, 1860-05-17
Extensive Post Office Defalcattou,
OVER sl55,000 MISSING.

Post1n aster Fowler q Fugitive.
OVER sl55,oO0 MISSING.
From the NJ Y. Tribune, 1s.h,l
NEWCOMERS were assonished yesterday to
learn that Mr. Isaac 7. Fowler, this haudsome
bachelor Postmaster of this city, had been found
to be- heavy detaulses to the Federal Govern
ment. Such, however was the fact; and to
those acquainted with his habits. the only won
der WIZ that the crash did not come earlier
Mr.. Fowler was jovial, genial, hearty fellow,
fond Of place, power and patronage For many
years be 1ired entirely beyond his means, and
his best friends saw that he was all the while
digging pit into which be would in the end
assusedly fall.
Since Saturday last Marshal Rynders has been
in search Of Mr.. Fowler hut without, success
All that is known Of him is, that on Sunday
morning, at 2 O'Clock, he hastily LETT the New
York Hotel. where for many years be had re-
sided, and taking with him few necessary as-
sicles Of clothing, went, no one knows whittier.
Tho Treasury Department claim recently to
his accounts; but, if the truth were known, It
would be found not emily that this deficiency has
been Of long standing, but that it has been
known to the present administration from the
outset. According to lumor, Ar. forler en-
tered upon hi2 duties Of Postmaster under ten:
geperosi which led him to squauder hisprs1ate
fortune on political associates. That debt be
is said 10 hare 'lquidated from the Post. ohce
funds, borrowing, meanwhie, right and lett, to
make good the deficiency thus created.
Through the assistance Of friends In aud ONT
of Tammany Hail, he Was enabled to carry this
debt for years; but his e1travagaot habits aud
liberal entertainment Of brother politicians from
all sections Of the country, to whom he extend
ed the most generous hospitality. daily aug
mepted the heavy burden under which he stag
e.red Iu 1856, when it became necessary TO
carry Pennsylvania for Mr: Buchanan; he e'a6oT.
cd assiduously rs member o. me Sem mon ,ohs ohs
funds Of his department to aid IN his election.
inv much be involved himself in this way is
known only to himeelf aud tho "gray haired
old functiunary" ut Washington; but from
what we eau learn it Was q very large SUM.
We believe that this fact was known to Mr. J.
B. at the time, and it was for this reason that he
was reappo,nted Postmaster. There wss, We
think, . decided opposition to his confirmation
by the Senate; and be was not carried through
uptil Mr. Buchauan had exhausted a bis en-
dearors in his behalf. and his personal friends
in This city had lent him fuuds enough to cook
his accounts up 70 that they would pass muster.
Knowing az be did how Ar Fowler stood, end
why he had become thus embarrassed. Mr. Blu
chAuau could not we'll then do otherwise than
zesppoint him, and labor for his confirmation
II lie had not done so, the crash must hare
come at TINT time, md BIT. FoW}er's downfall
would have fastened stigma upon the ne"
Administration.
From that time to this, Mr.. Fowler has been
leading lille Of misery. Conscious thai be waa
heavily behind in his cash accounts, his utmost
endeavors have been directed toward making q
fair quarterly balance shess- He is said to haTc
managed TO do SO by borrowing, here and there,
Of his friends. of,entimes at most usur,ous IN
rF FT11rr fnY n HQY&
be repaid from the income Of the Postofice'
Hisexpenditures at Charleston were be ". lie
cast everything upou the hazard of the die, and
bis fayorite, Douglas, failed. OF course, ho foil
| into disgrace with the Administration, who
huye long known his desperate situa'ion, and
be found that. in falling from grace. be bad ios'
| the mean- Of making good his deficiencies
| Like the rats who desert the sinking ship, the
| money.1enders SAW that he was on the wane
and when he besonght them for The accustomed
usurious accommodation, they we're short
| Hence be WAS unable to meet his liabilities
| This is one story
| Ano,hpr story we have heard: In the e1ec
ton Of 1856, Mi. Fowler drew largely upon tha
Postofiice fund to favor the success Of Mr. Ru
! chanau When the latter assumed Office
| meAus were found to cloak over the New Yorl
Postofdce deficiency, in view Of the use to which
the money had been put. But when, in th'
course Of time, Mr. Bncnanan found that Mt
t
| through all time for the interest Of J. D.. 10
| let their preferences for Douglas crop out las
summer, vague hints were thrown out at Wash
incton that there WAS trouble in the New i or]
Postotfice that Mr. Fowler was a heavy de
faulter, and that something awful was going +
happen: ppsn: rnnors ,zs ,s,ra anti. fr.on.nt,v
year ago, from numerous sources. Later, jus
befor7 the Charleston Convention, these storie
we're again noised abroad; hut by pruden
management the ghost Was laid.
