New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-10-07

Defalcat ton in the Treasury Department
We have already stated the fact Of tn,
defalca ton, but New York Herald Wash
ngtm dispatch furnishes these intercstin.
details: S
The usual quiet of the Treasury Depart
Ment was to-day disturbed by the rumOrs o.
. defalcation in the redemption branch o.
the United States treasury. An unvar
nished tale OF this transaction reads rs fol
lows: Yesterday morning, about ten
o'clock, General Spinner, United States
Treasurer, was accOsted in the hall in front
Of his Office by Mr.. c. C. Edwins, receiving
taller in the redemption branch of the
treasury. who stated that he had some
General was on his way to breakfast, and
somewhat belated, he requested Mr. Ed
wins to wait until he returned.
The guilty man said time was precious,
md that he must have q private interview
Immediately, as he had something very inl-
Yertant to communicate. General Spinner,
over ready to sacrifice his health in the dis
charge Of his duty, did not hesitate to favor
Ar. Edwins, and a moment later both were
elOseted in the Generals private office. Mr..
Ellwins Invested himself of his hat and over
e<soat, and requested the General to be seated
While he explained matters. A bulky bum
die Of papers was laid on the table and the
-zttention of the United States Treasurer was
sna ed to them.
sWhat is there peculiar about them
What is there peculiar about them p asked
6he hungry Treasurer. II don't understand
what you are driving at, Mr.. Edwins, and l
am in somewhat of a hurry to get to the ho-
tel, or shall lose my breakfast"
AsRead that letter." said the detainer.
That was sufficient, for it was a letter
nom the Davenport National Bank. Iowa,
announcing q remittance of $1,000 in legal
Annders for redemption, but nary check was
hero to cover the remittance. General
Spinner then saw through the whole Of it.
He read several more letters of similar i'm
port, saw some notes Of exchange on Lon
don, two frst-class passenger tickets for
Liverpool, q bag of gold and small amount
Il Ereenbacks.
iThese," said Mr.. Edwins, "are what
have left of my populations. The balance
can make good in short time. Shall l go
b work."
General Spinner replied that he could
not; but as he was disposed to make clean
breast Of the whole affair, he had better
make the same statement to the law officer
e the Solicitors Office. The general went
% breakfast, and on returning bundled up
the parcel left by Mr.. Edwins and called
upon Colonel Jones, chief of the redcmp-
ton branch. It was found the effects were
the lossi An examination of the books was
made, and the result showed that Mr.. Ed
wins had appropriated $500, and that he
was defau1ter or an embeZzler, as the case
might be, to the amount of $1,000.
That he had taken at one time $4,000, at
smother $4,000, and at another $500. ID. A.
Bury, of the solicitors Office took the state
ment of Edwins, which is substantially that
he had speculated and lost the money be-
longing to different banks sent for redemp-
ton. General Spinner supposed, from the
remark Edwins made when he asked to he
restored, as he could make up the detfi
cheney in q few days, that the balance was
not large, probably not exceeding few
hundred dollars, but $1,000 was too much,
and SO Mr.. Edwins was to-day brought be-
fore Judge Smell, of the Police Court, and
waived an examination. In default OF
$4,000 bail he was committed to jail to
await the action Of the Grand Jury.
The United States Treasurer is response
BILE for the fidelity Of his subordinates, and
% General Spinner to-day sold /. portion of
his bonds and turned into the Treasury
$1,000 cash to make good Edwins' defalca-
ton.
The defaulter is about thirty-fve years of
age, from BinghamtOn, N. Y; has been en-
plOyed in the Treasury Department five
years, and hitherto has borne IA fair charac-
der. He says that he intended leaving the
country, but that his wife refused to go
With him, and, cOnscience-stricken, he re-
solved to return to Washington and make a
fuIl confession Of the act. This is the first
lefnlcatiOn in the United States Treasury
aince General Spinner's appointment. In
fhis instance it was bunglingly done, and
vas certain to be'fOund out.