Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 January 1890 — CLEVELAND, O., ROBBED, [ARTICLE]

CLEVELAND, O., ROBBED,

Thiaa MUfioa DoltM Paid 6at Without! the Approval of tho-Gewncil. A Cleveland, 0., morning paper pub-' Habefi, Tuesday, a statement by an expert, bookkeeper, showing irregularities in the •id accounts of the city of Cleveland aggregating about $3,000,000. Nearly all of this money was paid out by the city with-, out the approval of the Council, although the laws of the State of Ohio distinctly require that every claim be included in the regular claims ordinance. The publics tion creates a great sensation. Nearly c year ago the Gity Council authorized the' Board of Revision to examine the books relating to the city’s financial history. It was necessary in the prosecution of the work to look over the books in the Cityj Treasurer’s office, sttid the disclosures' made were startling in the extreme. These were hinted at in the report of the experts to the Board of Revision. When thelat-i ter made their report to the Board of Councilmen, however, slight if anyreference was made to. them. The experts signed the report to the Board of Council men under protest, and only after it had 1 been represented to them that these irregularities had been investigated before. Monday night Julius Lembeck, one of 1 the experts, sent the Council a communL-' cation asking that his name be stricken 1 from the record, saying that he had been! induced to sign the same by misrepresen- ’ tactions; that the former investigation was 1 not complete; that glaring irregularities had occurred, and that if given access to the books again he would make full exposure free of cost to the city. Mr. Lembeck’s communication was referred back to him with the insinuation attached to it that the matter had better be allowed to rest. After the Counci 1 adjourned ex-Pres dent Lembeck gave the press a complete statement of the irregularities occuring ' during the period named. It showed that $3,000,000 had been paid out without the; approval of the Council and in a most peculiar manner. The entries upon the 1 books were all made in a misleading and uncertain way. The most startling feature' of the report, however, is a table showing! that $1,000;000 or $2,000,000 were paid out and asserted to have been paid out without vny entry in any book to show to whom the money was paid or for what purpos&j 1 public meeting will probably be called! to take action if the Council ignores the ! startling disclosures contained in the re-' port.