Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-10-28


for the quarter ending June 1873, showed de-
fieiency Of about S60O
On a cFoss-etaminolion, NJ Henderson said
that he looked hpou Mr.. DougheTty as Assis
tant Postmaster, having charge Of the detailed
work Of the ONCE, be said, was looked upon az
one fully able TO pay Its employees out OF The
current receiptss
Isaiah A. Thomas the oldest clerk 10 the Office
was next sworn. iHelesti6ed thai Mr.. DOuRher-
ty had charge of the saEa. and that himself and
Mr.. Gamble. also, knew how 10 unlock. IL, de
stated that the'siamp account, which Mr. Gam
be had charge d, was frequently shult from $4
10 $40 per day. Mr.. DOngheriy knew Of this
shorlnes'. as be had heard him speak Of it, He
fell pretty certain that Mr.. Lewis did not know
the combination TO unlock the safe. In answer
to pointed question IN regard 10 the short
stamp account, he said that suspician had rested
on. joseph Myers, the colsed letter carrier. He
also stated on the cFoss-examinaiiOn, that Post
master Lewis would occasionally take money
from the stamp account, which was always
charged up against him; his'Wife, on one or Ivo
occasions, had obtained mSney from the Office
which was charged to him. Mr.. Gamble bad
asked Mr.. Lewis TO make the stamp account
correct but he had not done So lie had seen
Mr.. Lewis take money from the various clerks
and give meucfanaums for the same. The
stamp account Mr.. Thomas said he knew 10 be
correct when Mr.. Doug gherty went Into Office
The deficiencies In the stame account, were
made up by drawing on the money order account.
He considered Dougherty alone responsible for
the safO-keeping Of stamps and funds. 1t was
also Mr.. Oeugherty's business to make up the
quarterly akconnis, which VIM. Lewis would
sign and send to Washington. With these &C
counts was signed the receipts Of the clerks for
their salaries, and in order to make them cor
rect the clerks would frequently sighn receipts
for their salaries without receiving them.
During this witness testimony, the official bond
Of e ]. DOugherIy was offered and admitted as
evidence.
Horace d. Gamble, being duly sworn, stated
that he was clerk in the Postoffice, sold stamps,
and attended TO the General Delivery, that he
charges all stamps sold upon book and makes
over the account to Mr.. Dougherty. That he
discovered deficiencies in his accounts almost
every time he squared up his books; that these
deficiencies did not occur previous TO Mr..
OOuSherty's entrance into the pOstofEce. That
DOugherty told him to charge this deficiency TO
The Postmaster. On several occasions, he stated,
he had taken deposits to the u. S. Depository,
at Philadelphia. He further stated that the
Clerks were in the llahit Of helping themselves
TO their salaries cut of the stamp account, and
that he had hid the money away, when i was
needed for Office purposes TO keep it from being
4 taken. He stated that once be lad got cashed
for Mr.. Dougherty draft on the Department
at Washington, for $3.50 for the money order
Department a. he was coming up the Postofice
steps, with the money, he met postmaster Lews
who took $25 Of the money, and said 10 tell
DOugheFty that he had done 80. He said that
he never saw Mr., Lewis take money from any
ofthe clerks without telling them to make
Mr.. Thomas being recalled, stated, that the
clerks had been paid from the stamp account
only since Dongherty had been chief clerk
Mr. Pyle used 70 pay them of, but latterly
they had been In the habit Of paying them
Il selves. All this loose manner of conducting
business was permitted by Mr. Lewis, but Mr..
DOugherty he considered, was In a great mea
sure, responsible. ts.I. "a
Mr.. Henderson. being recalled, stated that
there was . deheieRcy Of s15S3.S3 in the safe
account toT Whicn there were no vouchers.
Mr. Harrington, counsel for Mr.. DmgheftY
then opened the defence. He said thai no
j testimony Hhateverhad been presented TO eOn-
meet Mr.. DOugherty with the deficiency, and
therefore moved that he be forthwith dis
charged. He said thas the same evidence
which had been offered to prove DOugherty's
u guilt, would be sufficient TO hold responsible
every man In the Office. The charge cannot
be saddled upon him simply because he is
chief clerk, nor can he be held responsible for
those under him. No witness swears to any
fact fixing criminality upon Mr.. Dougherty.-
4
OF the ONCE, and the clerks were even allowed
to take their own salaries. DOugheTty alone
he SAID, had Deen singled out, because he was
bonded Ofiicer, and, had sureties, who. 1t was
supposed would settle the deficiency, and have
! the affair settled up.
: Mr.. Gordon followed He said that the
, Commissioner should carefully weigh the evil
dence Ia this case. There is no proof he said,
that MIR. DOngherty took one cent of the def
cheney. The only charge which can be brought
against him is negligence IN the most negli-
E gently conducted concern he ever heard of
e Clerks would sign receipts for salaries which
: they never received, 10 order to allow Mr..
0 Lewis to send to Washington in correct
Z shape, his sworn accounts, and thus prevent
himself from being turned out of ONCE which
ne should have been long ago. All the neg.
ngence was transacted under Mr.. Lewis eve
The sacred (mOney order) fund" was inva.
ded by the hands Of the Postmaster himself
lie has done u IN the most criminal FORM
e stop not at DOugherty, but seek little higher
e ana the real criminal will be found Lewis j:
q the man who Is responsible for this Grosses
+ derelictlon OF duty ever heard Of l
sI District Attorney Higgins summed I'M fol
a the government. he said that this charge
was brought under the law which provide,
that any Clerk having temporary cnstOdy O
noales lson fostonlce revenue, who shall ne
eject 20 deposit the same In the Treasury o.
P the United States, shall be deemed guilty OF Al
embexziement. There Is cause to hold Mr.
Il Dougherty for trial He is the next office
+ to the Postmaster. He is cashier the stamp
lsI goes from him, and the money for the sam,
. comes TO him. He must not Do other thar h
3 shOW what becomes Of that money. When b,
Z can't ne falls to account for that which HI
should have knOwn ali abOat. His account
!, should show where the money went. 1t isnO
!. rlght Tor tne counsel for the defense, In hi
2 efforts % throw the guilt on other parties, d
say that Mr.. DOugheFty Is not At all responsI
ot Bile for these deficiencies.