The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-10-25
THE ROMANCE OF CRIMF.


ton, and an Interrupted Honeymoon.
From the san Francisco Chronicle oct A.
1t has been learned that VIM. r.
Cooper, whose sudden disappearance
from the stock circles recently caused
such commotion, was not married to the
daughter of Government Printer De.
frees, bat that the discovery of his for.
geries on the Government and his flight
occurred on his wedding-day, in the
year 1867. The event created sensa-
ton in Washington circles. A naval
officer residing in this city has been in
terviewed by reporter, and relates the
following concerning the defaulting
broker:
The whole thing comes to me now
like dream. never was more aston
ished in my life than when 1 learned
that the Cooper who had been cutting
up these didoes here, is the same hand
some, dashing little fellow we sent to
the peaitentiary from Washington in
1867. Cooper came to work in the Ma
vyDepartment as 81, 400 clerk, think,
in 1866. He had been an acting ensign
on the staff of Admiral S. p. Lee, who
at the close of the war commanded the
Mississippi fotilla. Lee, who knew his
family-they were all from Tennessee
got him into the Navy Department,
where, by his elegance of lmanner, his
frank, open-hearted way, and his mark
ed talents, he became a favorite with
every body. He was one of the smart
est fellows / ever saw, wrote a magnifi-
cent hand, and was quick of apprehen-
sion, and as active as a steel trap.
There was one old officer
around the department, though,
who never liked Cooper. That was
old Admiral Joe Smith. The old man
was one of your plain but stern old men
of the olden time, and Cooper's fancy
dress and winning ways couldn't make
the least impression on the old sailor.
"That boy amt just right" he used to
say; shes too smart" One of Coop
er's duties was to enter paymaster's re-
QUESTIONS for money in big record
book, and, in this way he got perfectly
familiar with the method of drawing
money on navy pay account. One day
the chief clerk was drawing some money
acquisitions when in came Paymaster
Spalding, who was then on duty, 1 think,
in Philadelphia. This Spalding is the
same one who is now so well known
here, and he was then on run to Wash
ington. The chief clerk and he ex-
changed compliments, and the former
went on looking over the acquisitions.
All at once the chief clerk said, "Why.
Spalding, what do you want of any
money? You had 500, 900 only couple
of weeks ago." Spalding said he hadn't
drawn for any. The clerk said, "Why,
here is a requisition signed by you for
$4,000" "Gress not, )" said Spalding;
"1et's see it." Spalding looked at it a
moment and said, "Well, that's funny
That's my signature and that's my
clerks writing; and there's the COM
mandant's approval. And yet I'll take
my oath that | don't know of any re-
QUESTION" 1t was finally suggested by
Spalding that in his abseLce his clerk
might have had an unexpected demand
for money and had filled out a requisi-
ton, signel in blank, and sent it on
So he asked the clerk TO hold it over
until he heard from him. In day or
two Spalding came tearing back to
Washington, saying that something was
wrong.
He then asked to see the requisition,
and, after long examination, pro-
nounced it a forgery, but so expertly
done and faithfully worked out in all
its details as TO almost defy detection.
Then the next thing was TO find the
guilty party. For weeks detectives
were secretly on the hunt, but Cooper
was not even suspected.
One day it was discovered that other
forged acquisitions had gone through
the department and had actually been
paid, and the search became livelier
than ever. In 2 couple of days dis
patch came from a clearinghouse in
Philadelphia:
Treasury draft, No. :, for 800, 900, paya-
BILE to order Of PaymasterR. w. Allen, Nor
folk Maynard, has been presented at this
bank for collection. This is singular course
for draft to take. Is it all rightg
The Secretary at once telegraphed
Allen, asking what he meant by such an
irregular proceeding. Allen replied
that he knew nothing of such draft.
Then the detectives started for Pnila-
delphia and conferred with the bank
officer, and the result was the instanta-
neous discovery that the draft had been
sent to the bank by Cooper.
In the meantime Cooper was in bliss
full ignorance of what had been going
on. He had been engaged to daugh-
ter of j. ID. Defrees, the Government
Printer, and the very day of this dis
covery was his wedding day. She was
not vet IL, and one of the loveliest girls
in Washington. While the detectives
were making their discovery in Phila-
delphia the wedding was going on in
great style. The couple were married
in the morning and took the noon train
for Philadelphia, where Cooper intended
TO stop, draw his 100000, and then
with his bride fly the country. Of
course she was innocent of the whole
thing, and for days and days after the
crash her life was despaired of. The
detectives at once concluded not only to
arrest their man, but 10 do ii before the