Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-03-21
IA. r,,.n, or E..Cel,ecs.r n. lev.

No Clue to HIS WAereabo4ts-7 as Alleged Defalc J.
Mr.. Bailey. the late Collector OF Internal
Revenue in the Sd wall street, district, New
York, who disappeared lastl Thursday, is still
missing. The establishments which had been
seized by his order have been released, and the
Treasury and Internal Revenue authorities are
Investigating the affairs OF his office. The New
York Herald of yesterday 1.-THE 2othD says: ''No
new light has been shed upon the case. Still
undlspelled are overshadowiDg clouds or dark
ness and doubt in which his unexplained depar-
ture from the busy and exciting scenes that so
lately knew him, but know him no more, Is in
volved. As very naturally might be looked for
under the circumstances, variety of conflicting
rumors are ahoat- Some assert that the pro-
longed cerebral excitement consequent upon his
prosecution OF the LIQUOR merchandising victims
OF ms grand wholesale raid some two months
aSo-and utter failure to make out single case
lhus Tar against any of those arraigned
fpr examination in the United States Com
mifsiopers Court here turned his brain, and
that. bereft Of reason, he has lett the city an
irresponsible and unconscious wanderer he
knows not where. Others allege that the straw
that broke the camels back-the final fatal
pressure upon his brain and nervous forces, de-
stroying his mental equilibrium, was his removal
from office. Still Others insist that nervous
pressure and dsquietude have nothing to do
with his absence. They say he is a defaulter to
large amount, and has fed the city TO escape
the modification of an exposure of his malfeas-
ance. In opposition to this it is distinctly and
positively proclaimed that his accounts are per-
fectly exact and correct. Such, briefly, are the
counter stories and statements in active circula-
ton. He was seen here as late rs Wednesday
Some are of the opinion that he is concealed in
the city, but this opinion Is very little credited.
All the European steamers leaving yesterday
were closely watched in hopes OF obtaining some
clue to him, and anything looking like an At
tempt at disguise was rightly investigated, but
none of the DISCUSSES revealed Mr.. Bailey. Hints
of suicide are thrown out, but no one pays any
attention to them.
1t was stated late yesterday afternoon that all
the deputies and clerks lately serving under Mr..
Bailey had been suspended. and that a new set
of temporary deputies and clerks will be put on
duty tomorrow. 1t is understood that General
Pleasanton, the newly appointed successor OF
MIR. Bailey, will not assume charge of the Office
undl after his confirmation. of which no doubt
Is expreSsed. Large numbers congratulated him
yesterday on his appointment, and his choice
tor the position is said TO find very general favor
in the district, while public opinion as TO the re-
moval OF Bailey all runs one way.
A closing biographical paragraph OF the miss
ing ex-collector will not be ill-tiIned. He was
born at Hopkinsville, n. H., in 1852, and is now
in his thirty-eighth year. In 1861 he was APP
pointed clerk in the Office of the Secretary of the
Treasury, and was subsequently made station
cry clerk in the Treasury Department. Two
years later he was appointed special agent of
the Treasury Department in this city, and IN
1865 was given the position OF collector of the
fourth internal revenue district in this city,
which position he held until last May, on his
appointment Of collector of the thirty-second
district. He has a wife and two children living
in 22d street. His wife is said to be living very
i'll OF brain fever, caused by his fight, the first
and only intimation OF which was conveyed in a
letter addressed to his brOther-in-law, Mr.. Vail,
one of his principal deputies"
dispatch from New York last night saws -
''The assertion is made that he converted S6O-
600 to his swn use in January, 1861 while Col
lectOr of the Fourth District, which had been
collected as bonds on several hundred barrels of
whisky, said to have been transported to Calfor-
mia, but which, ii Is believed, were never ship
Nhor anlE 10 al..x Al
time he seized the rectifying house OF one Kerr
aud held it for 20 days, and released it upon the
payment Of so 900, of which Kerr subsequently
received about S13 600, and that two wears 90
he received s32, 900 from Jones 81 Co., TO
settle a case of seizure, of which the Govern
ment got only 81 500. Also, that there was
deficiency in his accounts while Collector of the
Fourth District of S43, 900 and an additional de.
ficiency in the Thirty-secOnd District of SOC 600
Report says that Bailey left a memorandum
behind acknowledging himself defaulter
HIS Chief Deputy, Mr.: Childs, has been arrest
ed, charged with implication in the frauds, and
will be examined on Monday. Mr.. Fliess and
other merchants had taken steps for BaiIey's
arrest on civil suits for malicious prosecution
before IL was discovered that he was missing
Solicitor Banteld of the Treasury, is making a
thorough examination of Bailey's affairs and
from Information already received 1t is expect
ed that the total defalcation will reach from
$50 Coo to 500 000 The belief is expressed that
all suits commenced by Bailey against mer
chants in the Thirty-second District will be
tphhuOi.u py Neii' Iltasanton, the new Col
lector. The case of Ii. =. Clark another OF the
liquor dealers accused by Bailey of defraudinp
the Government, was examined Yesterday be-
fore Commissioners Osborne, and the charges
were not sustained.
When promoted last year General Pleasanton.
his successor, was designated to fill the position
of Collector OF the Fourth New York District
The bond OF Collector Bailey amounted to
s2oO,OOO, and among his bOndsmen are ex- MAYOR
Opdyke, Henry Clews, Horace Greeley and
many others OF wealth and the highest respon-
sibility, and there is no danger that the Gov
ernment will suffer the loss of dollar.