Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-31
ANOTHER DEFALCATION.
Arrest OF the Culprit-Restitutio
Subsequent Escape.

| Subssqu ent Escape.
| The particulars of an army defalcation
! the arrest OF the culprit, his confession
restitution and subsequent escape arr
thus succinctly related by the San Fran
cisco Pos. of Monday evening last:
A week ago, last Saturday, Charles Fl
Barth, clerk in the Transportation Office
of the Qartermaaer's Department Of the
United States Army was arrested for de-
frauding the Government of large sums
of money. He had not had control OF
great amounts, but he has had an oppor-
tunity to forge documents, and e1amina-
ton showed that by this means he had
diverted some SEQ, 600 from the public
Golfers to his private pocket.
BARTHs METHOD OF OPERATION
Was as follows, according to his own
confession after arrest. He would take,
for instance. bill of lading calling for
5000 cubic feet of freight to be sent by
steamer to some distant post in this mill
tary department. After the receipt had
passed through the receipting office, he
would erase the figures with acid, write
in 40, 600" feet, and getting a check for
the altered amount would take the bill
to the persons who were to receive the
money and get them TO sign the receipt.
covering the amount of freight with his
hand. If the amount was questioned
he would say that he had other vouchers
to pay, but having obtained possession
OF the money, instead of paying them be
az &ba balorna Rav$h vrhaf1
first arrested. mildly denied the charges,
but finally confessed his guilt and was
sequestered, without a guard, at his resi-
dence, No. 2237 jackson street. A few
days later he was visited there by Lieu
tenant Colonel Kelton and Col. Wherry,
General Schofeld's aids, who asked him
whether he would rather be tried by a
military or by civil court. Barth re-
piled that if a military court would let
him of, after he had made restitution,
he would rather have justice meted out
to him in that dignifed form. They
promised him, it is alleged. immunity
from punishment if he would
MAKE GOOD THE AMOUNT OF THE DEFALCA-
TON.
He then transferred to them his entire
consisting of two-thirds of the
Fresno Bank, worth 49,, 900. and an in
terest in certain stock now with Schmie-
del & Co., worth, at their current valua-
ton, Sl07 900, his part being valued at
SAT 900. This would square his account,
and leave a balance of SIG, 900 in his IA
Vol. Barth parted with the title to all
this property, and expected no further
trouble. Immediately afterwards, how
ever. o private soldier was quartered on
him as guard. with instructions not to
let him out of sight. Mrs. Barth became
indignant, and though she did not cross
her broom with the musket OF the mill
tafy hireling, she raised such a storm of
feminine wrath, that the guard informed
his superior officers, and last Wednesday
it was decided to send the prisoner to
Alcatraz The order to remove him vas
issued on Friday. Barth demonstrated,
but his protestations awaited nothing. |
He asked permission then to so to the |
bath room. He was granted the priv
sge, the courteous soldier remaining |
reverently without while the prisoner |
was presumed to be performing his ablu- !
ions within. More time passing than |
he ordinary purposes of cleanliness
seemed to demand, the guard entered |
only to find the room vacant, and an |
open window rather broadly suggesting |
hat his prisoner had by that avenue Of
sgress
MADE GOOD HIS ESCAPE.
Military headquarters and the Chief
If Police were at once informed OF the |
path room delivery Vigilant search
vas made without success. 1t was sup.
posed that Barth was driven to the Cliff
House in a buggy that was waiting, and
AIKEN Off by boat to the Colorado river
teamer Sewbern, which sailed on that
lay. In whatever manner effected, his
scape showed connivance and careful
PLANNING of details.
TUE San Francisco ThrO,if.ls conclldes