Mr.. Fowler and his friends, however, heed
less of the danger and the warnings, rent t
Charleston aud voted for hr. Douslas. Thence
Douglas host, and We have the first instalimep
of bis vengeance IN the disgrace OF the Pos
master. Friends went to Washington last wee
to avert the blow; but the vindicti-e old ger
t1eman at the head OF public affairs would ue
withhold the STROKE one moment longer. Ger
gustus Schell and Isaiah Sanders expect to 10
low suit. How the former takes it we kno
not, but the latter has received such a liber.
allowance OF kicks and so acanty contributio
Of coppers, that be is perfectly resigned to hl
fate, whatever it may be.
As we before remarked, the knowledge
Mr. Fowler's shortcomings has beyond doul
long been in possession Of the treasury depar
nent, aud the most plausible reason for his e;
posure at this time il furnished BY bis court
at Charleston. The Convention adjourned q
| the Sd inst. aud steps we're immediately inst
tuted agaiust him by the Administration. II
warrant is dated Nay 1tth. snd is issued BY Il
treasury department at Washington, under II
act Of 1890. There are no affidavits in the cas-
| But the warrant, which is q long and form
dable document, containA bill Of items Of Il
! several amou.ta which 3ir. Fowler from lin
to time appropriated. and from very cursol
| glance it was evident that the deficiency co
I Inr fha napa
ment 10 have remained ignorant Of it to th
date.
some Of those who know Mr, Fowler we
and who hare lent him money free Of intere.
tell us that such has been his distress of mil
for Years past that they would not have be-
surprised in the least to bare heard thnt he b
committed suicide or ded the country. Most
his friends assert that the bulk OF tho 1nnn
Was spent to forward Mr. Buchanan's electio
| Some Of them think he owes it to h'mself q
to the public to come out and make Gle
breast Of the whole affair. If he should do
it is the general opinion that J. 3. will sui
Tbs law Applicable to this case, and Viii
| describes the felony, is contained in The Unit
: ! States statutes At large, vol. ix, p. G3, "An
"to provide for tho collection, safe keepi,
/ TRANSFER, and disbursement Of the public II
, "enne," which states that if any "of those cs
| "nected with the Post Office Department sh
IL
+ ''or shall by use, By way Of Investment in Il
t "knd Of property Or merchandise, or shall 10,
"with or without interest, or shall deposit
"auy bank, or shall exchange for other fun,
"except as allowed by this act. sny rortion
=. | ",he public money intfusted to him for s
: "keeping. disbursement. transfer, or for a
4 "otter purpose, every such act shall be deem
"and adjudged 10 an embezzlcuaent of so mu
80. the said moneys as shall be thus taken, Ct
r "yerted, invested, used, loaned, deposited,
+. "e1changed, which is hereby declared to bt
5 "felony aud any failure to pay over or to p
J "duee the public moneys intrusted to such p
icon, shall be held aud taken to be primA ia
=. "eyidence Of such embezzlement."
2 The snpposition is that Mr. Fowler has
u the city. and perhaps the country, but we
Of the opinion that he is still in New Yo
). His bondsmen. George Law and Gustavus
's Conover, are responsible for less than one.t
= Of the amount for which he is alleged to hs
= defaulted, yiz., t75, 900.
l. Judge Hil1rer. Solicitor to the Treasury
i partmcnt, is in town. with United States q
trict Attorney Roosevelt. preparing the nee
E sary papers 10 recover the deficiency from
:, bondsmen and the estate Of Mr. Fowler. H
u much the latter will yield we cannot learn,
- whole of his patrimony in politics. Mr. Fon
- owes his love for politicts to bis father, who
'e President Of the Highland Bank At Newbur
- and noted politician in his day
10 The announcement Of tlis affair has creu
the greAtest excitement In town, forming
~ subject Of conversation in all circles. Most
- the Douglas men denouuce the action Of the
= u.ini,tration az further attempt to coerce
~ York into rejecting the little Squattcr S
eteiRu.
wnAT Is SAID ABOUT IT.
:" Of course the defatcation tuonopolized pull
attention, and almost every other current 70
Was forgotten or neglected The general t
| nf rnnyerAztipn wA3 full of 6ylnnathY for