The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1861-03-02
THE GREAT ROBBERY.

utterly corrup; and reckless IN one Of II.
mos, irnp5r,an, subordinate.,-thers can be
bu, Isltle wonder that all public virtue fell
to the poin, Of paralysis IN the sas'ona'
Government. and that schemes OF treason
thrors and aoarished to a IuxurIan. but
premature blossom, on the rank soil and
beneath the torrii atmosphere Of organized
o5cial delinquency.
as,o the report itself, it is an admirably
clear and e0geu. exposition Of viiiainy 20
uop.,roas and auiacious ~ 10 call blush
{, the cheek Of every Intelligent sssss<a "ao
ma7 read il. The iisgrace can bslktse less
than national, ~ hen we tind a Cabinet officer,
10 leagae with clerks, contractors and the
miscellaneous haEpies 0: the lobby. engaged
in ths coustau, and deliberate plun3er not
only Of the National Treasury, bat in fraud
uleutly obtaining advances of money from
oil banks, Commercial! firms or other private
parties, who could be induced to accept his
Official Endorsements as security for private
loans. The Committee report that OF uncon-
ditional accsptauces issued BY John q. Floyd,
the great criminal of our Cabinet history,
there are DOW az lat and in the hands OF IN
uoeen: holders an amount certainly not less
than $3.50, 3gj-WAila Of aceeptances,
conditional on the performance OF contract
work By Messrs. Russell, Majors aud Wad
dell, the total is not less tn IN ;3bSo,0J1-thus
showing an aggregate Of 81, 49, $50, either
10 be assumed by the National Government
or 10 fall as 40 uurelieved loss on the private
holders.
All the spccious pleadings heretofore ad-
vanced by Mr.. Ra.se!l in behalf Of his own
innocence are swept to the winds by the ties
timony taken before the Commit:ce,- his
position being now clearly revealed as the
chief outside agent employed by Ex.Seere-
tary fiovd IN the task Of putting spurious
ncceptances into circulation, and tempting
the clerk, GODDARD Bailey, to the theft Of the
bonds placed under his charge. We find
him in company with one Luke Lea, form |
erly Commissioner Of Indian Affairs, pro- |
ceding to Washington with the deliberate |
purpose Of enticiug Bailey to commit the |
thcft;-we find Lea opening the proposition |
10 Bailey bankrupt in fortune, and po
litioal alveuturer," who had, nevertheless,
been placed in charge OF more than $4,000 |
900 worth Of Bonds, though only having !
given s. 900 as security for his good behay-
Tor; We Gud Lea arranging an interview !
between Bailey and Russell, which takes /
place at the War Department, where they
are introduced 20 each other for the first
time by Col. W. K. Driukard, Chief Clerk
of the Department, and Secretary FIoyd's
mos. intimate friend :" and it Is at this
interview that Col. Drinka ard rea!firms what
Lea had before represented to Bailcy-to
wit, that Floyd's Illegal acceptances were in
danger If going to protest, and that by any
such disgrace the sensitive criminal "would
be greatly agouixci and disturbed"
Tho prelimiuaries thus arranged between
Lea, Ds,ukard, Russell and B,,iev-thc two
latter, "a the parties now mainly in interest,
retire md bold "a private interview in
room on the third story of the War De-
partmen', - the result being that ''within a
few hours thereafter" Mr.. Bailey had stolen
Bonds to the amount Of $4,000 from the
safe under bis charge. and with this amount
Of booty az the product Of the first attempt.
M. Russell ret0rned to New York. Two
ruhh he
Bailey at the instigation of Russell. acting
a. the representative Of John Il. Floyd's
necessities ; one If these in September.
amounting to S3s1 900, and the third in
December, amounting TO 1888 ,000--an ag-
gregats Of $50 900 stolen by Bailey, in
order 10 save the sensitive Ex- Secretary
from being "aEon,zed aud disturbed by the .
detection aud exposure Of his infamies.--
For S135 900 Of the amounts 50 stolen, Mr..
Russell bad deposited Mr.. FIoyd's uncon.
di.ioaal aeceptauccs as a sort Of poultce to
50 much Of a conscience as Mr.. Bailey might
have bad remainn but as il to prove
beyond any shadow of question the com
plicity Of Mr. Floyd in the robbery, we End
that on the 18th day Of last Dccember--th the ,
date of the last thefi-the Ex. Secretary
gives another acceptance for Sl35 900, the i.
precise sum needed to make up the differ. 4.
'nes between the accep,snces given By Rus I
'ell 10 Bailey and the Bonds stolen By Bailey
md handed 20 Russell.
Tia, all these thef,s and fraudulent ac- ,
eeriances we're issued as pats of deeply i
'a'd scheme for the disruption Of the Ma !
'isnai Government, and the eoneeaIment Of ,
eae'al delinquency by the destruction Of all ,
'ae means for ,is subsequent exposure--may {
be judged from the fact that. even as far
back a. last September, the 4ih day Of
asx! March was agreed upon ss the time
Tor she re'istivsry By Russell to Bailey of the
parso'nsd securities and, again. Mr.. Wag- A,
aer, TO whom Bailey had entrusted a con-
'sssien designed TO clear Ey- Secretary ,
Thompson. of the Interior, from any blame, ,
orders no, TO deliver The daca- !.
nens until "are days before the Alb Of
Marcia Here We have cleared Indications ,
u preeoncc,ved resolve, ca the part of
Floyd and HIS associate eanspiratsrs, to
break M the National Government at the
slose Of Mr.. Buchanan's term. and 10 pre-
rent tho discovery Of their various acts ard
upisneass Of rslisse BY the prevention of i
NJ. Linsein's inauSaratisu. II