Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-08-29
The Late ASsistant-Treasur Of
Brooklyn Proves to be a De-
faulter in $24s, 1000.
Particulars of Another Tweed
Sweeney-COnaOlly ThieVing
Affair-A "Little JO-
ker'' Game.
The City Systematically Victim
ized-The Sureties Of the
Defaulters TO be Made
to Pay.

NEW YORK, August 2S.-It is now
known that the Brooklyn city treasury
is involved in the common catastrophe
with the Brooklyn trust company. Late
| last night it was ascertained that the
city treasury had been robbed of large
amount, and that Rodman, late assis-
tant city treasurer and secretary of the
trust company, was the guilty party.
Rodman, acting in his double
capacity, was enabled to cover up
the deficiency by making false
statements concerning the amount
of city money on deposit in trust COM
panies. Looking over the accounts OF
| the trust companies and the books OF
the city treasury, Mr.. Warren, an ex-
| pert who is engaged in examining them,
| finds the defalcatiOn of Rodman to be
as follows: From the city treasury, S55,
| coo; general fund, S9S 900; board Of ed
ucation on deposit with the city treas
urer, $4,000; total, $203, 900. OF this
amount, City Treasurer Sprague made
good $50, 900 by the sale of his stock in
the Brooklyn Eagle to William Van
Anden. The b0ndsmen of Sprague are
Henry Sanger, Robert L. Mulford,
James AllWell, John Patton and w. C..
Kingsley. They are fully responsible,
and the city will not be the loser.
The bond of RodmAn calls for
$4,000 and it is believed to be
well secured. 1t was said at the hall
that Rodman would be secured before
sun-down and lodged in Raymond street
Jail. The arrest, it was understood, was
to be made on the affidavit of the city
treasurer, Sprague, but that if be failed
to do so, the comptroller, acting under
the advice of corporation counsel, would
get a warrant out for the arrest Of Rod
man. On the other hand, a prominent
official says they don't dare to lay fin
ger on RodmaH, for he knows too much
for them, and they are afraid he will
tell it all if they threaten to make
him a scape-goat. 1t is also alleged
that in order to shield this alleged ring
of spectators, the deficiency will be
quietly met by parties who are directly
responsible for the safe custody of the
city funds. At an early hour this morn
ing Mr.. Sprague denied that there had
been any defalcatiOn, and Comptroller
Schroeder, although well aware that
there had been a defalcation, would not
admit it. Two hours later, however, it
was admitted by both these officials,
who stated that it was necessary for
them to keep the matter quiet, from the
fact that they were engaged in raising
the amount to make good the loss, so
the city should not suffer. 1t is now
understood that Sprague's bonds
men pledged themselves to make
good any deficiency, and Sprague has
assigned all his property to the
city, even to his household goods.
There are Those who assert that
Mills, of the Brooklyn trust company,
who was drowned at Coney island, was
implicated in this deficiency. Among
other ru nors which were rife, was one
that a certain city department was also
involved in trouble, but the nature of
the trouble is not yet defined. Inquiry
from officials failed to develop anything
satisfactory. Mr.. Warren has complet-
ed his examination OF the books of the
trust company, and his report is
ready. No further discrepancies than
those already known to the public have
been discovered. The Brooklyn EaQle
says: "The whole sum and substance of
all the statements made is that Rodman
is to-day a defaulter of two hundred and
forty-eight thousand dollars; that near
ly three years ago he, with the assist
ance of Mr.. Mills, stole fifty thousand
dollars, and more recently took the
sums brought up against him to-day.
The five hundred thousand first taken
were discovered by the city treasurer
shortly after the theft, and made
good by him without any pub
licity. He did not however remove
Rodman as he should have done, but
allowed him to continue his robberies.
In other words for some mysterious rea-
son, after finding that this man had
robbed the city, he permitted him to re-
main in actual control of its finances.
How long it is since the city treasurer
learned of the theft which caused the
excitement Of this morning, has yet to
be learned. AS to the first operation
of ROdman's it is morally certain,
that he was seconded in it by
Mills, for besides finding their book ac-
counts increased exactly that amount,
it is now also learned that in three days
after that they loaned, in a private
way, fifty thousand dollars to the Cen
trail bank. Mills snd ROdman simply
took fifty thousand dollars out of the
treasury and divided it between them.
Whether they divided the amount
found deficient yesterday or not, remains
for inquiry. The belief is that they
did, and that the city was, at their
hands, Systematically victimized.