The Great Kansas Bond Scandal

Lawrence, KS : University Press of Kansas, 1984 University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS. 1984. Softcover/Trade Wraps. Stated First Paperback Edition. Book is tight, square, and unmarked. Book Condition: Fine. No DJ. Printed card stock wraps. Wraps are not bent or folded; spine is not creased or split; text is secure in binding. 392 pp 8vo. At the nadir of the Great Depression, in the summer of 1933, a million and a quarter in forged bonds and warrants were discovered in the state treasury and in bond brokerage houses. Before the affair was over, martial law was declared in the statehouse; four criminal convictions were effected—including the three longest sentences in the state's penal history; two state officers were impeached; six federal indictments were handed down, including one against the president of one of the Midwest's leading banks; a record number of civil suits jammed the courts; three banks closed permanently; a major Chicago brokerage firm went bankrupt; and one of the principals in the incident committed suicide. Political alliances had re-formed and regrouped, particularly in the progressive faction of the Republican Party. The honor, pride, and image of the state had been seriously, though not permanently, damaged. A clean pristine copy.