Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-10-08
Southern News.


AT tHc itglnlng OF the week (sayS tie
Ricbm0nd Examiner of Septr o. it was wbis-
pered about that two Government officials
-one late officer of the confederate States
Treasury Department, and the other the
commissary agent at Camp jackson Hospi-
tal-had vanished from the Coniederacy,
taking with them, the former about seven
hundred thousand dollars and the latter
one hundred and fifty Thousand dollars, all
government funds, but converted into gold,
greepbacks, and sterling, before the de-
parture of the holders Of it, AS rumor is
busy with the subject, and so the names of
the absconded officials are breathed at every
corner, it will not be inopportune TO give
publicity to them. The absconding and
alleged defaulting Treasury attache is George
w. Butler, Pay Clerk of the Confederate
States Treasury Department.
The Commissary is Thomas Knox, agent
at the Jackson Hospital. Both of the men
are married, and each left behind him a
wife and child in this city. We understand
that the parties left the city on Saturday,
Knox obtaining q passport for Fredericks
burg in the name of himself and "a blind
brother" who vas personated by Butler.
The fact that a defalcation existed was not
made fully apparent until Tuesday, when
Surgeon Hancock, in charge of Camp Jack
son Hospital came into the city and made
inquiries concerning the whereabouts Of
Knox. 1t was then asccrtained that he had
drawn one hundred and torty-nine thousand
nine hundred dollars from the Treasury
upon two regularly certified checks, and
that the checks were cashed by Butler and
the pay-clerk. Upon an examination of
Buffers accounts it was said that deficit
approXimating to seven hundred thousand
collars was discovered.
1t is said that Butler and Knox have been
very busy for some time among the brokers
buying up gold, greenbacks and foreign
sterling; fine iewelry, such as watches, rings
and diamonds. and they converted most of
their confederate coupons into these more
valuable securities, less bulky and at the
same time more portable and handy for the
iourncr contemplated. Knox is young
man of plausible address. and formerly lived
IN Fredericksburg, Virginia. Butler is a
young man of fine exterior, always dressed
in the finest linen and cloth, with a prufu-
sion of rings, diamonds and pomantum.
He was born in Norfolk, but married in
New YORK
He lived there for some years, where he
nurturcd his ideas of fast living. We learn
ed last night from trustworthy authority
that Butler and Knox passed thruu- b
fredericksburg ON Tuesday last, going in
the direction of the Potomac, evidently with
the intention ef crossing the river into
Charles county, Maryland. We learn fur
ther, that the Government has taken steps
looking 10 the apprehcusioms of the parties,
and Captain Maccuhbin and Dte,tiy- Jones,
of the Provost Murshgrs Office, have been
sent in pursuit bat rs she iugitivcs mad the
start OF the officers of more than forty weight
hours, there is little prospect Of thcir being
/ ovCrtaken this side of the Potomac.
! Since the above WAS written we have
heard that the fugitivcs have seccecdtd in
escaping.
! One of our government officials Just re-
/ turned from Peru, tells us that among the
first and most frequent inquiries matte of
/ him there about our public incn was, ,rhcth-
! er he knew or have ever SGT II The celebrated
American Chemist. Dr. J. c. Aver oi Lowell.
/ His remedies are found in every Nliia-r iro,n
the elevated slopes Cf the Andes down 10
the coast, and their remarkable cures scrm
To attract even more attention there than in
this country The sentiment ot wonder ut
their c:itcrs takes y Tar deeper hold on a
, hall civilized and suprrstuouS people than
/ it does with u where the rationale Oi nr,i-
cal prOb,cm Is So much more generally uu-
drrstood. No otn"r American has made
has made himself So tuE'i.iMly known to
the masses Of the people il foreign countries
or excited in them 50 lively - interest in
himself rs the Doctor has by his Nkiiiul ap.
licatiun of chemical science to The ,-Gnlmcnt
of disease.
That must bc duh man who does Mt
feel some pride of country when he tluGs
among distant nations that he is already
known and welcome there, through the
lahors of our Statesman. Merchants and
Scholars, whose renown has become national
property, and consequently in some measure
his own. Whether DR.. Ayers remedies
do actually cure more than others oI not,
they have secured the reputation OF being
Il God send to those afflicted with disease
aGG where great numbers in any community
believe that they own their health and
lives to ones skill, they are sure to feel an
interest in him which will find expression
when they meet his countrymen. .--N Nati,na,
Ere, Washington, u. c.