Vicksburg weekly herald., 1877-07-20

--Ns avn " ana REAVAH An@ W % NNa=
MIssIOERR's COURT - COMMISSIONER
LAz. LINDSEY, PREsIDING.
UNITED STATES or AMERIcA,l
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, SIS.
CITY OF VICKsBURG
Before me, Lazarus Lindsey, Commits
stoneE for the United States Court for the
southern DistrictOf Mississippi, residing
IN said city, personally appeared, VIM.
small, Special Agent Of the POst-Oface De-
partment, and made oath that King Dor
Wart, In bic capacity as Clerk In the
P0st-ofice. has embeZzled postal funds, or
United States money received at said OF.
ice, 70 the amount Of twenty-five hundred
dollars, or theFeabouts, between the dates
OF April lst, 1876, and July I'D, 1877, and
prays his arrest, etc.
(Signed) WIN. SMALL.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this
24th day Of July, 1871.
(signed) LAZ. LINDSEY,
U, 8. Commissioner for Southern District
OF Mississippi.
The above is the affidavit sworn to
by Mr.. VIM. Small, Special Agent for
the Post-ofice Department, under
which King Dorwart, Clerk In the
Vicksburg ost-ofice, was arrested and
held for trial before the above named
Court.
The trial was commenced yesterday,
but continued Of the instance of the de-
fendant's counsel, until to-day At $3.50
O'Clock, when the case will be resumed.
Mr.. Small wac the only witness exam.
ined, and testified substantially as fol-
lowe: Am Special Agent of the Post.
office Department; l came here on
Sunday morning about 8 O'Clock, and
sent for Mr.. Dorwart, who did not
come, alleging that be was SiCk. Mr..
Pease being shortly afterward with
me, we sent for the combination 10 the
safe, which he sent rs, but 1t was
found we could not open II, aud we
again cent word to Mr.. Dorwart that
the safe could not be opened with It..
He again sent the combination, aud we
still could not open the safe. Col.
Pease then sent q back for DorWart,
and he arrived about 4 pm.
/ suggested to Col. Pease, In Dor.
warts presence, that we should ex-
anime his accounts, to which he as
sented, and after opening the safe, we
counted the stamps, but the stamped
envelopes could not be gotten OF, as
Dorwart claimed he had left the key Al
his house, 1t was sent for, and the
envelopes counted. After counting
them q second time 10 verify the fret
found q deficiency to exist, aud asked
DorWart II his accounts were correct
he answering yes, aud at the same time
expressing surprise, that l should ask
such question. ...
After seeing q memorandum OF The
deficiency, Dorwart admitted that ont
did exist. aud that the count we hat
made Of the stamps and envelopes wa
correct that the deficiency had ariseI
in Arthur's department, (that of thI
sales of stamps aud envelopes aud tina
the entire blame rested In that quarter
That he had exclusive control Of th
, Post.ofice, and that Colonel Peas
was not aware OF the existence Q
any defalcation, or how any of the &C
! counts stood, and that he (DOrwart
was the only one who had access
the safe.
? Al this point Mr.. Small offered {
evidence, copies Of the quarterly n
porte Of Mr.. Pease, up to April 30tl
, showing the amount OF stamps whic
were then on haud, but the return b
claimed was fraudulent one, or th
: defalcation had occurred since that tint
Other reports were submitted to th
Court, which we did not take copies o
The case was then continued at th
! request Of Messrs. Adam u Speed, o.
> torneys for the defense, In order tbs
an examination Of the books Of th
8 Post.office may be made.
: The trial, though just fairly beguI
has already developed one fact, via
9 that Of gu extensive looseness in th
management Of the Government fund
8 in this particular Office, and littl
J wholesome civil serve reform woul
I, doubtless prove beneficial.
y We learn that all the clerks In th
II Office gave an indemnity bond TO NJ
Pease on entering the service, an
q that Messrs. Richard Walker and Jerr
Q Healy are the bondsmen OF King Do
e wart; Judge A. II. Arthur being II
= bondsman for bis son, who is also ul
ls der arrest, aud held for trial to-day.