The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-09-23
WASHINGTON.
THE RECENT DEFALcATIoN IN THE POST OFFICE
DEPARTMENT.. tasft

DEPARTMENT..
New York. Sent. 22.-The Tribune's4 Wash
ington despatch says: Col. William Bell, late
! special gent of the Treasury Department, bu
1 formerly disbursing clerk IN the Post Office
Department, was appointed Saturday evening
/ to succeed Olmsted.i He entered upon The
discharge of his dnties this morning.. Congress
appropriated $4,000 to complete the post office
buil1in@ upon 0lmsted's own estmate.I but
this sum has all beenexpended and the build.
| ing. but little more than half finished The
| Postmaster General, with his associates McLel-
ianand Ievely and Colonel Bell, the new dis
buISlng clerk, this morning opened the safe
and began an examination Of the books and
| papers. t4 |A -rf-.--iH 3E 1atG
| About $4,000 worth of vouchers, which pur-
| ported to have been paid, were found, and they,
| 1T is said, should have been submitted to the
treasury. The fact of their being found in the
| safe creates The picon that they are fraudu-
| lent, but it will SOON be known whether they
are genuine. The post Office authorities On
| opening the sale found all the books and pa
| perS, but about S45 only in money. They found
memorandum which was prepared by Ohm
stead ON Friday last ,headedg vouchers on hand ,
Inn Which he mentions vouchers for large
amounts that cannot he found. Were all the
vouchers therein mentioned at hand the legiti-
mate defalcation would be less than $4,000, but
1t IS evdeut that for large amount there are
no vouchers. ~ 81 r,tsIE n~- .l.
His accounts at the Treasury Department up
to the Both of June last show $110o00, for
WHICH ~" vouchers nave DSeu returned, nut
from this amount is to be deducted two pay
rolls for the Post Office Department for July
and August, amounting to over $4,000. Be
sides the vouchers above referred to are for i'm
prSvements on the'buildng, furniture supplies,
salary advanced to clerks this month, &c,
amounting in the aggregate to about 1858 COO
Slipposing them all to be genuine it leaves the
amount 10 be accounted for S4T.000 which it
Is thoughts about the extent of the defalcation.
Lille books We're all found 10 be in perfect order
Mo i,,ft o,I ;- +boI, ,If I'll,
vouchers found are alegenuine.JaT 4 7isstIa
OimStead was seen Saturday evening at about
nine O'Clock at a house neal Perce's mill, ON
Rock Creek, abont four miles north of the city,
where he asked for something to eat, but the
inmates, not liking the appearance of his sol-
dier coat and slouched hat, denied him. He
next went to the house of an old colored woman
near there and she gave him some food. He
inquired of her the way to Georgetown, pro-
tossing that he wanted to find Rockville Turn
pike. When he left the house of Branasan he
SAID he had over $50 in change in his pockets.
He promised Branagan that he would not COM
NIT suicide. II is thought Olmstead is still in
the neighborhood of the city. Olmstead's ofli-
cial bond was but $40 COO, and his property in
this city is probably worth $4,000,
THE sURRArF- TRIAL.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22.-In the Criminal
Court this morning the counsel for Surratt
entered a special plea, setting forth the amnes-
ty proclamation of July 4th, in defence, claim
ing that Surratt is within that portion. of the
proclamation pardoDing all parties of treason,
felony, &c, who were not then under indict-
ment for those offences in any Court of the
United States having competent jurisdiction.
The counsel claim that he was at that time
solely under indictment for murder at common
law, not Tor treason or felony, consequently is
entitled TO the benefit Of the proclamation. To
this the prosecution enters special demurrer
and proceeded to argument. Mr.. Darlington
addressed the Court in support of the demur-
rer Mr.. Bradley, for the prisoner, maintained
that the plea OF general pardon was sufficient,
and claimed full benefit of the proclamation.
IL was for the prosecution to show in replica
tion that the defendant came within the class
excepted from amnesty. Mr.. Merrick, for the
prisoner, and Mr.. Rr. Riddle, of counsel for the
prosecution, argued the questions at issue.
't $50 THE GEORGIA RIOT. s5ua ss,ics
The following was received here to-day:
Atlanta, Ga, Sept 22.-Maj. Gen. Q. o. How
ard, Commanding &C., Washington: "A dele
ghtion of coored people going to attend po-
lftcai meeting at Camilla were attacked by the
whites because, as it is alleged, they were arm
ed, and ten or more were killed; probably fifty
were killed and wounded. William Fl. Pearce,
Tie white Republican candidate Tor Congress
from the second district, was shot in the leg;
John Murphy and +. +. Putney, speakers,
Z were wounded. As far as known only twoTot
the attacking parties were injured. No further
difficulty has been reported today. 1giisia
Signed, c. G. SfBLEY,
s5 No. Brevet Brig. Gen. Assistant.
1t is probable that orders will be issued to-
morrow to the General commanding in Geor-
gla to make full investigation of the riot at
Camilla. Gen. Schofied was for long time
this afternoon in consultation wi tn the Presi-
dent after Cabinet meeting and there is no
doubt prolonged interview was had in refer
ence to this matter 7.suI +. sss5.
TIE M'CULLocH-RoLLINs DEAD LOCK.
The Subcommittee on retrenchment met to-
day at the Treasury Department.. There were
present Gen. Van Wycll, Representatives Beu-
ton, Halsey and Randall. and Senator Patter-
son of n. Fl. They examined Sec'y McCnl-
loch and Commissioner Rollins. The principal
| reason given by these witnesses why the TWEEN
! ty-fve Supervisors required by law had not
| been appointed was that the Secretary insisted
| they should be chosen without regard to party
| politics; if not, then the Democratic party
| should have portion of them. Tie sub-com-
| mittee also entered into ard examined con-
| corning charges III which Mr.. Buckley was
| concerned.s 1t appeared that no such charges
/ had been preferred, either in the office of Sec
| rotary or in that of the Commissioner; that al
! though Mr. Buckley was a subordinate off
! Ger, neither of them had ordered him toproceed
! to New York to make an examination into al-
| legged frauds or malfeasance, and that he had
! made his report to the President and not to
| them. The Secretary testified that lie believed
| Mr.. Rollins to be in all things strictly honest.
| 1t is said prominent politicians here and else
| where will be summoned before the committee,
| who meet again tomorrow.