, 1875-10-23

[
flowers will he put under the hammer
Philadelphia IdHes, Nflt,Dl5tT 2SM.
Stealing in Colorado.
The attention OF the public is for the mo
ment turned TO a revelation from Colorado.
The nrans adopted by United States Marshal
Schatfenbers to feather MS nest appear to iu-
dicate that he was man OF considerable
humor, and also that he rcposed uubouuded
faith in the gulhbility of the government.
While permitting no ''Pent up Utica 10
contract bis plunderings, which like those Of
the lamrnted Pinney, were evidently ham
pered by no considerations Ui age, sex, OF pre-
vious condition, he seems to have had
special prediction for that kind IF thieving
which was based upon the custody and main
tenance Of pris1nera. To say that he worked
this lead for all that it was worth would b.
10 convey very faint impression of the
splendid audacity Of bis proceedings Every
arrest made 10y him figured in the books for
the keep Of prisoner during several months,
and as he appears to have arrested nearly
everybody IN the Territory at one time OF an
other, It is easy To perceive that this was
lucrative method. No matter uhethlr Il
man was in custody five minutes or hal! an
hour, he appeared in justification for ,harge
OF s 50 day for At least three months, and,
probably to combine pleasure with business,
the funny fellow had returned all the leading
citizens Of Colorado as jril-birls. The mos,
rtst and lncarcerarI6n of himself, v hIch per-
haps he hit upon AZ a means Of iutimating
that there WAS no false pride about him. and
that he had no desire to affect exclusive
ness in the matter Of j4il-loigin;;. 1t l.
worth while to embalm the brief accaunt Of
this exploit, which Is a. follows: ~ one
time he, III company with some ring specula-
tors in Denver, went south of that ciry. and
through collusion with the then register Of
the land Office, took up twenty-thrge sections
for homcsteads, through using fictitious
names in the entries. Al! these lands were
afterwards sold to David Moffat K Co., ring
men The government got wind of this, and
began suit against the fictitious men named
in the deeds, for selling their homesteads.
| Then it was that Schaffenberg arrested him
self and crowd by causing warrants to be-
Issued for all the aliases used IN the frauGu-
lent land transaction, and at once placed the
imaginary crowd in Jail, and charged up Il
lot Of officers mileage, guards expenses, etc,
with regular rates per day for long term IL
Jail" Aud yet there are people who cannot
understand why the expenses of government
should be double what they were in 1860 :!
How could the Schaffenbergs and Piuneys
cut down What would become of the pub
lie service if Congressman, and their intimate
friends, and the friends Of their friends, were
not permitted to pat whom they pleased in
the position furnishing the best opportunities
to the official Thief Of the Period And
I above all. how could the cause Of good gov
ernment be served if the various central bu-
reaus were to examine the proceedings Of sub
ordinate offices too curiouslyr 1t Is said that
Mr.. Schaffrnberg, during his official term,
sent in accounts charging for the subsistence
of over two thousand prisoners. 1t l. not
stated whether these claims we're allowed, but
the presumption Is that they we're, though It
Is obvious that even the most careles inquiry
must have convinced the government that Il"
such number of prisoners could by any Possi-
bility have been provided for. Schatfenbergr
however, evidently understood those with
whom he had to deal. and his judgment Is
vindicated by the fact that he Is only found
ont after he has resigned his Office. l. Is pos
sible that some portion Of the plunder may
b, recovered from his bOndsneu, but the pro-
liability i that what Is secured will not
smount 10 a 1.-THE Of what has been stolen,
and that in the end this Infamous and imPu-
DENT thief wIll be allowed 10 retire without
punishment, beyond what consists IN the en-
Eaccz{ di.xoyge1D-Dt Of some fraction Of his
stolen wealth Not less important than the
acts Of plnnier perpe1Tsred by snCh scOnn'
drels, however. is the consideration Of the
remissness which renders these gigantic
frauds possible. Il Is evident that the sys-
TEN Of checks and balances employed by the
government Is worthless and that practically
I there "a no barrier 10 tbleVlng.