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How Chief Justice Reese Raided the State Treasury
HIS FRIENDS TO EXPLAIN
THE VOUCHER
The legislature of 1837 appropriated
public money to provide each of the supreme
premo sudges with stenographic or
clerical assistance , in order that the su
preme judges might be enabled to devote
more time to the consideration of cases.
The state constitution expressly forbids
any district or supreme judge from re
ceiving , in addition to his salary of
$2,500 per year , "any other compensation ,
perquisite , or benefit , for and on ac
count of his" office , in any form whatso
ever. " hence , it is only fair to presume
that the legislature intended that the
appropropriation made for stenographic
and clerical assistance should be used
only for such assistance , actually ren
dered the supreme judges.
Judge Reese apparently started out
to use that appropriation honestly , but
the records show that he did not hold
out faithful to the end. Of the 1887
appropriation , 81,070 was drawn by C. F.
Williams , who in all probability per
formed sotne services for the "judge ;
86.00 was paid to E. E. Good : 8142.00
was drawn by Judge Reese in the name
of H. A. Reese , his son , and 888.00 in the
name of C. B. Reese , his wife. In no in
stance did H. A. Reese or C. B. Reese
sign the vouchers on which warrants
were issued and money drawn from the
state treasury. The vouchers are made
out for "stenographic -clerical assist
ance" ' performed by H. A. Reese or C.
B. Reese , as the case may be , but it
seems neither H. A. Reese nor C. B.
Reese were sufficiently competent as
"clerical assistants" to make out and
sign their own vouchers. They were
paid at the rate of 84.00 per day. The
judge's own salary amounted to about
88.00 per day. He frittered away 88 a-
day time making out-and signing vouch
ers for 84-a-day clerks. But perhaps H.
A. Reese and C. B. Reese had conscien
tious scruples against certifying and
signing claims for services they had not
.rendered. Perhaps they did not know
the state owed them anything.
The legislature of 1889 following the
precedent established in 1887 , made an
appropriation for clerical assistance.
"The cat had tasted the cream , " and
nobody outside of the Reese family was
permitted to dra\y a cent of that portion
of the appropriation available for paying
Judge Reese's ' -assistants. " Judge
Reese drew 8384 thereof in the name of
C. B. Reese , his wife , and 8132 in the
name of H. A. Reese , his son. In every
instance the vouchers are signed by
Judge Reese.
The fac imilies herewith are made
from photographs taken at the State
Capitol expresslyfor the World-Herald.
The" original vouchers may be seen any
day at the auditor's office. The original
warrants are on file in the treasurer's
office. The three cuts it will be noticed
all refer to one claim of C. B. Reese.
The voucher was filed in the auditor's
office May 31 , 1889. It was the first
voucher tiled in the name of C. B. Reese.
At the top it says , "The State of Ne
braska to C. B. Reese , Dr. for services as
clerical assistance to M. B. Reese , Judge
of Supreme Court , 12 days @ * 48 ,
848.00. " In the upper left hand corner
is written in Judge Reese's own hand
writing : "I certify the same to be cor
rect , M. B. Reese , Judge Supreme
OF NEBRASKA ,
Dr
7 Kfrtby ctrtify t at the about account tj tSjfrect and. jtttl , and hat not teen paid xer any r > oft
iJtfeaf
Deputy
+ J
Received of V , Auditor of pullic Recounts.
Court. " The printed line , "I hereby
certify that the above account is correct
and just , and has not been paid nor any
part thereof" was intended to be followed
by the signature of the claimant. C. B.
Reese should have signed just below it.
But notice that MB.Reese , her lord
and master , chief justice of Nebraska ,
signed his own name there ! Perhaps he
knew he was the real claimant , and that
C. 'B. Reese's name was used merely as a
blind.
On the strength of this voucher , Aud
itor Benton , by his deputy , H. G. Bower-
man , drew warrant No. 52,952 , fac-simile
ofv which is herewith presented. He de
livered the warrant to M. B. Reese , as is
shown by the receipt at the bottom of
the voucher. Then M. B. Reesa. carried
the warrant to the treasurer's office and
was there paid 848 in cash. He endorsed
the warrant "C. B. Reese , pr. M. B.
