Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-02-09


1866 ... 6iO3, O309O72isig 80. i,7is,s9s,s9O@
Aggregate $o5,io' s22 SSg Ss9 g q
The three clerks who cmbczzled this
amount, Edwins, Marden and Johnson, were
appointed under Mr.. Lincoln. Here are
transactions involving an amount of money
almost beyond human comprehension
ffty-llve thousand millions-coyering over
eleven years of time, and passing through the
hands of three or four thousand different
people during that period, with losses sus-
tanned through lack of official integrity on
the part of the Treasurer's appointecs of less
than one dollar on million-a per ccntage
so small as to almost defy calculation, and
infinitely less than the loss from the abrasion
Of the gold coin paid into and out of the
Treasury during the same time. 1t is firmly
believed that no parallel for such success can
be found in history.
THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
Let us take up the Interior Department
In the Patent Office, Indian Office, Census
Office and Educational Bureau, there have
been no dcfalcations of any kind during the
period named. In the other offices there
have been discovered, since the 4th of March,
1869, thirteen defalcatons, involving total
of S2l6,097o5, of which there has been re.
covered 100000, leaving a balance of Sl09,.
09i05, which is fully covered by responsible
bonds.
Cases, A,aoppt
L. ssss ~ l.s4
Appointed by Grant t...........u4 10G500O0
Ont of nine pension agents who have default
ed, five were appointed by johnson, four Ivy
Grant. The three land officers who default
ed were all appointed by Johnson, as was
also the disbursing clerk. In every case 1t
fell to the lot of the new administration of
the Department TO expose the crime of the
offender, and to recover the embezzled
money, where il could, and 1t is exceedingly
probable that the Government VIII not lose
n cent in any of these cases. SO careful has
been their management. 1t should be added,
that In these cases, as well as cthors, the
greater number of these defa,cations (ninc
out of the thirteen) accrued under the last
Administration wholly, and that this Admin
istration had no part or responsibility ii
them, save to expose them.
PosT-oFF1cF IMPAIRMENT.
Since March I, 1869, suits have been en-
tered against 100 postmastcrs, who have
, failed to adjust their accounts to the salts
faction of the Department. These cases in
volve a total of sol 1853, or an average of
lesss than 81 1000 each.
Appointed by johnson .s5 $77O14 II
Appointed by Grant. .....20 ih12i A
Since the 18th of March, 1869, the Depart
mcnt, upon investigation, has discovered
sixteen dcfalcations in the money order ac
count, varying In amount from S26.96 to
! Sllj0OO, aud covering, all told. the sum Of
$l56GiS.63 The two largest cases were
those OF J. w. Norton, Superintendent
Money Order Account, New York City ($ll5-
900, and T. e. Simms, Postmaster Mt Atlanta
Ga, S22T96.3). These dcfaulters were ap-
pointed as follows
By Lincoln* Amount $4,000 90
By @rant....... Amount 1,5l6.57
Norton was originally appointcda a clerk
! in the New York Post-Oflicc during Mr.. Lin
coins first term, and was promoted from
I time to time.
Simms was appointed by johnson, and was
Immediately removed by Grant when the
defalcation was discovered Norton was
originally appointed under Lincoln, and was
made MoneyOrder Superintendent under
! johnson, and the exposure of his fraud was
/ the result of the Department. own efforts in
! investigation. His bondsmcn, among whom
( is the Hon. Horace Greeley, have pledged
| the whole amount, and it will be recovered
/ Norton has been arrested and held for trial
! The only other dcfalcatiOn I'm THIS Depart
ment since March 4, 1862, Is that of F. A.
! Mccartney, late iisbursng clerk of the De-
/ partment, for $4,000. He was arrested, held
| for trial, and died in the insane asylum last
/ summer from the shock of a broken heart
/ upon broken constitution. The man who
scduccd him into putting the Government
money into a marble quarry speculation-a
/ Bohemian adventurer, without character
| survives him to invent and scatter SANDERS
| against the President and his Administra-
/ tion about sandstone rings utterly re-
/ gardlcss of the truth and of his own rCspOn-
| sibility for Macartncy's defacation and
death
! PUNISHMENT or DEFAULTERs.
| March, Naval Paymastcr, defaulter AT Mare Island,
] California; cashiered.
! Lockwood. Giraud and Parker Naval Paymasters,
4 defraudcd on distant stations; cashiercd.
j. Ledyard Hodge, defaultcr in Paymastcr-Gen-
erals ottir~ in Albany Penitentiary for ten years
| J. +. Bailey, defaulting Internal Revenue Collec-
tor, New York; fled the country to avoid arrest
/ Boweman and Wilson, dcfauting Deputy-Collec-
tors OF Customs at Baltimore; convicted and in
/ prison.
j. W Norton defaulting Money. order Supcrin-
. tcndent, New York; under arrest for trial.
Geo. B. Wcllman, defaulting Deputy Collector OF
I Customs at Savannah; under Indictment
Internal Revenue Collector Could and Supervisor
/ Kizyzanouski. conspiracy to embczZle, Georgia;
indicted; former fled the country latter held fol
| trial
VIM Wiggin, defauting Frcedmen's Bureau
| agent; convicted and sentenced 10 ten years I'M
| prisOnment
f. A. Mccartney dcfaulng Post. Oiicc disbursinq
clerk; died in insane asylum before he could be
tried
e. f. Edwins, emhczzling Treasury clerk; con
yicted and in prison,
F. a, Madden, embezzllng Treasury clerk; con
Seth johnson. cmbezzling Treasury clerk; under
indictment and will certainly be convicted.
s. H. kendig, defaulting disburslng clerk, interior
Department; convicted and in prison
The responsibility Of the appointment of only fou
Of the above seventeen cases rests upon this Ad
mnstratiOn.
Grants Administration is charged with ap
pointing more incompetent and corrupt me1
to Office than any that have preceded it. Let
us take the total number of cases of recorded
misconduct which have been disclosed since
it came into office, or of funds in contrOyer
sy, with the aggregate amount of money in
volycd, and the result is thus
Appointed under Buchanan !, amount 50,
1861; appointed under Lincoln 10, $25l,
S26.S2; appointed under johnson l37, amount
81, ,056, 6,310.S0; appointed under Grant 80
amount $500, 10S.41 4; unascertained appoint
ments (War and Navy d, S633, ,2OO.4s.
Connecticut.