Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-09-15
WASHINGTON.
A Letter from the Great De-
faulter.
the Treasury Department Re.
sp0nsibIe.
$29, 600, 900 at His Mercy


WASHINGTON, Sept. 14.-The follow
ing is a complete copy of Maj. Hodges
letter of confession: v-
WAsHINGroN, Sunday, Sept. 10.--Gen.
B. wv. Brice-Sir: Il have to inform you
that ! am unable to close my accounts,
and that l owe the frightful amount of
above $3.50, ,000, which sum l have lost
during the last few years In 53s.E l,slE
stock specuiati0ns, as s8s
going deeper and deeper in the hope Of
retrieving myself. have no excuse or
mitigation of my course to offer, and pro-
pose TO take the fun consequences of my
sin. / had thought week ago of
= A-N-Escaping
from New York, but believed have done
better in returning here TO deliver myself
up, SIS Ifelt was bound TO do. can,
of course, make
No Presence OF Excuse
for the systematic deceit have practiced
on you, and the advantage have taken
of the special position l have held, and
feel thai you especially have cause to be
Justly inexorsble against me. / have
been led on by the
SO InfatuatiOn
that always attends the course J. entered
on, hoping always to recover my loss
and conceal my crime.
believe il is really 8 relief to be forced
to discovery, for ! have been
I'm n Hell ON Earth
for years, and the alterations of hope
and fear have gone through, and the
constant care to avoid detection were be-
coming too strong. l desire to turn over
all the property have as a small set off
against my deficiency, and after giving
any information that will assist in settling
my accounts, or if possible in recovering
portion of what have lost, expect to
take the
Fall Punishment
awarded for my offense.
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 public funds. There are small
balances with each of these parties to my
credit whenever accounts are closed.
The losses / made were
Almost Entirely in New York.
With one house there, whose accounts
held subject to your order, eIdeav-
ord to induce them to make good the
amount lost with them, which they knew
was public money, but they have re
fused. have been trying TO make up
my mind TO this confession for some days,
and was ON the point of doing 80 this
afternoon in your Office, but l could not
bring myself to say iE and wanted time to
write to
MyInnocenf Wife
whom this frightful information will
kill. God forgive me for what l have
done to her and my children. All / ask
from you or the authorities is that if pos
sible, some small! sum may be left her.
enclose the keys of my safe and box con-
tanning all my old accounts, &c. My
present vouchers, receipts, etc, are in the
hands of my clerks, who are all of them
perfectly innocent of any knowledge of
my deficiency. l shall remain at my
house No. 423 K street, till informed
Of what action you have taken concerning
me. There is no fear l will go away
now. J. LRDYARD HODGE,,
Paymaster.
The Treasury Department RespOn-
sibBe.
Gen. Bfice says this morning that it
viii appear upon investigation that the
Treasury Department is responsible for
The failure of the Government to discover
he de fal cation sooner. Gen. Brice also
denies the report that Hodges, after sus-
Dicion had first been attached 10 him, was
Allowed TO draw any checks, except such
IS were necessary to transfer balances to
proper officers
Trusted with Over Twenty nine
Million Dollars!
Hodges disbursements during the
asst six years since the war, have amounted
Is the records show, to the enormous
'um of $29, 81, ,450 for payment.
Treasury certificates for the county alone
for a considerable time ranged from
s400, 900 to $500, 600 per month. These
arge disbursements with the necessary
credits have afforded an opportunity for
frauds which he covered up
by means of false and fraudulent official
returns, statements and accounts. The
actual amount of Hodges deficit as de-
iermined by a careful examination is
e473, 939.
His Accomplicess
In his letter of confession he refers to |
parties in this city and one in New York |
through whose agency he hiss made spec
llations. Those In this city he declares |
ire perfectly innocent of any knowledge |
hat he was using in his operations with
hem the public funds. The party in
New York, he states, knew the money
ost with them was public money and not
his own. Hodge caused to be communi-
ested to Gen. Bric3 the names of these
parties as follows: Middleton & Co.,
bankers, Washington; Lewis, johnson &
Co., bankers, Washington; ard Polhemns
& jackson, bankers, No. &C Exchange
Place, New York City.
To National BANKERS.
The Comptroller of the Currency will |
lot call for the reports on the condition
1f the National Banks until he is ready |
% embody them in his report TO be laid
before Congress.
TBVEnN NnH