The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-09-30
ror III. Ameerealnu.

$3.50 For the American, N,
There b an, animal Of the hnny tribe denomi
mated . 0ugzs yIm, which, when pursued, emit
the surrounding waters, and oftentimes escape
pursuit.
Sopsssl Yorks AsLss adopts IKE mode to es
cape from the lnfamy in which recent transac
tion seems Hkely to place him.
Whether or not the writer of this has ever fel
tpgjs from any "nsisconstrpcti0n of his &C
tions the simple fact that such "misconstruction
hsd been at once "rsctifsd," renders the parable
sought 70 DO drawn by this cutie fish homo, alto
gether inappropriate. But even had il been other
wise, and had that "misconstruction of the
writer's actions never been "rectiEsd,n 1t would
puzzle the most astute man In this community te
discover any reason; In anothers misconduct, fol
the preparation by Samuel YoYks AtLee, of the
act which he confessedly committed
There is but one solution Of his impertinent and
unavailing alusion to the fact that the actions Of
the writer OF this had been once subject to a
msseonstraction which had been subsequently,
"rectifed land that solution is, that he knew Of
no defence to offer for his own violation of law
and justice, except to say that others had been
cenaaredi This ID cSttls fish logic and cutie fish
/ defencei
In the communication made by this Samuel
! lorke AtLss to the Evening Star, of Saturday
last, he has published scarcely word of truth In
relation TO myself--he has stated several false,
hoods He says, In abiding to the draft which he
had Illegally negotiated, that he sees IN my letter
TO the Ansvicdn (of wednesday LAST that said
draft has been, by order of the Board protested,
precise words
The whole Of this quotation from Samuel Yorke
AtLess communication is false in form, in sub
stance, and In idea neither said nor intimated
that the draft had been, either by order of the
board, or otherwise, protested; not did say or
intimate that it would be sued These statements
OF Samuel Yorke AtLee are lies. The Monument
Board has given no directions and made no inti-
nations as to any protest any sat that draft.
Payment of the draft was stopped in New York, by
the directions Of the Treasurer of the Washington
National Monument Society, and the draft was re-
| turned by the Bank Of America, New York, to
the Bank Of Washington, d. c., where it now re-
mains, UNLESS Samuel YorEe AtLee has refunded
the money to the Bank Of Washington, which he
Illegally obtained therefrom upon said draft, by
representing himself to be what he was not) the
agent Of the Monument Board.
If Samuel Yorke AtLee has not refunded the
money to the Bank Of Washington, which he thus
Illegally obtained therefrom and taken back the
draft, it Is matter between himself and the Bank
and It is Of no concern to the Monument Board
iohether the Bank Of Washington sues Samuel
Yorke Lee-pYosecittes him for obtaining money
upon false pretences, on let's the matter pass in
silence. II would not DO difficult to decide what
course public justice demands at the hands of the
Bank OF Washington, but it is not true, as Samuel
Yorke Alice states, that have said, or intimated
one word about q protest, a suit" Tor pros
ecution,) nor have any knowledge Of the pur-
poses of the Bank Of Washington in relation
thereto.
But SGmael Yorke AtLse asks, in his commu-
nication to the Star, what else he ought to haus
done with the draft, when it was payable TO him.
self as "agent" than to have negotiated 1t and put
the money in bis own pockets Any honest man
can furnish him an answer. he should have
handed the DRAFT, with the letter containing it, to
the Monument Board for whom it was intended,
and to whom it belonged. Suppose Samuel Yorks
AtLee prepounds this enquiry to james Adams,
Esq, Cashier Of the Bank Of Washington, from
whom he improperly obtained the money on that
draft, to-wit:
IF you, Mr.. Cashier Adams had resigned your
position on the S0th day of May last, and had
received, on the, Goth day of August, a letter
addressed to you as Cashier containing draft
payable TO you as Cashier would you not have
considered yourself authorized to negotiate that
draft as Cashier, and to put the proceeds in your
o~'e Poc"es, anu more especiauy your accounts
we're unsettled, and you could assume as a pretert
for doing 30 that the bank was in your debt9"
Mr.. Adams may be too peaceable man to
knock dorn an insulting scamp who would pro.
pound such question to him, but apprehend
the spirit could naope him to slap his ;apsl
Before Samuel Yorke AtLee resigned his posi-
ton in the Monument Board, and at meeting of
the Board when he was present, an order or reso-
luton was adopted, declaring that in future all
moneys should be received by the Treasurer, and
Samuel Yorke AtLee was thus officially informed
that ne must receive no more money for the
Board. This draft, therefore, should have been
passed over to General McCalla, as Treasurer and
his obvious course would have been to return il
to the drawer of 1t, with a copy of the order of
the Board, and with Q request that said draft be
cancelled and another issued to himself as the
treasurer Of the society.
But Samuel Yorke AtLee says that did not
answer his note, endorsed on the letter which
had contained the dralt,) "and he supposed of
of the Boardl" Can IL be true that be entertained
any such idea, In view of the resolution of the
Board depriying him Of the po,cer to receive the
funds of the society," Nonsense. 1t Is utterly
untrue; he had no such idea. Nor was IL nv
duty TO answer any such note. ] passed il over
TO the treasurer, pho only was authorized to
receive funds for the Board II was submitted to
the Board at its next meeting, and the resolutions
Of the Board dated September IA, as published
| in the Intelligencer and in the American, show
very plainly the opinion of the Board of the con-
duct Of Sa0auel Yorke AtL,ee in that transaction
The Board warned the public not to send any
more drafts or funds to Samuel Yorke AtLee
which were designed for the Monument Boardl
But Samuel Yorke AtLee also says: "Mr.
Ellis, in his late letter to the American, denies
that any balance Is due me" (him) This is
another falsehood, as will be manifest on perusing
1 my letter. / said that knew nothing of the
state Of his accounts; "that he claimed balance
which the Board did not admit There oas q
balance reported due Samuel Yorke AtLee on the
s1st Of December last, bat he was in the receipt
of moneys contributed at the Patent Office, at the
Monument structure, and received from other
sources for some time afterwards, down 10 the
passage ofthe order deprivng him of such autho
rity, and his accounts we're unsettled at the time
of his resignation. he has accounted for nc
moneys received since December 81, 1856.
He had declared in my hearing that he would
not submit his accounts to the committee on &C
counts, ? because Of the supposed hostility Of i'd
chairman 70 himself-and yet he did not ask for
special committee, which would have been resdil.
granted himi
i ] repeat, that bis accounts remain uad;usted