Reese , " as the photographic reproduction
shows.
Nine other warrants , similar to this ,
but with different amounts , were drawn
in favor of C. B. Reese upon vouchers
made out and signed by M.B.Reese , and
M. B. Reese drew the money on every
one of them. Six warrants were drawn
in favor of H. A. Reese upon vouchers
made out and signed by M. B. Reese ,
and M. B. Reese drew the money upon
all but one of them only one is endorsed
in the handwriting of H. A. Reese , or ,
rather , all except one are endorsed in the
handwriting of M. B. Reese.
Does any sane man believe that C. B.
Reese , wife of Chief Justice Reese , ren
dered him an hour's clerical service ?
In view of all the surrounding circum
stances , isn't it more likely that he did
his own clerical work and pocketed the
money he drew on her warrants ?
H. A. Reese , son of Chief Justice
Reese , graduated from the State Univer
sity at Lincoln in 1891 , after completing
a four years' course. Do you believe he
had much time to render clerical assis
tance to his father ?
Isn't it very evident that Judge
originated the practice which haa
followed by all republican supreme
judges ever since having some relation
draw the appropriation for clerical assis
tance ?
That bad practice helped to defeat
Judge Post for re-election. It defeated
Judge Harrison for renomination. It
means the defeat , two years hence , of
Judge Norvak All of these judges
merely followed a precedent established
by Judge Reese , "the father of nepotism
in Nebraska."x Can he escape the punish
ment meted out to Post and Harrison ?
COPY OF "CERTIFICATE FROM
STATE AUDITOR.
State of Nebraska ,
I Coujity of Lancaster ,
. Office of Auditor of Public Accounts.
I , John F. Cornell , auditor of public
accounts for the State of Nebraska , do
hereby certify that the dates , names of
warrants , warrant numbers , and amounts
of the several vouchers given in the list
below , are true and correct , as the same
appear of record in my office :
A list of vouchers on file in my office , _
showing date of filing , name of claimant ,
serial number of warrant issued , and
amount of same :
March 31,1888 , H. A. Reese , warrant
No. 46670 , amount 832. * *
September 13,1888 , H. A. Reese , war
rant No. 48361 , amount 810.
January 4,1889 , H. A. Rease , warrant
No. 49421 , amount 828. '
April 9,1898 , H. A ; Reese , warrant No.
52031 amount 824.
MAY 31 , 1889 , C. B. REESE , WAR
RANT NO. 52952 , AMOUNT 848.
June 14 , 1889 , C. B. Reese , warrant
No. 53188 , amount 840.
June 29 , 1889 , H. A. Reese , warrant
No. 53312 , amount 848.
August 12,1889 , H. A. Reese , warrant
No. 54012 , amount 8132.
August 30,1889 , C. B. Reese , warrant I
No. 54156 , amount 864. I
September 15r1889 , C. B. Reese , war
rant No. 54384 , amount 836.
September 30 , 1889 , C. B. Reese , war
rant No. 54631 , amount $40.
October 18,1889 , C. B. Reese , warrant
No. 55155 , amount 864.
November 1,1889 , C. B.Reese , warrant
No. 55226 , amount 844.
November 27,1889 , C. B. Reese , war
rant No. 55 J54 , amount 840.
December 24,1889 , C. B. Reese , war
rant No. 56173 , amount 856.
January 9,1890 , C. B. Reese , warrant
No. 56427 , amount 840.
And I further certify that in none of
the above mentioned vouchers did either
H. A. Reese or C. B. Reese sign as claim
ants , but in each instance the same were
signed by M. B. Reese , who also in each
instance receipted forlhe state warrant
issued upon each of said vouchers.
Given under my hand and official "seal
this 26th day of October , A. D. 1899.
JOHN F. CORNELL ,
( SEAL. ) Auditor of Public Accounts.
( Stamp. ) Per C. C. Pool , Deputy.
READ THE OTHER SIDE
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