission The evidence e shows h ws con elusively that the name of Heber He r M I r Welsh chairman was forged forg d to the fol to l lowing orders and that the tho amounts of money therein set forth wore were w re paid pur I to said orders tee In voucher No 79 S T Whitaker I received for tor honey exhibit contract with K E I S Lovesey Joese A cheek check was drawn dran dranon on Jan 2 1904 to pay this amount by b the treasurer of the tire commission Hoyt Hot Sher Sherman Sherman man mau It appears from the tire evidence that Mr Whitaker took this check to Mr Lovesey Lovese in payment of the balance due him at that time Mr Lovesey Lovese however howe er informed Mr Whitaker that the commis sion was not owing more mort than After further conversation Mr Lovesey en the th check back to Mr r Whitaker and Mr r Whitaker ker cashed the check for the full fu amount and paid Mr out of it Q for tor which he took tool a re and the balance amounting to n lS was retained by Mr S T Whit Nos Issued Payable to 43 41 Oct 10 1908 John Paid Amount Q Cannon It 44 Oct 10 1003 John Q Cannon See c Oct IS IB 1 1901 21 75 Sec 47 Oct H 14 1003 Oct 17 1903 John Q Cannon 78 75 5 48 Oct 31 n 1900 John Q See Oct 17 lt 00 Mar 1 19 John Q Cannon Cannon Sec No Nov 3 1008 25 s 10 Mar lar 4 1001 John Q Cannon Sec Mar I 1 1001 Ss 35 12 Sec tar Mar 5 1 Mar 4 lOOt 1004 Knight 9 93 40 15 Mar lIar 4 I 1001 Allen Co Mar far 9 0 1904 1001 32 00 Mar oJ 4 John Q Cannon iO 0 65 1 Sec Mar S 1901 Mar 9 0 lOOt 1901 John Q 40 Mar lar 16 lOOt 1004 John Q Cannon CannonS Cannon Sec r lj 10 4 50 Sec mam Mar 17 Mar 16 lOOt 1001 John 15 50 Q Cannon 11 M May 25 S 1904 John Q Cannon Soc See Sec Mar 25 5 1 1004 ro 50 June 2 1961 Joh Q Cannon Soc Sae May 31 1904 1004 96 75 June Zi 3 1601 Juno June G 6 1904 1901 John Q Cannon Canpon 00 41 June ft I 1904 John Q Sec June 7 1 12 67 June 11 John Q Cannon Sec June 9 45 9 90 J June 14 1901 John Q Cannon Sec Tune June 11 1004 7 76 15 11 I Sec June l 15 1904 June 14 1001 John Q Cannon x 9 15 June 14 lOOt 1941 John Q Cannon Sec Juno June Si 31 49 19 20 ro 65 Nov 11 John Q Cannon Sec Sec c June 3 1900 1001 6 03 Total 9 o Forged Orders Cashed Thos o were were all al cashed hed by the tire Commercial National bank of Salt Lake City Utah between betten the day t of ot October 1903 10 and the day df da of ot June Tunc une 1904 1004 19 and that at all al times time between said zaid aid dates there was sufficient tere wa money In the tire bank belonging to the state of Utah and arid deposited by the commission with which to pay all al of said sad orders order with wih wit the the ex cx of May Ma 2 1904 10 at which time there th re was an art overdraft at the bank of 2 but on iTay lay 3 3 1904 a deposit of ot 0 was made by he commission n to cover said Cover overdraft The evidence further furher tends t n s to show sh without contradiction that tha the Ull name name of or Heber Hober M AI Wells was forsed fored to alt all al of said orders by of the commission John ohn Q Cannon Soon after ater his appointment a the secre seere I tary tar of or the thE commission John Q Cannon commenced commence to kero a set of ot books con eon sl of ora a leder a ancl voucher book r cord arid and ard a Journal but vars ve en many of the items pertaining to the affairs of the tho commission were not entered In these book at Qt the time the transaction oc and at tha tho time your committee began to examine the accounts of the tle commission this th first set et of books had disappeared and ad a new set of or books bear Ing lag evidence that they the had hod been recently written were wore substituted In place of the I original books of account Your Tour commit tee finally finaly located the original s st t of books book and found that they had been so badly mutilated and ad were In such condi tion ton that that they were of at little value in de the real state of or affairs of the commission Your committee was unable to secure the presence of the secretary John Q Cannon to therein receive from him explanations relative to the te books and accounts contained From tho the evi eI dence and records It appears that the salary salar of or the secretary John Q Cannon was overdrawn 25 Records of |