Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-09-13
EVENING STAR.
Washington News and Gossip.
HEAVY DEFALCATiON!
DEPUTY PAYMsSTER HODGE A
DEFAULTER TO THE TUNE
OF 100000.
HE rs SENT TO FoRr .ue8ENRI.

carried out MAYOR John Ledyard Hodge, we'll
known citizen of Washington, and since 1861 a
deputy pay master in the United States army
stationed in this city. He was in charge of
United States officers, who were directed by the
General of the Army to turn him over II the
conmandant of Fort McHepry, with directions
to place him in solitary confinement with a SEN
.inelt) guard his cell, he being charged with
being a heavy defaulter to the government.
The few who knew Of the serious charges against
Major Hodge were 10th to believe them, but
subsequent events have satisfied his friends that
they are too well founded, and that he is a de-
faulter to the government TO the extent Of about
500 ,000.
The accused has heretofore enjoyed an excel
lent reputation, and at the Paymaster Generals
Office was regarded not only as a thoroughly
honest gentleman but an accomplished scholar
and accountant. On account ofhi extr aordinary
qualifications the Paymaster General in 1866
detailed him fer duty at his Office, employing
him in adjusting the irregular accounts Of other
paymasters, and on special service until about
two years since, when be assigned him as pay.
master Of the bounty certificates of the Second
Auditors Office. This was highly responsible
position, the payments sometimes amounting to
$500 900 Per month, but the Paymaster General
dence in his deputy's integrity and folly believed
lie would not betray his trust.
On Thursday last, however, the Paymaster
General discovered, as he thought, an erro-
neous charge in the returns Of Major Hodge,
and by letter requested him to explain 1t. He
still could not believe that his deputy was dis
honest, but expected that he would be able to
make satisfactory explanation. This he failed
to do, and Gen. Brice intimated his suspicious,
and peremptorily ordered him to close his &C
counts by onday last. On the next day, Sun
day,) Gen. Brice received a letter from Major
Hodge, containing a full confession Of his guilt,
and stating that he had been making fraudulent
returns and statements since 1866, and that the
money thus obtained had been spent in
gold and stock gambling in New York
He mentioned in his letter the name
of one firm who Knew that the money he
had sent them for investment belonged to the
government, and concluded by stating that he
was ready to turn over all Of his property, both
personal and real, amounting in value to some
thing like $50 900, to any agent of the govern
ment authorized to receive such an assignment
He expressed contrition for his crime; said he
intended to retrrn the money he had taken, and
implored that he be as ieniently dealt with as
possible.
III.
Brice 10 pursue, and on Monday last he placed
the defaulting paymaster under close arrest.
Yesterday he procured by telegraph, from Gen.
Sherman, an order for his confinement in Fort
McHepry, and he was forwarded to the fort last
evening, as stated above.
The accused, who is about thirty-six years of
age, is native Of Philadelp hia, but since his
resi- dence in this city lived at No. 1919 Franklin
Terrace, on X street, between 14th and 18th
streets. he Is possessed of considerable real
estate and personal property, mainly Inherited
from his uncle md his father, formerly Assist
ant Secretary of the Treasury who died about
three years ago. His mother Is still living One
Of his sisters is the wife of Admiral Rodgers
at present commanding the American China
squadron. He has a wife and four children
who are plunged into the deepest grief at his
misconduct.
The investigation of his accounts now going
on at the Paymaster Generals Office has pro.
ceeded far enough to make safe the assertion
that his defalcatiOn Will amount to between
100000 and 100000. He will, of course. be
tried by court martial, which will doubtless inn
pose pose. as penalty certain term of imprison-
Inent and dismissal from the military service of
the United States. 1t can hardly be expected
that the government Will recover any portion of
the amount of his defalcation, except perhaps a
lew thousand dollars from the sale of his private
property.
INTERNAL REvEKUR.-The receipts from this
source to-day were s264 ,349.46.
Mr.. FREDERICK DENT, the father of Mrs
Grant, returned here this morning from Long
Branch, and is staying with General Dent, in
Georgetown.
The COLORADO ELECTIoN-Aa Increased Re
publican 4cjority.-The following telegram was
received at the White House this afternoon:
DENVER, Col, Sept. 13.-To o. s. Grant. Dres
creased majority. The legislature is almost
unanimously republican. F. NJ. MCCooK,
j. b. CHAFFEE.
A VALUABLE WORK OF Recommendation.
Leggett, Commissioner of Patents, is issuing
weekly, in compliance with joint resolution of
Congress, approved January IL, 1871, leo large
volumes each averaging 800 pages, containing
Tor the week. One of these volumes he sends 10
the clerk of every U. s. District Court, one to
the congressional Library, one to every State
sa zap where there Is no u S. District Court,
OBJECT being to place them where they NAV al
All tunes be open to the inspection OF the people
Inc printing and binding of the volumes are
zone at the Government Printing Office, and
The photo-lithography in New York, from mega
yves furnished by the photographer for the
Patent Office, whose establishment is located in
me upper story OF the Patent Office building
These volumes are of incalculable ADVANTAGE
specially to inventors.
THE COOKE FAMILY.-Georpe Alfred Town
send, writing to the Chicago Tribune concerning
Jay Cooke & Co., describes the famed home of
The Cooke family at Chelten Hills, near Pbfla-
deiphia- 1t has the Indian name of "OpontZ. ~
after the Indian name of that part of SandnsRv
where the Cooke family settled soon after the
war OF 1872. This estate is not the sudden
acquisition Of the past few years although the
villa was first inhabited only three wears 400
Jay Cooke has resided on the Chelten Hills IN
seventeen years, and I'm 1858, nearly four wears
prior to the war, he retired from the business of
banking with competence. He picked nm
parcels OF ground as they came into the marked
with the intention Of composing this farm. bnf
being Unexpectedly recalled to business. and SET
upon the Briarean labor of selling the govern
ment bonds, he was able to make his pla1s for a
nome more expansive, and this delightful but
unostentatious residence is the result
:, Amongst the neighbors are Russell Smith and
the venerable Sully, artists; Lucretia Mott and
Fanny kemble have places around; Robert
Celiyer, OF Chicago, worked in an axe factory
near by only ten years ago; Rev. Robert Blu
chanan, surviving brother OF the ex-President.
ministers at a rare old parish church in the
vicinity: and Mrs. Z. M. Stanton Is only three
miles distant; the celebrated stock farms Of
steele, Sharpless, and Lady Thorne, are In this
Eleutheros Cooke, the father of Pitt, jaw. and
Henry, was descended from Plymouth Rock
pilgrim, and he was reared In Granville Sara
toga county, New York. He married there and