Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1871-09-27

There was intense excitement In WISH
irrson noaAsioned By the rcport, which
snhsaauently appeared 30 Be correct
- tnl Hodges. Paymasier Of the
Regular Army, was guilty OF asi.le.-
ton 30 the Government, e1tsndins
hack 10 1854. amounting 70 han
million % dollars stock specniatonss
eold Gambling. and real estate transao-
tions' in which he had been unfortunate,
are given a. the leading causes OF the
disaster. Col. Hodges was, conveyed.
under strict guard. by order Of General
sherman. 10 Fort McHenry, Baltimore,
where he viii be held until court-mAr-
tial can be organized for his trial
Gen. Brioe, Paymaster-general, n,
eeived from Col Hodges a confession o.
his crime, with a statement that he had
lost the amount during the last lev years
in stock speculations The defauiter
has been a favorite with Government
officers, where he has always been re-
garded as above suspicion, and he mas
always had what is called the cream
Of the service. He has been retained IN
Washington for several years, never
having been subjected 20 the trials and
EMBELLISHMENTS Of field service, aud has
always had the easiest and least respon-
sible service In the Paymaster's depart
ment Col. Hodges in his letter 70 Gen
Brice admits a systematic deceit, run
ming back several years 10 cover up iaise
and fraudulent returns, dishonest state
ments. and inaccurate accounts MS
disbursements for six years past amount
no s2g. 291, 450. For the payment of
Treasury certificates for bounty alone
the amount ranged from S4OO,OOO TO
$500, 900 per month.
II has now been discovered that John
w. Norton, ex-assistant postmaster OF
New York city, and more recently the
superintendent of the money order de
partment of the New York post-otfice, has
been guilty of populations, extending
over a long series of years, to the amount
of $4,000. The discovery was made
about a month ago, but the post-ofic,
authorities have been ever since engaged
in getting at the real facts of the case.
John w. Norton, the defaulter, Is nov
between forty-five and fifty years OF age
and was appointed by the late jane
Kelly, then postmaster of New York, e
the responsible position OF assistant post
master. In 1864, when the Post-otfic'
money order system went into operation
Mr.. Norton was given the superinten
dence of that department in the post
office. The business of the money-orde
department had by this time grown t.
immense proportions it received an'
paid over every day about as much money
as any of the banks in the city, and 1T
transactions every year amounted Il
about six million dollars. Every dollal
of these immense sums was IN the com
plete control of Mr.. Norton. The manu-
al labor alone of signing the drafts ant
receipts became so great that the Post
master Mr.. Norton was instructed T.
sign the name of General Jones, and b,
drew and discussed the money needed il
his department. 1t was shownla month
however, that Norton's accounts, though
they balanced with themselves most ad
mirably, did not compare so well witt
the books of the Assistant Sub-Treasury
which is in effect the bank of deposit o
the New York Post-ofiice, and upon in
vestigation the defalcation was discover
ed. The amount will be fully recoveret
by the Government.