The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-09-19
THE MISSING MILLION,
The Way Business is Transacted at
the Treasury Department.
How are the People to Learn How
Many Millions Have Been
Stolen from Them!
[From the Washington Patriot.j

Stolen from Themy
From the Washington Patriot.j
The following letter from a detective
officer employed to "work up'' the case
of the steamship Golden Rule, which
carried the ''iron box" referred to in the
letter Of the Comptroller of the Treas
ury, with over a million dollars of notes
and $4,000 in Taos throws new light
on the subject. The Comptroller "pre-
sumed'' they were "compoundinterest
notes." but Mr.. Wiegel states emphati-
cally that they were illegal tenders, and
nothing else.'' Between the "presump-
ton" on one side, and the positive con-
tradiction on the other, the public is left
to draw its own conclusion, without any
aid whatever from official sources. The
books of the Treasury furnish no infor-
nation on the subject A million OF
dollars was issued, sent out for circula-
ton, and yet there is not a record to
show the denominations or numbers OF
the notes, or any means of tracing them.
How many more MILLIONS were issued in
the same reckless manner no human be,
ing can tell.
This is the way in which the public
credit is protected here. Untold mil.
lions, representing debt for which the
people are enormously taxed, and trans
fera3le like bank notes, are sent forth
from the Treasury, without particle OF
evidence on the books by which they
may be verified in case Of dispute or for.
gerry. This fact, which is admitted Off
cialiy, may well excite alarm in the pub
lie mind, in regard to the integrity Of
coupon bonds, legal tenders and Other
forms of notes, which require no en-
dorsement:
BALTIMORE, August 26.-The state
ment of Mr.. Taylor, of the United
States Treasury, or of any one else, that
the iron safe of the Golden RUE was
ever delivered in Washington to the
Treasury Department is a lie.
David W. Gray, Esq, of the firm OF
d. w. Gray & Co, of this city, now s
member of the old firm of Fitzgerald
Booth & Co., is living witness of tine
falseness of that statement.
The schooner on which that safe was
shipped for delivery to the United States
Treasury officers was consigned to the
firm of D. W. Gray q Co., and the safe
was hroacn ouerboard in storm by the
crew Of the schooner, it being part OF
the deck load. This same firm had the
collection of salvage on the 100000
in seven thirties which we're recovered
by the wreckers, and who had consigned
the safe to them. Owing to some alleg
ed informality, there was much trouble
about the collection of the money from
the Government, and l am not sure tina
it has ever been paid.
Interference to the 100000 being
compound interest notes, that is also {
myth. When went to the Issuing Blu
reau, with note from Assistant Secre
tary Richardson, directing that / shoult
have access to books, papers, &c, they
could tell me nothing about the notes
excepting that they were numbered in
certain series, and that was all. The.
,cere not compound interest notes. The
,oere legal tenders, and nothing else.
Judge Richardson and Mr.. Banfelt
were very anxious to search the cas-
through, land 1 was even sent out to Chi
cago in July, 1869, to get a personal in
terview with Mr.. S. NJ. Felker. H
knows as much about the case,and mor'
than either Mr.. Taylor, Murray, myself
or any of those who worked on the case
/ have the letter Of instructions nov
in my possession from Mr.. Redington
the Chief Clerk of the Secret Service Di
vision, in reference to my trip to Chica
90, as we'll as letter from the con6den
tial clerk of S. NJ. Felker, in Chicago
making an appointment with me at Fel
ker's house on Sunday, July 10, 1863
where / saw him and compared notes
and got valuable aid and.information.
i that 81, 100000 went into the hand
of scoundrels, and some of the officer
of the Treasury received their percent
age. WM. II W1EsEL.