Chicagoland Blues

Democratic Cook County Treasurer Herbert C. Paschen, 51, last fall hired Banker Edmund Burke to investigate and correct the "horse-and-buggy" accounting system used in his Chicago office. He had considerable reason: press charges of a kickback "welfare fund" (which Paschen denied collecting) had just forced Paschen from the governor's race (TIME, Sept. 10). Another kick would be likely to finish him politically.

Last week Paschen announced that his worst fears had been confirmed. According to Banker Burke's report, a resounding $444,000 was missing from the county treasury, and, added Republican State's Attorney Benjamin Adamowski, the total might hit "millions" before the investigation ended. The boodling had followed Illinois tradition; e.g., court stenographers got paid $275 for 30 minutes' work (regular fee: $5 an hour); fat checks were made out to people who never existed, were duly endorsed and cashed --by whom?

As a county grand jury began hearings on the case and U.S. Attorney Robert Tieken checked up on possible income tax evasions, blase Chicagoans and their newspapers quickly lost interest. In the major leagues of Illinois and Cook County scandal. $444,000 is a minor-league steal. But Treasurer Paschen, firing two suspects with more to go. sighed like a man just missed by lightning: "I'm deeply shocked that such a thing could have gone on in the office. I knew nothing of it, of course."

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