Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-09-15
AN IMMENSE HAUL.
CON fession of "Tvuly LOil" De-
fauIter.

Con fession of % "Tvuly LOiI" De-
faulter.
Tammany has breathing spell. Tam
many does not monopolize all the cor
ruption. There is a roar against Tam
many rattle and bang But another
uproar comes to its relief. 1t comes in
the form of confession of official rob
berry perpetrated by one j. Ledyard
Hodge, paymaster Of the United States.
The theft confessed is S473,939. The
affair is important enough to be preserved
in our columns. The letter is reprinted
from the morning papers:
WASHINGTON, September 10, 1871.
General B. W. Brico:
SIR have to inform you that / am
unable to close my accounts, and that
owe a frightful amount-aboutS 1850, 600
which i have lost during the past few
years in stock speculations, going deeper
and deeper in the hope of retrieving my
self. / have no excuse or mitigation of
my course to offer, and propose to take
the full consequences of my sin. l had
thought o week ago of escaping from
New York, but l believe / have done
better in returning here to deliver my
self up, as l felt myself bound to do.
| can, of course, offer no pretense or
excuse for the systematic deceit have
practiced on you, and the advantage
/ have taken Of the position ! have
held. and feel that you especially have
cause to be justly memorable towards
me. / have been led on by an in
fatuation that always attends the
course / entered on, hoping always to
recover my loss and conceal my crime.
/ believe il is really a relief to be
forced to the discovery, for ! have
been in shell on earth" for years;
and the alterations of hope and fear
that / have gone through, and the con-
slant care to avoid detection, were be-
coming too strong. desire to turn
oyer all the property ! have as small
Offset against my deficiency, and, after
giving you any information that will be
able to assist in settling my accounts,
or, if possible, IN recovering . portion OF
what / have lost, | expect to take the
full punishment awarded for my ofense.
In Justice to two parties in this city,
through whom / have made some specu-
lations, | wish to say that they are per.
fectly innocent of any knowledge that !
was using the public funds. There are
small balances with each of these par
ties to my credit whenever the &C.
counts are closed. The losses / made
were almost entirely in New York.
With one house there, whose accounts
/ hold subject TO your order, en-
deavored to induce them to make
good the amount lost with them,
which they knew was public money,
but they have refused. have been
trying to make up my mind to this con-
fession for some days, and was on the
point Of doing 80 this morning in your
office, but | could not bring myself to
say it, and wanted time to write my in
nocent wife, whom this frightful infor-
nation will kill. God forgive me for
What | have done to her and my chill
dren. All that ! ask ifom yop or the
authorities is that, if possible, some
small sum may be left her, inclose
the keys Of my safe and box, contain
ing ali my old accounts, etc. My pres
ent vouchers, receipts, etc., are in the
hands Of my clerks, who are all of them
perfectly innocent Of any knowledge of
my deficiency. / shall remain at my
house, No. 423 X street, till informed
what action you have taken concerning
me. There is no fear that ] will 90
away now. j. LEDYARD HODGE,
paVmastpr