The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-08-29
Great Municipal Robbery.
Thousand Dollars stO.
len from the City Of Brooklyn, BY
the Secretary Of tho Brooklyn TrnSI
Nnv,Hany - ET|.lf T I7aI' - -

NA-fNA' .H
NEW YoRK, August 2S.-IL Is now
known that tho Brooklyn city treasury u
involved In the common catastrophe With
the Brooklyn! Trust Company. Late last
night 1t was ascertAined that the city
treasury had been robbed Of o. large
AMOUNT, and that Rodman, late Assistant
City Treasurer and Secretary Of the Trust
Company, was, the guilty party. Ea
Rodmau, acting In his double capacity,
was enabled 70 cover up the deficit BY
making false statement concerning the
amount Of city money on deposit In the
Trust Company. In looking over the
accounts Of the Trust Company, and the
books Of the city treasury, Mr. Warren,
an expert who Is examining them, finds
the defaloatlon Of RodmSn 10 be Rs fol-
lows: e.. b.. iii 5.s., 6rg .srfzr
From the city Treasury $4,000; gen.
eTal fund $9S, 900; Board Of Education on
deposit with the Treasury $4,000. Total
$2US, 900, OI this amount city Treasury
Sprsgue made good $4,000 by the sale
OF his stock in the Brooklyn Ragle TO-
VIM. VsnAncen. The abopdsmen Of
Sprsgue are Henry Sanger, r. 8. Milford, !,
J. 0. Lowell, John Patton and WaC.
HngsleyI they are fully responsible and
the city will not be loser. The bond Ol
Rodman calls for S50,0 900 and 1t is belieY.
ed 10 bewell secured. II was said OF the
hall that Rodman would be secured before
sundoWn and lodged In Raymond street
Jail. The arrest it was understood
was 10 be made on the affidavit OF City
Treasurer Sprague, but II he failed TO do
so, the Comptroller, acting under the adj
vice Of the corporations counsel, would
get q warrant out lor the arrest ol Rod.
man. On the other hand; prominent
official says that they do not dare 10 lay o
finger on Rodman Tor ho knows too much
for them, and they are afraid he will tell
all il they threaten to make him scape.
goat. 1t Is also alleged, in order to shield
this alleged ring ol speculalors, that the
deficiency will be. quietly met by parties
who are directly responsible for the safe
custody ol the city funds at an early hour.
This morning Mr.. Sprague denied that
there had been any delalcation, and
Comptroller Schrader, although aware
that there had been a delalcation would
not admit it, Two hours later. hoSeyG~'
II yyas' aI..,i.,sI ~ UUIn Inese officials,
who stated 1t was necessary for them to
keep the matter quiet, from the fact that
they were engaged In raising an amount
to make good the loss so the city would
not suffer. 1870 ..ss ... ..a. OH. II
It Is now understood that Sprague's
bondsmen have pledged themselves 10
make good any deficiency, and that
Sprague has made an assignment Of all his
property 10 the city, even to his household
goods. There are those who assert that
Mills, Of the Brooklyn Trust Company,
who was drowned at Goney Island, was
implicated with RodmAn in this def.
ciency. Among the other rumors which
were rife was one that certain city de.
partment was also involved In trouble,
but the nature Of the trouble was not de.
fined. Inquiry from the officials failed TO
develop anything Batisfsctory. Mr. War.
rem has completed his examination Of the
books ot the Trust Company, and has his
report ready. No. further discrepancies
than those already, known TO the public
have been discovered. D. li5H4.: pidal,
The Brooklyn kdgb SAYS The sum
and substance Of all the statements made
Is, that RodmAn is To- day deiaulter to
the extent OF $24s, 900; that nearly three
years ago he, with the assistance Of Mr..
Mills, stole $4,000; and more recently
took the sums brought up against him TO.
day. The $4,000 first taken was discoV.
cred by the City Treasurer shortly after
the theft, and made good by him without
any publicity. He did not however, re-
move Rodman, as he should have done,
but allowed him TO continue his robberies
ln other wards. For some mysterious
reason, after finding that this man had
robbed the city, he permitted him to re-
main In actual control of its finances.
How long tits since the City Treasurer
learned of the theft which caused
the excitement Of this morning has
yet to be learned. As 10 tho first opera.
tion Of RodmRn, It Is certain that he was
seconded In II by Mills, for besides finding
their bank accounts increased exactly 10
that amount, 1t ID now also learned that in
three days after that they loaned In a prI.
vate way $4,000 to the Central Bank.
Mills and Rodman simply took $50, 600
ont OF the city treasury end divided Il be-
tween them. Whether they divided the
amount found deficient yesterday or not
remains for inquiry, Belief is that they
did, and that the city wns at their hands
systematically victimized,
City Treasurer Sprsgue Of Brooklyn
made formal complaint against Deputy
City Treasurer N. T. Rodman Of embez.
zling $203 900 funds Of the City Treasury.
Rodman was TONIGHT placed under ar
rest, and two detectives, details, are with
him at his residence
Mr.. Sprague will make a complete
statement OF the amount Of the detalca.
ton tomorrow. Financially, Mr.. Sprague
10 said TO be completely ruined by the ne
iGrious course Of his dishonest deputy.
NEW YORK, August 27.-By q state
ment made tonight to the Tribune 70.
porters, Mr.. Warner, the expert, says be
began tho examination Of tho Trust Com.
pany's books a week ago, but before I'm
ishing them, City Treasurer Sprsgue en-
gagged him 70 examine the books Of the
City Treasury, because Sprague desired TO
ascertain the exact amount Ol the suspect.
ed deficiency IN order 10 make 1t good
before the facts became public. On
examining the books, all were found cor
rect, but upon obtaining the pass books
from the banks and the Trust Company,
those from the other banks were found
correct, but that from the Trust Company
showed only about $500, 600 balance be.
longing to the city, when $500, 900 had
been deposited there, leaving q de.
flciency Of over 100000. Mr.. Warner
subsequently found certain checks which
at first had been paid, which reduced
the deficiency 10 100000. Other sums
we're found 10 have been paid, which ul.
timately reduced the amount of the de.
llciL 70 $4,000 unaccounted for. Warner
rannrteh nccnrhlnplH m the D1h innt 10