River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-06-18

struggle TO carry on such an or.
ganized assimilation. But finally he
got all his meshes in good working order,
and one fine afternoon he respectfully re.
quested the Secretary to step down to his
Office, whittier he had invited the Regis.
ter and tho Chief Of the Treasury Police.
Then message such as is heard in the
office forty times day, that "the Gen.
eral would like to see him." was sent to
the clerk, who answered it promptly and
unsuspecting, AS soon as he crossed the
threshold, the General walked over TO
the door, locked it, turned to the Secre-
tary and other officers and said seen
tlemen, this mans name is -. lie has
stolen $4,000; if he says he didn't he's
- liar, for have the proofs" After
which novel but direct way os admins.
tering justice, the General left them TO
deal with his prisoner. The money was
all recovered, think.
Another time he played detective, and
by hiding behind door discovered a
woman stealing aotes from the clerks
desks, but that amount was small, for, as
he says,
WOMEN ARE 700 cowARDLY
to take big sums. In 1870 $4,000 was
stolen from the Division Of Issues lin the
Treasurer's Bureau) by two men who
came into the room with party of visi.
tors whom Collector Tullock was show
ing through. The chief of the room
thought they were Mr.. Tullock's friends,
and Mr.. Tullock thought they were the
chiefs friends, so they passed leisurely
down the long aisle, and while one add
dressed aquestion to the messenger, who
was watching the money table, the other
slipped the little package lit was in 800
notes. into his pocket. Sixteen thousand
dollars of that was recovered.
Then came the Edwins defalcation, the
most cleverly managed Of all. for not a
shadow Of suspicion rested on the offend
er till he confessed his guilt. He was
special protege of General Spinner, a
trusted clerk, and writer Of some re-
pute; his speculations covered several
years, and consisted in taking packages
sent for redemption, replacing them with
others, and thus covering his tracks. At
the time his deeds were brought to light
he owed the government something over
$4,000, part of which he refunded. He
had his tickets bought for Europe, and
had gone as far as New York, when some
impulse-perhaps affection for the friend
whose trust he had abused--made him
return to Washington and 60 straight to
General Spinner with his story.
Two or three years afterward an over.
hauling Of the books Of the office revealed
deficit Of about $4,000 in two officers
accounts, When these gentlemen were
called on to explain they calmly and can.
didly avowed they had taken it, and said
simultaneously that they were very much
relieved by the avowal, as it had been a
great lead to carry. Parto Of this amount
was also refunded.
When you come to group these thefts
together in period Of twelve years they
seem to be appalling, and every outsider
will be Immediately ready before he has
read this far to load with wholesale abuse
all the clerks and ridicule the sagacity of
their superior officers. But, my friend,
there are two sides to this picture. Just
spend
ONE DAT IN THE TREAsuRER's OFFICE,
step out on the gallery that runs around
the cash room aud watch the tills, the
drawers, the piles Of money that lie on
the counter below; walk through the Re
demption Division, where hundred wo-
men pick over the bundles OF filthy
money that come from every city in the
Union; look in at the door Of the Divis-
ion of Issues, where other women, with
fingers flying so fast you can scarcely fol.
low, count the great packages of new
money, that goes to every city in the
Union; run your eye down the long col
umns of figures, six deep, in the ponder
Gus ledgers Of tine Office and count up the
millions that pass through it daily, chang
ing from hand to hand, now in one form,
now in another, and then perhaps it will
seem to you that the wonder is ten times
as much hasn't been stolen. And, if you
still think somebody's to blame for care
lessness, you might come down here and
try to run it yourself, and see how your
accounts would balance.