Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1839-05-08

". n. Circais Court.

.xsained by the District Attorney Know ina.
careful search has been made IN .ne pun. ~ Sw u
Washiuyton for the two receipts spoken Oh oy
RATES and which are also mentioned In the dePosi
tisp OF r. johnson. l can explain how THESE paPea
to be DESTROYED wns wt o draw of alb
tract. Of The Postmasters accounts into books, anu
ths original were filed by the collecting clerk. VOW
ithappened that the clerk VINO haa thc
hooks were almost universally saved, ana .ne nIe
spread with great rapidity and destrJyeI Al ,sa; r
third story. 1t was there that me GERS a,.
Offices who took charge Of the Postmaster saccosnts
Mr. Hall-Where did the fire originate'
Wtness.-In the centre OF the puliding. -.
Here some discussion arose as 10 .ne ,ssoy -o W
Rarnabas Rates to the government for the S95O0
aid nv him 10 be paid to the defendant, which
was cut short by the court 80,
The District Attorney said, that he should now
advance 10 the claims-cass No 3. In the accounts
~ the 90 We rnmen for the year 1854, Mr. Governeur
is charged with draft for $4,000 on the Manhattan
Bank. pay able to Barnabas Bates, and received by
the defendant for the OF the Department, but ne
yer credited in his accounts.
Rarnabas Bates re-caled-Thc paper hold in my
hand is a draft drawn by o. p. Brown, for $4,000
in my favor, No. 22ll. l know the hand writing,
and know that he was at that time treasurer Of the
Department. 1t is endorsed by me, and 1t passed
from nv hands but ! am unable to say distinctly
whether l passed il to Mr.. Gouverneur or not. 1t
is long time ago. do not know that the defendant
claimed and received credit for the proceeds OF that
cheque, as part of the proceeds OF his Office re-
ceived the draft for the of the Department; but
l am unable say for what particular appropriation.
District Attorney-He IS your witness, gentle
men.
Mr.. Hall-We have nothing TO ask you Mr.. Bates.
PIG. Washington re called am acquainted with
the particulars of the account current between the
defendant and the Government i have seen the
draft spoken Of by the last witness lie is credited
for the amount and il is counteryang entry In the
account.
Mr.. Halfway it please the Court, they need not
examine a witness to prove that $4,000 put on one
side of an account and Sl0,OOo on the other side,
would not alter the balance.
Judge Betts-Perhaps not; and yet II is not the
less a matter Of fact.
say that this identical s 900 paid to Mr.. Ham
iltou two years before Mr. Washington came into
Office, why, have no objection.
Judge Betts-Well, go on, and don't let us waste
time.
Mr. Hall, 10 witness-Tow do you know that the
cheque was used for the purpose mentioned in the
credit side Of this account
Witness-I know nothing Of the matter of my own
knowledge
Mr. hall here handed cheque to the witness,
and asked him to look at it, and say what was the
date of III
Witness-It is dated ed alst OF January, 1884
Mr.. Hall-Ihen' SIR. can yog On esrlain how the
month and day before the date II bears!
WitRess-Not from my own knowledge
Mr.. Hall-Now, Sir, do you know this to be fact
which we find stated IN this account to wit, that
number of cheques were drawn payable to Barnabas
Bates, but delivered over 10 Mr. Gouv for
certain other purposes connected with the Depart
menti
Witncss-I do not Sir, Of my own knowledge.
District Attorney-Can you explain these disere-
pancies To the Court!
Witness-The department Is required by law to
keep quarterly accounts, and the accounts must be
uniform for the whole country. IL, for instance, a
transaction took place at Baltimore the two last days
in June, il might reach the department in time for
the quarterly accounts; but II II was at New Or
leans New York, II might not reach and be enter
ed for some time afterwards. The same with respect
TO accounts TO be charged TO distant postmasters As
remittances.
Mr. Halls il the practice 10 charge man with
cheQue month before YOU send il HIM!
Wtness-No, but should suppose il might be- f
il appertained the accounts OF the second quarter
Mr.. Hall-Was not this same cheque paid TO Rec
sidel
witness-Yes, and afterwards credited to him.
Mr.. Hall-Was il on the same day it debited
TO Convenient
Witness believe il was.
Mr.. Halls that the practice OF the department.
witncss-I cannot tell.
j. Suffer recalled by the District Attorney-The
book hold in my hand belonged to the department
in the year 1884. liz Is the marginal cheque book
+. +. Browne was at that time clerk there; il
part Of his duy to fill up cheques and TO enter them
m this book.
Mr. Hall-where is +. r. Browne7
Witness-He was in Washington the last time
saw him.
Mr.. Hall-Look at that cheqac, sir
Witncss-It bears an indorsc cement which indicates
the purpose for which Il was 10 be applied, by the
word transportation"
James A. Hanilton-I am not engaged as counsel
July, 1894 the Post Office Department was indebted
20 me for advances made to them. That money,
when lent was paid over to MIR. Gouverneur. On
the 18th Of March, 1884, handed 10 Mr.. Gouyer-
neur the Of So, i32 10. now hold his receipt
for the same in my hands.
THE receipt then PIT in and read-it set forth
that the monies had been raised by MIR. III for the
Of the post Office.
The loan TO be repaid n different periods
some at 60 days, some al ! months. The first repay
mcnt amosnt of SIo,VJ0 IN two drafts,
the Manhattan Bank and the other on the Common
wealth Bank Of Boston; they came To through
Mr. Barnabss Bates. next received bills amount
ing 10 $40 0O0 payable 20 the cashier of the Manhat
Bank and them for cole elton, but instead 81
putting them To my credit they passed them e. the
credit of the department, and set off the amount OF
monies owing to them. Al the time got Rec
sides order for $4,000 In consequence of this in
advertence, the cashier at Washington wrote an or
der on X. White, TO pay the amount 81 the
three bills 60 the order of II. Bates. This was On
the 23d ofJuly. but IL did obtain the mosey; the
post Office knew that these monies were necessary
TO to meet certain gagcmcntsI had entered into
for them. l recollect that did not get the money
from the Manhattan Bank, but that did get IL from
some other source subsequently,. About the LIST ii
August, did get $1,000 from the Manhattan Bank.
through MIR. Bates. The first letter that have on
the subject &c the loan - from Mr. Barry, dated 18th
81 March 1884, and pre- vious to that had written
ietter 70 Nun, enclosing to the President, offering
20 raise money forthe Post Office Department. did
TINS from motives IL personal regard to Mr. Barry,
having heard that the Department was in an embar.
rassed state In Consequence, ATr Reeside ca me TO
new ork 10 see me on the usiness, bringing with