Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-07-01

CERTIFICATES FOR PAY ISSUED on FORGED
ORDERS OF POLICEMEN AND PIRzggs
A TUmor having been current for some time
past in relation to the discovery of forged orders
Tor certificates of pay due policemen and mem
neIs OF the ire DEPARTMENT, on which forged
orders certificates bad been issued and in CON
nect!On with which transactions tue name, of
some local politicians and business firms have
been mentioned, inquiries into the m after have
been MADE ty STAR reporter, and although
the rumOrs have been substanta ted in IN pst par
ticulsrs, the amount involved does not foot up
so large a. has been reported. IL will be recol-
lected that both the policemen and fremsn
were formerly paid of by officials connected
with the respective office OF police and
hre departments, and that the pay-rolls
were transferred 70 the office of the CONTROLLER
for settlement on Dee. /. 1873, since which time
that officer has psTfur med the duty OF p7vmas-
ter. Since the scarcity of money many OF the
members OF both the departments named have
accepted certificates of Indebtedness issued by
the controller, which have been negotiated BY
them outside. 1t has been discovered that a
series OF forgeries bave been perpetrsted upon
this Office, the first one being noticed in the case
OF fireman II. Steele, who, upon making appli-
cAtlOn Tor his pay on certificate for December,
le'5, was informed by the controller that be had
crawn it. This was denied By Steele when his
order for certificate, OF which the following
u copy, was shown him, the signature to
which be at once pronounced TO be forgery.
~tO. WAsHISGTON, ID. q Jan. p. iSI4
Gee. Z Boter--Pay 70 the order of rhos. h.
WarTIck sixty dollars month December 1873
value received and charge to account Of Fire
H. E.
This was endorsed by Thos. B. warricE and
II. Steele, the name OF the latter being crossed
out with an ink mark. Another one, dated
March p va: soon after received, written by
the same hand, for the same amount, D9ylple 70
the order Of L. b. Warrick, for pay TOR the
month OF November, 1873, and signed By j. ID.
Angel, another fireman, of No. company,
Georgetown; another Tor four months pay on
Samuel Dawes, and one FIR one mlnth's payon
F. n. Myers, also hTemgn, followed, and were
received ty the controller. Altogether, among
il Las.
that the Sums for which certificates on forged
orders nave been issued will not exceed 81 200
or $500
The extent of the forged certificates on the
police Pay-rOlls has not been definitely ascer-
tanned, but it is thought not to be very great.
Some have, however, been discovered.
The reason for making the transfer of these
Pay-Tolls 10 the controllers office was on the
score OF economy, as by it the offices of sscre-
tary and treasurer to the boards named could
be and were abolished.
Tie facts were communicated to Chief Clar-
voc OF the detectives Office, who assigned the
case TO Detectives Sargent and McElfresh who
have since been vigilantly at work, and sue
ceeded in fastening the transaction where the Y
belOng-on certain we'll known persons, some OF
them lot very far distant from the Morrison
hui ding, and one at least an employe in the
building, who has returned 10 that off ce after
an absence OF sixty days furlough.
Some surprise has been expressed that so far
no criminal proceedings have been insugurated
by Controller Baker, knowing full well, as he
does, the suspicious of the detectives and the
almost absolute certainty of covicting some of
the suspected parties of forgery, and others of
aiding and abetting in it, should such proceed
ings be entered upon. The certificates bear the
regular stamp OF the controllers office, and the
inference is natural that some one familiar
theTeabouts is knowing to the transactions.
The whole matter seems to be involved in
considerable mystery, and requires the sitting
process OF criminal action to traighten out. 1t
ought to be easily done, as the parties who hold
the certificates must account for the manner
they came into their possession.
MI Baker stated this morning to The STAR
reporter that his reasons for the delay ia prose-
cutirS was that he desired to confer with coun-
sci now absent from the CITY.
There are thirteen months pay due the firemen
and 1t Is thought that fifty per cent of this
amount has been paid in certificates of the
character named, and ii is apprehended that
on the adjustment of the accounts more of these
forgeTies will be discovered.
1t may be added that the pay rolls named are
accessible 10 any one who desires to examine
them, and nothing is easier than TO ascertain
who upon them have been paid, the amounts
due each individual. &C., and fill out certii-
Gates accordingly.