Lower v. Board of County Commissioners
Lower v. Board of County Commissioners
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
This was an action by the board of county commissioners of the county of Morris against Frank L. Lower, as county treasurer, and the sureties on his official bond, for the recovery of public money alleged to have been received by Lower and for which he had not accounted. Briefly stated, the facts involved are that the board of county commissioners of Morris county appropriated $200 to aid in making a Kansas exhibit at the World’s Fair held in Chicago in 1893. The legislature having failed to appropriate money for an exhibit, an organization of citizens was effected to procure money by individual, corporate and municipal subscriptions for that purpose. Samuel T. Howe was the treasurer of that organization, and on January 19, 1892, the Morris county subscription was made on the order of the county board drawn on the general fund in favor of Howe as treasurer of the state World’s Fair committee. W. F. Shamleffer, who had interested himself in the exhibit and the subscriptions of Morris county, obtained and transmitted the money to Howe, who receipted for the same to Frank L. Lower as county treasurer. Later, and in 1893, the legislature of Kansas made an appropriation for a Kansas exhibit at the World’s Fair, as well as to reimburse parties, corporations and counties that had
“The State of Kansas, ToW. F. Shamleffer, Treas., Dr. March 2, 1894, For amount subscribed by citizens of Morris county to the World’s Fair, 1893,.................$200 00
“State oe Kansas, Shawnee County, ss.
“ I do solemnly swear that the above bill is just, correct, and remains due and unpaid; that the amount claimed therein is actually due according to law.
(Signed) W. F. Shamleeeer.”
“Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 2d day of March, a. d. 1894. A. P. Shreve, Notary Public.”
The voucher so made was audited and allowed, and a warrant based thereon was issued upon the state treasurer, who paid the money to Shamleffer. The amount so drawn has never been paid to Lower, either as county treasurer or otherwise, and it has never been covered into the treasury of Morris county, but has been retained and used by Shamleffer for his own individual purposes, he claiming that he had a right to the same, on the ground that Morris county owed him for services rendered over twenty years before.
Neither the county treasurer nor the sureties on his
The judgment of the court of appeals will be reversed and the judgment of the district court will be affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Frank L. Lower v. The Board of County Commissioners of the County of Morris
- Status
- Published