Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-03-26

l/rltEateS, uau mlSappiUplin'eu u'oo'S DNAoH5
ing 70 two members of that body. The Wing
Of Monday will contain the following 10 regard
to il
GRAVE CHARGE.
Much excitement was created iG the city
Saturday Dight by rumors to the effect that
Col. G. T. Critteudep, first doolkeeper OF the
House of Delegates, had mlsapproprlatsu
money belonging to two of the members OF thal
body, and had been beture COMMITTEE Of III
vesligation therefor.
1t seems that Col. Crttendcn is paymastcr
o! the House, and his duty is to procure Tor
the members, when required, certificates Tor
pay and mileage, and at their request, and
upon their endorsement has TO collect aud pay
over to those entitled to it the money due upon
such certificates.
1t is the duty Of Mr.. William J. Bigger, As
sistant clerk of the House. to keep the accounts
Of such members and to euler upon his books
the amounts that the sergesnt.at. arms draws
for them, the date, aud the number L! days
they have served.
MIR. Frank Biniord third clerk III the Aud
itor's office, has also 10 keep the accounts OF
the members with the State. and 1t Is his duty
TO fill up the warrants upon the bank with
which the State Of Virginia keeps lis account.
1t has always been lhe custom OF MeasiS
Bigger and Binford towards the close It the
session Of the Legislature 10 compare their
books in order to sec whether or not they taiiy.
Saturday morning they began tins task Mr
Bigger calling from his book the amounts 81
the certificates he had given TO Cot. Crteiirh
for each member, aud the number ni days 10!
which each member had betn paid, aud ar.
Biu!ofd checking the same III Al9 book - IilHy
We're called on.
When ihey reached the namv 81 Nj. j l..
Arthur, Galsrate from Bedford, Mr. Bigger
called out, -. l.. Arthur, 3 days, Is dollars
| Hold o." said Mr. BiDi3rd you are wrong.
J. l.. Arthur on my book Is - days, ard h'
got Is dollars MIR. Bigger lusisted that he
was right. and referred to his book aEaln.
When a msmber Wants his pc; dicIA be-
gives Mir CtittendeD az order % Mir. Bigger
| for what he wants. Dir. Critend3n then takes
that order to Mr. Bigger, who fills Out = ca!-
tifcate. and then MIR. Critcudcu takes tilo CIR
tiGoatc 10 The Auditors Office, where Mr.. Bin
ford relieves HIN of It aud gives him warrant
| of the huii,or on the bank With which The
State keeps lis account. The cart, foate IS r.,
taoed as voucher 10 the Auditors otiioe vi
course both Messrs. Blnf0rd aud bigger enter
each transaction 90 their books.
Mir, Baford's book showed that he tad paid
| to Ccl Crittenieu SIS for thirteen days i'ho
per dem Ct mslDbcr being s6l; Thi!t 81.
Diggers book indicated that he had givca a
certificate to COL Crittondcn tor SIS i9T three
| days.
Mcssrs. Bigger aud i}inipTd then wcat 10 he
file and found the certificate. Upon examira-
ton they saw that figure had baen placed
before the 3, making it read Is, while is dbl
lars had besn altered 10 IS dollars, Il was 10
difficult matter to detect this, as The hEur25
and we're written 10 different kind Of ink.
10 several Of the Offices OF the Capitol the
| French Chemical Writing Fluid is used.
| This ink is of a brilliant red color when iiTst
written, aud when dry becomes CT rich brown
| black color. 1t is, therefore. easily distiG-
eushable from the ordinary blue black lux
commonly used, and which had been used iii
making the false figures. Having detected
this piece CT forgery the two gentlemen pro,
ceeded with the examination OF the aco5uGta 81
| the other members.
Their books tailed until they canc u Tie
| account CT j. ". Poinde1ter, cooTad member
| from Louisa Here Mr.. Bgger's 5oaE called
for three days aud SIS, while Mr.; Biniord
called for thirteen days and SIS. The figures
were altered in precisely the same manner as
has already been explained. These were tbs
only two mistakes discovered.
Mr.. Bigger then went to }. Marshall Hang
er Speaker Of the House, aad stated the mat
ter 10 him. Speaker Hanger at once called A
| rueetiug Of the Committee Oh Rules, OF which
he is IS oeicio chairman. and Messrs. Howard,
Shirt, Dr.. H. +. Smith, and Balham are
members. The committee had Col. Crttendan
before them, aud called upon him TO explain.
He asked them to give him until day Mon
day) to explain, aud stated that he could ezcu!-
pale himself entirely He further stated that
lie would al he same time retuad the money
that had bocu 6verdrawn, which Amounts 10 4
hundred aud twenty dollars tl20).
The committee accordingly gave hui uniil
that time to expaio, but adopted resolution
recommending that he be suspended, which
will come before the House to day. This Is
the present Status OF tho case. The matter
leaked out. aud Saturday night there vas uot
a member Of either branch Of he General rs
senbly that had cot heard Of the affair Ii
created the greatest excitement, aud was The
subject OF conversation until lon;: alter Ind
night.
Some iiicuda Of! Co Criltculen advised him
to leave the city at obct, but to this he would
DOT listen. He appeared 10 have no doubt
whatever of entirely e1cuIpatog himself, and
asked his friends to suspend Judgment until the
matter was investigated fully. He also had
the amount Of money ready to make up the de
6cit.
Col. CritLealcu was very popular with the
members Of both Houses, aud particularly the
House Of Delagates. He has been first door
keeper of tic House tor eight years. At the
last session he ran for the position OF Sergeant
al. Arms but was defeated by Gen. lllll. Dur-
ing the summer, for Que CT two years pas, be
has been connected with the White Sulphur
Springs Ho was colouel III Gen. Smiths
brigade, ). ~, during the war and Was Il
brave soldier.
COL Critteuden is q native Of CuIpercr and
is widower, aud has Il sou at The Virginia
Military destitute. He was prominently spok
en- OF as a conservative candidate lnr United
States Marshal Of the Eastern District Of VIZ
ginia.
AL tho meeting Of the committee, Col, Geo.
W. hluntord represented the Auditor and
wanted Col. Cr!tlendcn Immediately arrested,
but the committee decided that the accused
should be first found guilty By the House
The forgery took place in the mouth OF Jan