The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-09-16

YEs Great EsefalcatioM-The Comes.
SION of Paymaster Wodse-He Had
propnsed 10 Escape How He WAS
cad into Error-AlIusfon TO HIS
wsfe. ~
The following is the confession OF his
guilt made by Paymester Hodge ID Fay
master General Blice, referred to by US
yesterday:
= go SUNDAY EVENING. Sept. 10, 1871.
General B. ". B,zce:
SRI have to inform you that am I'M
able TO close my accounts, and that owe
the frightful amount Of about tour nun
bred and fifythousand dollars, which sum
have lost during the llst few years IN stock
speculations, going deeper and deeper, IN
the hope of retrieving myself. nave no
excuse or mitigation Of my crime TO oiler,
and propose to take the full consequences
of nv sin. ] had thought week ago Oh
ESCAPING from New York, but believe
have done better in returning here TO de-
liver myself up, as felt l was going to do.
/ can, of course, make no pretence of eX-
,use for the systematic deceit L have prac-
ticcd on you and the advantage have taken
of the special position | have held, and feel
that you, especially, have cause to he justly
memorable against me. ] have been leo OH
by the infatuation that always attends the
course | entered on, hoping always to re-
cover my loss and conceal my crime. ! De-
lieye it is really Il relief to be forced 10 o
discovery. for have been in he'll Oil earth
for wears, and the alterations Of hope and
lear have gone through and constant care
to avoid detection were becoming loo
strong.
I desire to turn over any property have,
as Il small >ci-oif against my deficiency, and
after giving any information that will assist
in settling my accounts, or, II possible, IN
recovering portion of what have lost, !
expect to take the full punishment awarded
Tor my offence.
In Justice to two parties in this city
through whom l have made Some specull-
tions, wish to say that they arc perfectly
using pubic funds. There arc small 3D.
lauces with each Of these parties to Ely
credit whenever the accounts are closed.
The lossc. made were almost elllreiy Ill
New York with one house There, whose ac
counts | hold subject to your orders. !
cuticayored TO induce them to maze Soou
the amount lost with trcln, when thcs
knew vas public money, but they n1'7 ~
fused. ,, mind
| nave been trying to make up my lhinu
10 this confession for some days, anu VIZ Va
the point Of doing so this morning III W.
of; -. Int could not bring myself 10 say IT,
.,,,J w,ntad lime 10 write ny innocent W!le,
whom trls (ri.htinl Information VIII kiIi.
CD Inrnivc me tor what have done 10 her
n,,n nv children. Al ask from you or the
.nrhnritics l. that, ii possible, >olne small
sll.n nav be lett her.
iurl6Sc KEYS Of my safe and box, con-
tanning all nv old accounts. DC. My pres
cnl vouchers, Sc, arc in the hands OF my
rle;h Is, and receipts in safe. Tue clerks are
all of them perfectly innocent ofany knoWl-
edge Of my deficiency.
/ shall remain ut the house, No. 1923 X
street, till informed what action you have
taken concerning me. There is no fear
will 90 away now. D. LEDYARD HODGE
The banking-houses in this city referred
to hy Paymaster Hodge as innocent Of any
knowledge OF his wrong-doing are the Trims
OF Lewis Johns0n Il 60. ald Middleton o.
Co. The New York banking concern i'm
pIjcated bv him are Polhemns Il Jackson,
with whom he seems to have hai trdnsac-
iiun. for some years. 1t would seem that
the heaviest Of the losses made by Hodge III
must have been live CT SIN
wears ago. when the fluctuations in gold
were greater than OF late. Neither OF the
WASHINGTON houses referred TO have ut any
time had any transactions or correspondence
with the New York firm mentioned, Po-he-
mus d Jackson. The transactions Ot Hodge
" 9TH the WASHINGTON houses were limited.
His losses were not to an amount to attract
attention, and there was nothing in his
dealings with them to excite suspicion that
he was usiag Government money in any
way. ilodge was not, as represented by
one OF The morning papers, fast man. On
the contrary he had every external appear
auce Of being Il clcar-headed, cautious bust
ness man. Such was his standing rs sale
man that our bankers, always quick TO
scent out any thing fast or cxtravaSant i'll
the habits of customers, would readily have
lcnt him any reasonable amount on his own
security. His operations in real estate III
this city were noted for shrcwdness and
gnod Judgment, and he must have made L
considerable amount in this way. His sal
AIRY was not large. but his income from his
private means left him by his father and
uncle was sufficient TO cover the not eX-
travagant style Of living he maintained, and
lie was supposed 10y good Judges 10 be
worth from $4,000 to S20O,000.- Wash
1ngtOn Star.