The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-06-24
UNCLE SANS TREASURY.
The Late Cash Room Robbery.-Ea0W
the Room Has Been Open to visitors
..EOrmcr TheftS.
washington Correspondence, June 4th, OF
Chicago Inter OCEAN,

Washington Correspondence, June 4th, OF
Chicago Inter OCEAN,
ALL ABOUT THE AFFAIR.
The one topic all through the city is
the Treasury robbery. In departmental
circles the excitement is very great, and
each clerk, and especially clcrkess, has
theory of how,when and why it was done.
OF coarse the facts of the discovery have
been telegraphed all over the country,
and we, who live in the very shadow of
the department, know no more about the
matter than you Chicago people. The
papers this morning are full of hints and
assurances that the culprits will be ar
rested before night, but / fancy all that
is a gIittcring generality mplimentary
to the detective force, for the man who
was plucky enough to steal nearly $780,
900 in broad daylight, under the eyes of
twenty people, would be adroit enough to
hold on to it for awhile,anyhow. Every
visitor to the Treasury remembers
THE CASH ROOM,
that spacious and sunny apartment pam
neled and hoored with no less than twen-
ty different kinds Of marble, foreign
and domestic. The counting and
sealing Of the packages of money to be
sent away goes on in the northeast part
Of the room in corner screened with
glass partitions, and every bundle is
counted and recounted, sealed and re-
sealed, and done up in such tangle of
red tape generally that you wonder how
even its rightful owners ever get it. After
six clerks have performed all the pre-
scribcd ceremonies over the packages,
these are taken to the elevator, which is
nothing but piece of the floor that let's
down into the express Office directly be-
low. This elevator, which always remind
ed me of the guillotine, is the vault
which adjoins the cash room and commu-
nicates with another vault above and the
room of the Adams Express Company
below. To this waiter the money has
been tracked; there it disappeared, and
as the waiter is dumb waiter, it can t
tell anything about it.
I suppose one result of this disturbance
will be the total exclusion of visitors from
the vault, for the clerks connected With
the vault and cash room very justly
. refuse to be responsible for money if
PROCESSION OF STRANGERS
passes in and out daily. All the cash.
room lying behind the counter is sup
posed to be strictly private; even mes
sengers are excluded, and the vault is in.
tended to be still more carefully guarded;
but the custom prevails of admitting peo-
pie by card from the Secretary or Treas
urer to the infinite annoyance of the
clerks and the disappointment of the visi.
tors. For there is absolutely nothing to
see in the vault; there isn't one cent
visible; true, you know that in those de-
mure brown envelopes and monotonous
yellow boxes, piled tier above tier on
their iron shelves, arc millions and mil
lions of dollars, and the gentleman who,
with Christian resignation, does the hon.
ors of the gloomy spot, amiably allows
you to think that some coin he empties
out of canvass bag ION an average
twelve times day., is the jeff Davis
gold''-the gold that was captured on
jeff; but between you and me, the origi
nal "Jeif Davis gold; was melted W
long ago. All say the same thing when
they get in there:
s'oH! NY WHERE'S THB MONEY
and then they hold $1,000 IN coin ant
then they say: ''Oh! amt it awful
heavy" and then they hold a 100000
in paper and they say: ''Oh! amt il
awful light" just do feel it! and ther
the patien. cicerone let's them take up /:
sl5.OOO,OOO or S20,000,000 package o
unsigned coin certificates, and then they
say: ''Oh let's run away with it y ant
then they 60 on their way rejoicing. ant
the much abused clerk in charge looks
up coin and currency and tries to d.
some work. Occasionally a tours
makes an original remark. remembe
one very gorgeously appareled brid
(they are nearly all brides) who onl.
spoke once while she was in there ant
then she looked all around and abov
her and said: Don't this look like
pawnbroker's shop!" We didn't asl
her how she knew.
During Inauguration week visitor
trooped in there at the rate of 500 a day
All work had to be suspended during tn
regular Office hours. They were az
mitted eight at time, and the clerks r,
lieved each other showing the "Je
Davis goldr' and the other lions.
messenger who came with many Of II
parties was gentleman of great f1uenc
Of speech, aud think impaired gres
deal Of interesting, if not originai. il
formation to the fortunate hundreds
escorted.
Il suppose the number Of visitors ju
now is very large" one of thsearly cor
ers said to him. s.Yes, rakh8, replle
the guide. graciously, ssbut il y only
faint facsimile Of what - shall hna
next week"
ruHs R0BDERY
II the most serious that has ever occu
red II tke Treasures ofice-indeed,
belie<s in the whole Department Abo,
tws1ve years go General Spinnr hadh
suspicscnD aroused by the sudden iacrsaI
OF fortune Of one Of the Register clnrl
who was doing duty in his olEcA \
told the Register. but the man lad sue
an excellent character that his chAf 1
fused to doubt him. But the Gener
worked away at his theory all By hinAp