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James William “Honest Dick” Tate

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James William “Honest Dick” Tate

Birth
Franklin County, Kentucky, USA
Death
unknown
Burial
Burial Details Unknown. Specifically: Disappeared Add to Map
Memorial ID
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Kentucky politician, fugitive. A Democrat, he was Assistant Secretary of State of Kentucky from 1854-1855 and again from 1859-1863, Assistant Clerk of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1865-1867 and Kentucky State Treasurer from 1867-1888. He married Lucy Hawkins on June 3, 1856 with whom he had a son, Howard, who died at age three, and daughter, Edmonia. Tate disappeared after having taken about $100,000 worth of gold and silver coins with him on a train to Louisville on March 14, 1888. From Louisville, he boarded a train to Cincinnati and was never seen again, leaving his family behind. It was later discovered that in his twenty-one years as state treasurer, Tate misappropriated $247,128.50 from the treasury. He was indicted for theft and embezzlement and impeached by the state legislature. His daughter received four letters from him between April to December of 1888 with postmarks from British Columbia, San Francisco, Japan and China. Another letter was sent to a friend of Tate's in 1890 with a postmark from Brazil.
Kentucky politician, fugitive. A Democrat, he was Assistant Secretary of State of Kentucky from 1854-1855 and again from 1859-1863, Assistant Clerk of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1865-1867 and Kentucky State Treasurer from 1867-1888. He married Lucy Hawkins on June 3, 1856 with whom he had a son, Howard, who died at age three, and daughter, Edmonia. Tate disappeared after having taken about $100,000 worth of gold and silver coins with him on a train to Louisville on March 14, 1888. From Louisville, he boarded a train to Cincinnati and was never seen again, leaving his family behind. It was later discovered that in his twenty-one years as state treasurer, Tate misappropriated $247,128.50 from the treasury. He was indicted for theft and embezzlement and impeached by the state legislature. His daughter received four letters from him between April to December of 1888 with postmarks from British Columbia, San Francisco, Japan and China. Another letter was sent to a friend of Tate's in 1890 with a postmark from Brazil.

Bio by: The Mystery Man



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