Smyrna times., 1873-10-29

A Posi- OFFICE DEFAULTER- Wednes-
day, upon the complaint of Mr.. Henderson,
special agent of the Post Office Department,
warrant of arrest was issued against Captain +.
j. DOugherty, assistant postmaster in Will
mington, and he was held to bail by Commits
sioner Smith. The special agents allegation,
after thorough examination of the post Office
accounts, is that Mr. Dougherty, who has been
cashier, is short some So, 200. No other irreg.
ularity appears yet according to the Gazette,
which seems proud of its political game, says
that Dougherty claims that he is not alone in
the matter, but that Postmaster James Lewis
is in for a share, he having received a large
portion of the theft. Should the charge be
established no loss accrues to the Government
| or to the post Office there, as Captain DOugher
| ty is bonded in $4,000 with suretiGs entirely
sufficient He was tried on Wednesday after
noon and held to bail in the sum of $4,000 for
his appearance at the u. S. District Court
H. F. Pickles, Samuel Cruthers, Patrick Hol-
land and Thomas j. Bennett, became his
bondsmen and he was released.
! DOugherty made a good record as a soldier
in the ranks during the war, and as Chief of
Police under Mayor Valentines admini>tra-
ton. He was looked upon as a rising man,
socially and politically. But political pettinR
filed him too full of aspiration. The Repub-
licans nominated him for Mayor last year, but
by the tricks of his friends, if not himself, in
stufing the nomination lallot boxes, he defeat
ed himself and his party.
LATER.
On Monday another hearing was had before
the U. S. Commissioner, Mr. Higgins appear
ing for the Government and Geo. g. GOrdOr
and s. NJ. Harrington for DOugherty. Hen
derson's (the Government AGENT testimOn!
was that the deficiency in the office receipt
was $2,035; that Postmaster Lewis is shOr
$500; that the deficiency has been going OF
since Oct. '72; that Dougherty was ARRESTED
because he kept the books, had charge of tn
safe and accounted to the department 70
stamps. Mr.. Thomas, clerk, testified tha
) the stamp account would be short from 81 /
$40 at each settlement and that Doughert
! spoke of it but could not account for it tina
Lewis was cognzant of the deficiency tina
he (Thomas) had taken $40 and $l2 at a tim
: from the money order fund to give to Mr.,
Lewis that he asked Dougherty why he didn
tell Lewis to make up the deficiency thu
/, DOugherty said Lewes couldn't raise none
sufficient for the purpose; that the clerk
L often had to give their receipts for the
salaries before receiving them, so that tn
c deficiency would be covered up; that L wis ha
: Dougherly's receipts now for salary that tt
}, latter has never received. Mr.. Gambril, ii
), stamp clerk, testified that the stamp accoul
was short last November about 500, and tn
d deficiency has been increasing ever since an
e now reaches 1852; that the stamp account W;
y never short until DougheIty was appOinte
= assistant postmaster, and has not been sho
l. since he was removed; that he believed Lew
r always left memorandum of money taken
/ him or his wife from the stamp account
A. that Dougherty once told me to charge the de
cheney in the stamp account to Lewis.
\. Mr.. DIS counsel moved that he be d
IS charged, but the Commissioner thought be
4 to hold him to answer in court.