The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1860-06-21
Post Master FowIer's Deraication.

In reply to a resolution OF the House. Post
master General Holt has addressed letter to
the Speaker, detailing the facts and crcumston-
ces pertaining TO the defAlcaton Of Isaac v,
Fowler.
From statements submitted, II would seem
that the department. using the phrase in an Of
heal sense. was not aware Of the defalcation
until the 10Th OF May. 1860. The accounts Of
the New York Post Office having been audited
aud balanced to the 3lst of December, 1862
The first quarter OF the present year had not
been adjusted for want OF the account current,
| This settlement has been postponed in conse-
quence OF the sbsence Of Mr.. Fowler or from
some other unexplained cause, and on the afore-
said lst of May the nrst Assistant Postmaster
General placed in Mr.. Hollis hands two conf
Dental letters from Mr.. Fowler,in which tho
1etalcation was confessed IN general terms and
an earnest appeal made to forbear proceedings
against him until he could make up the deficit
through his friends aud the sale of personal
property. On the previ, US day the account
current had been received by the Audtor--
Means were immediately tskrn Tor FOwlers ar-
rest, and the inability Of Marshal Rynders to
execute the warrant 10 explained by the active
sympathy manifested for Fowler by his numer-
uu' friends in New York. The Postmaster Gen
eral severely condemns this sympathy, and in
view OF an indictment being found by the Grand
Jury aud the apprehension OF the offender threat
statute.
The Au litors Report appended to Mr.. Holt's
letter, shows that IN De emhpr Slst, 1858 Fow-
l.r owed balance OF Is, ,9S5 10. At this point
the embeIz'emrnt had i's origin. Tho follow
ing quarter increased the deficit to Sl7, ,637 80;
aud 1t continued regularly increasing every quar-
ter saving the list OF 1886 and the first two Of
1897. untl the final exposure. On the 30th of
June, 1857 it had reached S23 0206S This
ed n gn1C MI IL thp nf
August, 1853, which, with the credits for clerk
hire, &c, balanced the account aud lett Sl,-
800 IL cents to Mr.. Fowlers credit. This set
ement however, wns found to be deceptive.
inasmuch us in consequence Of this special de-
posit having been made, the weekly one OF the
current revenues, due on the day that the de-
posit was made, Sth OF August was omitted;so
that in fact deficit equal to nearly Il weeks
receipts remained The defalcation now made
rapid progress, the following quarter S4000793
were added to It. At tho close Of September.
1888 it was S75,S99 90 In November OF that
year The books were balanced, but the adjust
ment, like the previous one, Nlso proved
delusive The adjustment was made by ap-
plying the deposits or the revenues already re-
crived for the quarter ending December 3lst,
1893, to extingush the pre.exis ing liability
Not dollar was paid, but merely transfer of
tho indebtedness from one quarter 10 another
When Mr.. Holt came into the office in March,
1899, the deficit did not fall short Of $50 900.
At the close OF that month it rose to &93. $685.
9S II continued to increase until its msgni-
tude became 30 great at the end OF the first
quarter OF this year that il il could not be con-
cealed for more than few months longer. Had
the settlement, however. not been insisted on
in May, the revenues might have been used to
meet the Liabilities, and the denoument Of tho
drama postponed for another three months
The defalcation, up to March 3lst, 1860 amount
cd to $l55,554 IL Fowers cashier alleges the
whole deficit TO be about Sl70, 500.
In reply to the natural question, how could the
embszslement have existed SO long?-the Post
muster General says that the existence and pro-
grsss of the frauds must be sought for in the
failure OF the Sixth Auditor to report the con-
stantly recurring de inquences of Mr.. Fowler TO
the Postmaster General. To his, the Sixth Au-
diters hands are entrusted the administration
OF the highest interests Of the p. o. Department,
and yet he belongs to another department OF the
government, and Is actually and absolutely un-
dsr the control OF the Secretary of the Treasu-
ry The act Of July 2d, 1885, providing for the
esta blishment Of such an officrr says: He shalt
promptly report 10 the Postmaster General all
delinquences of Pos stprs in paying over the
proceeds Of their Offices; he sha close the ac-
COUNTS OF the department quarterly, and trans
init to the Sc 'retary of the Treasury quarterly
statements Of It's receipts and expentures"-
The blame. therefore, falls on the Sixth Audi
tor. who will, of course, put it on some ona
else.