Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1856-03-08
A Large Defalcation.

l. W. H.. GAR Tor several years PasI
Treasurer of the city Of New Orleans, has
turned up d~efaulter to the city for amounts
variously estimated at from sl0o,O 900 to $780,
600. The N. N. Delta says:
Nothing could exceed the establishment .
the easy-going, believe-everythins ana DO
nothing portion of the citizens OF New Orleans
Yesterday morning, on reading the astounding
developments made on the previous hiSht IN
.be Common Council, Of the declarations OF
Mr. Garland-the gentleman who for the last
eight wears, has, in a financial point OF view,
cont rolled the destinies Of the city of New
i Orleans. At many a breakfast table the
]nnestion was fully discussed. and before
twelve o'clock many a street corner group
was engaged in specializing on the slnSularlty
Of the Treasurer;s conduct; and even the pull
nit we unde rstand, was not free from the eX-
rrit;ng tonic of the day. Many had the har-
dihood to say that they had long expected
such deveIopements, and among these many"
we recognized not a few Of the late Treas
urer's best friends. They had all along been
s,,rprised that a man should grow so rlch IN
short space of time on the paltry salary Of
three thousand five hundred dollars per annum'
That he should be able to spend SO much
money at election times; speculate SO extern
SlNelt IN iatluS anu Idiiload9 o"f
have the entire council at his beck and nod
start a savings bank; live a life Of luxury;
etc, etc. =,
they were really astonished at this and
vet there was, in every group, many an ui-
relieving Thomas. How could such a fine
snoken gentleman as Mr.. Garland DO this :
The very thought of it was monstIous; they
would not believe until they had seen more
They had read the newspapers in New VI
leans during the last twelve months; thev
had seen in them repeated warnings to be-
ware of the Treasury department. they mad
read and We're perfectly familiar with tne'ac-
ton OF. the Council in regard to the trust
Funds, aud knew that an order OF the Court
had been found necessary to force HIM to sur
render a portion of these sacred funds 10 the
Citizens Bank. Yet they believed that ali
was right; that the Treasurer. so lar as In
tagyity was concerned, was sans feprcche.
But we cannot complain OF the blindness
mr. obtuseness of these unsuspectlug citizens,
when we remember that the Common Coul-
Gil. Finance Committee and all, were success
fully hood winked and failed to act Tor the
protection of the city's interest, until the a.
legged defaulting Treasurer had an opPortun'-
ty to make good his escape, which, we are
credibly informed, he did at 9 O'Clock on
Saturday night, on board his own schooner
the Elizabeth lane. while in secret session. the
Common Council was deliberattng the pro-
priety OF having him arrested-and choosing
a successor from their own delec;abie body TO
take charge of the small remains oil the
treasury. ,
Col. Garland's detalcations we understand
from good authority, will not tall short OF
$50. 0u0-but ii is thought by many that the
city has suffered during his administration
T. ii ..N,t,tatr and IanSlafIEpIE "
to the extent of at least 81 900 900 Tor God
i, only knows, though the people have a pretty
good idea. what has occurred in that Treas
uurer's office during the last eight years, that
has never and perhaps never will transpire.
1t is said that soon after the books and pa
pers were taken possession of ~ the Finance
committee on Saturday, and the office closed.
Col. Garland made nasty preparations to leave
for p,rts unknown; and to this end had the
fast sailing schooner Elizabeth Jane, OF which
craft he is owner, htted up in hot haste and
: cleared at the Custom-house, for Sabine IN
; Texas. or Arkansas pass. In the evening.
while with closed doors the Council was dis
cussing the propriety OF lmpeachlns the
great inancier, accompanied by asillSie lrleia
and ms Well packed trunk. the Col: repaired
on board the schooner. and at ten oclecK the
; Elizabeth Jane weighed anchor. and, attached
u Il wv UOdt. III oo"h
with her precious cargo, the deiaultpg Treas
urer Of New Orleans.
In the morning, when this fact was made
, known, the officers of the police repaired to
the Balize telegraph station, in order to tel
egraph the officers at Southwest Pass but
the Col. had not worked the wires Tor so
, glany years to no purpose, and the ponce were
met with the response. the wires are down!'
Of course they were-the police might have
known it. In this dilemma, recourse was
had to the Common Council and that body at
once placed the means at the disposal OF the
, Chief of Police to charter a steamboat to go
in pursuit ofthe lusacious Treasurer; but we
l fear to no purpose, for by ten O'Clock yester-
, da ymornins the Elizabeth Jane was out to
l sea. and with a fair breeze, far on her way to
parts unknown, or a market. She is a fast
sailing craft, and we DEFY even the Grape
shot, George Laws grea. yacht, to overtake
her, We're it possible to send that redoubtable
vessel in persuit.
: Thus stands at present the excitement. We
, expect a terrific run of poor laborers, washer
! women and servant girls on the Louisiana
7 Savings Bank this morning, and shall have a
u 'chiel there to take notes"
= The afternoon edition of the same paper
announced his capture and confinement in the
Parish Jail:
Col. William H. Garland, the defaultins
Treasurer. who fled from the city, per schoon.
er Jane Elizabeth, on Saturday night last,
has been arrested, and is now in the parish
prison, awaiting the action of the authorities
in his case.
1t appears that the telegraph wires Were
: not. as supposed, cut: but the line does not
work on Sunday. Capt. Moynan made every
effort to get a despatch through, and finally
at 7 o'clock last night, succeeded in finding
an operator. The fact of Mr.. Garland's fight