New-York tribune., 1871-09-15

gcnei HS ignorance did not acqht him. an" he VIII "
tned next week His own papers and accounts Will con"
vct Lin. Aspccal agent is in charge oi the ONCE
PAYMASTER HODGES CONFESSION.
HOW TIE FRAUDS WERE DI>COVERED-sTATE-
MENT OF TIE ELECTROMAGNETIC
TRrAsI.RY DEPARTMENT To BLAME.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1.-THE following IL a
copy Of Major Hodges letter Of confession:
WASHINGTON. sunday. sept. 1o-p mmGem, ,bi bi "; w.
have & TO- nSFn SSI ow" y% the i%' frsRfu amount
of about Sl6OOCO which sum have lost duriR te lar.
in bSre Of retrieving myself. have no excuse or n
cton of my 10 o' aud proose 10 take AXE tne dn
escaping from NewYork, hut bcicyc nave dohe IcIIrr
in returning here {" deliver mHSi I n.y. nrtense Of ex
s|e o1 90, om rnn. ard The advantage have taken
nf the SPECIAL position have held. and feel
tb.t Won especially, have cause to be justly III
Son that always attends the course entered hoping
always recover my loss and conceal my crime be-
hove j, is really rcei 10 be discovered lor nave neen
IN hell earth for years. and the aiternatOns OF nope
aGd fear have gone through ana cohsan, care 10 aNO
detection. were becoming TOO strong. Gre 10 turn
Uyer any property have small set-of against my
deHcncy and after gvns any IN ,%ac VIII
ilc portion Oi what have lost IcAptct To take inc
tv" j:rticssn tins city. through whom have made
.Gc sp,cudtiors wish 10 say that they are perfectly
iLacttEt oi any Ruowi"dge that | was using pupllc
fulS Tbcrc are saH. balances with each of these par
te, to ny credit Whenever the accounts are closed
vi one house there whose accounts h0li ku9ect 70
yuur order. I cndcavoJcd 10 induce them ~ make
knew was pubic money. Int they have refused. bave
b,,u trying to make up my mind 10 this ofessi"n tor
some DAYS and wa~ the point of doing so this morning
in yOnr Office hut could not bring myself TO say IT, ana
wamcf tnr :" write & nq % ny Ic fnI r T m m, @" for w
have cone Ia hcI ANA my chilren All ASK rom you
%T 3f @.OeS n Eer i nG e the seys Of Sy safe and box
containing all my oil accounts. &c. MY present {oucn
,y receipts &C. ac in the hands of my clerks, who are
s cf them perfectly innocent of any KNOWLEDGE Of my
q, iiccncy I shall remain al the house No 425 K-st
fii muT,!Cd What action you paVe taken concerning me-
~ j. LEDYA HODGE.
PsymasftrGencral Blije says this morning that it will
appear upon that TIC Treasury Department
H. responsible for the failure Of the Government to dis
coyer tnc d,foIcaton sooner Gen Brce also denies the
report that Hodge after suspicion had first been attached
70 him. was allowed draw any checks except such as
we're necessary transfer the balances TO the proper
officers The particulars in the case of Major Hodge as
ssceraincd in conversation with Gen Brice this morn
Ing, are a. follows:
ON the l2,h inst. the PdymastcrGcneral reported to
the Admtan General of the Army the fact Of dcf0lcati"n
spd emo, zzlcm"nt of large of the public money
Iertainnc To tlc department by MAJOR Hodge that tue
military might take such action rs the case seemed 10
d, ,nand Following which, Major Hodge, then in arrest
nv the orders Of the PaylnaSerGeneral was Immediate
~ transferred prisoner to Fort Mcllenry where he
A. at tbs time in clos" confinement.
The Paymascr-( General nade concise statement for
the infouao Of the Secretary of War; of all the facts
of the case. derived from the confession of the den-
ouent paymaster, and confirmed hy an examination or
his papers and accounts. On the 7th instant crcuni-
stances had come light in to single official
transaction of Major Hodge involving disputed vOuch
or for $1,000 which aroused suspicion of fraud, and
which on being inerrOgated he failed TO explain salts
factprily. Therefore the Paymast"r-Gcncial lmmHdi
afely issued un order aIrcstng his fulCtonS III inc iS
Department. relieNi ing him from duty ana cqulH9 n.
10 proceed close and render his accounts ana turr
fIh MS
ester Paymastcr all the public money inr when ne wa
accountable. After the lapse of reasonable time II W'
MscrtIiucd that he had complied in part only With me
olcr when. saturday evening the 9th INST ne wa
reminded Of the necessity OF ts hlhedlde accompn@s @
,nent and on SUNDAY the 10Th instant he addressed the
above letter to the Pt>ina>tcr-GeneTa ,,
M.irI IIol. Eas been employed for years on special
seryrr in the Pay Generals Office, service which
only u M ,lTsT one H in Whom The highest con
Dr. could L. rcro,cd A. such he was selected and re-
t.,j I,I thr fOrjr, piylnutc cr-GceIa Col Andrews,
deceased vino ON cen. Dliccs relieving him OF The
charge Of tc oce qnI 'r rrsttnf&nt, & III m OG"DT SCi
tcru. lor h. lciy, reliability. ana peculiar apitSs
Iorc place H. wa Ireie%, , Si,o uh,5,sE i"TS WE from r"
ic Dtn. various duties wcrc assigned TO hiIn
nud ~ q general RUE most thoroughly ana sails
irrory executed by him; and 80 1t continued down to
A. n"ihmg occurred to suggest to the Pavmaster's
N.c the slightest suspicion of Hodges wrong doing ne
I sued MS c;niI1l career untll an fsroe ~ leiercce
10 another matter prompted the order TO close u ana
render hia account with an exhibit of ms money balance
due 1t tord that The have all 9ee9 & M
n ana through The Treasury proper eH9 hone D! 1etliS
If Hodge' dhurng account With the Assistant lrets'
IA
thc money uSr, for ls stock and gold gambling opera
tio, haVins h"cn drawn cash from the Treasury In
large sums Here Gen. BrICc contends, failure Ot
tL Treasury enforce the requirements of the law aud
the regulations, Major Hodges disbursements did
moi rcuuire a dollar Cu-h and 1t should have been
made 10y checks, each covering the amount OF the
ynurlCrs TO paid and thcir nature. with the Of
the person whom ay able. On this point, Gen Brice
rccirrd to Act of March g. 1857, and circular tnsruc
ttnns ~ Le secretary Of the Treasury, dated Nov 49,
1860 and went on say tina II l. now &sCeItacd that
nj , Iod c has we'd nom the Treasury large sums
oT lunv i'm notes delivered To him some bearer,
able TO csl or bearer the checks so paid having been
numerous. ana for such lar@r anohtN as s-oVo sgU
go 0oO ana even S50O0p TN, Sc. continued Gen. Bfce
"ae the myscrOts checks with which Hodge has con
dncad his friudulclt transactions and can only say
that If anv one of highly irregular and unauthorized
acts had been made known Ia me, II would have apprirc
me of tlc fraud and assUredly have been visited with
Condicn action" Tuc actual amount OF Major Hodges
deficit tcluined careful examination, Is s4"g9 q