The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-28
HENRY J. BUETE'S FLIGHT.
A GOVERNMENT CLERK 4CCrSED OF
WHOLESALE STUMBLING.
A Revelation OF Alleged Forgeries that A.
tonIshed Staten Isinnders 90 Telling his
Young Wife TO Sell Out and co Home.

Young WIFE TO sell Out and co Home.
There Is probably no citizen of Tompkins-
vlle Staten Island. more highly and generally
respected than was Henry j. Buete for yeurs.
and until last Monday. On that day he ran away.
and the citizens have been engaged ever since
in determining the extent OF his alleged
swindlnR. Mr.. Buete began to draw q salary
from the Government in the army during tho
last nine months Of the war. He was Paymas-
ter's clerk on tugboat plying between Wash
ington and Hampton Roads. After the war he
was employed In the Lighthouse Department.
Seven years ago he made Tompknsvllle his
home. He was then on supply boat
running out OF tho New York de-
pot OF the department In Tompkinsville.
He was a WashinRtonian Ivy birth. and
when he married six years ago. Washington
woman became his wife. He brought his wife
to Staten Island and established house that
he always afterward seemed moro thnn ordi-
narily attached TO. lie became conspicuous as
Republican politician and an influential MEM
Der OF Post Maher OF the Grand Army OF the Re-
public. When that broke up he Joined Post
Rankin of Brooklyn. Ho was a devout Cath
Ollie. and became extremely popular among the
Tompkinsville Catholics. Last year lie was
elected school trustee OF the Fourth District OF
Castleton. His social qualities must have been
surprising for now that no has. as alleged.
robbed the principal people OF the place 1t is
difficult TO find n person who does not speak
OF him kindly and who docs not say that Buete
might have had ms loan twice as much as
he obtained 10y forgery.
Buetc had risen from post TO post until he be-
came assistant clerk in the Engineers depart
wns Mr.. McCaiTerty the Chief Clerk. II was Mr.
McC4nerty's duty TO pay Tor labor; material, and
drawn on the Sub Treasury in New York. The
| salaries in tho yard are paid by the Auditor in
t1o Su7G n oSSse Ike every R Rne else %ho
man of unauestionable integrity, and allowed
| him to handle the checks OF the department
| Buete. 1t IL alleged, began to take dishonest
| advantage OF this confidence in January last
| After that time he drew At least twenty-five
| checks for sums varying between, $50 and
| the forged signatures OF the engineer In
c6 charge. a. present The incubmeent OF int
| two months. Gen. Woodruff was his prede-
cessor. An investigation shows that few q
| probably be found that the others were made
out quite recently. Moro recently Buete, 1t is
| bers. 1t WAS his custom to oil out the checks IN
| such n way that they could easily be
changed. Ihey were ior rev noilars
| them To- the mon in whose favor they were
drawn Il they preferred the checks to the ready
money lint h. accommodatngly offered in their
stead Naturally tho men generally preferred
cash and Buete, II Is charged. would retain the
checks. and alter their faces 50 thnt two-dolar
check became twenty dollar check. q fourdo-
| lar one became forty-dolln one. and SO on.
e Wet W,o i'd ,rrndaG bn sor cnsb asEin
| for the money as n favor. No one suspected
him.. 1t is not yet known how many Of these
| checks he had cHshed. A thorough examine
ton OF the accounts of tho department will be
! begun Tomorrow. II is already known that
| for months. when the monthly statement OF the
! Sub-Trensurer's relations with the Lighthouse
Board were made Buete. aided by wonderful
| memory. able to check of the office ac-
counts with tho Treasury statement. calling out
the fraudulent figure OF every check that had
on Saturday and Sunday Buete flooded
! Tompkinsvilie with this useless paper. He
was preparing for flight. On saturday be gave
obtained cash from Mr.. McClernon, u coal
| dealer. for "A bogus cheek for $40; and he en-
| deavOred To obtain cash for a $50 check from a
| saloon keeper named Rendt. but Rendt did not
| have the money. Rendt would have accommO-
dated Bue,e If be had been able to dose. On sun
| day Mr.. Schel a shoemaker. cashed fraud
| uleut check for $50 for Bucte. and on Monday
MIR. Batz. the villnge butcher. cashed q check
| FOR the same amount for Buete. On Monday
| Buete nsk ed Jex. the druggist 20 cash check
| for him, bat JeN said he was not familiar with
| timized In small amounts are James Tully. the
saloon keeper: Edward Meurer. upholsteror
Bucte went 10 the ONCE on Monday but re-
manned only an hour. In that time, IL is nj
ird ne t2oS 1S Gns n . ne SAFE ae n Mn
was understood 10 say 80 too. but Chief Clerk
McCalYerty has since told Mrs Buete that the
| sum was 81 80 and some cents. Buete told Gen
| Duane that he had business in Now York, and
he was seen 10 take the boat for this city. That
Mr. Irving. a hardware dealer. some time
ago cashed check for $50 for Bqete The
tnined the money from the Postmaster The
Postmaster sent the check to the Park Bank.
some days aiteEward the bank sent II back 70
Irving VINO had endorsed II. to find out
whether il was all right. Mr. Irving and the
Postmaster went on Monday morning TO see
ioreeries and fraudulent transactions became
known: Bu..te' description has been given 10
very neatly, His hair IL black and he has II
black moustache. He Is 30 years OF age. Bnete
had been paid salary OF 500 month, He has.
ij.O00-Just how much cannot yet be deter
mined He left his wife nothing but the furni-
ture IL tn" dwelling that he rented. HIS mouse
Is in Monroe avenue. and Ia pretentous little
brick dwellng. II Is very comfortably furnish
ed. Mrs. Buete Is stout. brown-baircd woman
Of % She is unable to bear up under the shock
ana grief. She said Yesterday that Buete had
always been kind and home loving husband.
than ever before. and although he always de-
rlared he WAS attending the meetings Of his Post,
she had heard that no WAS gambling THIS he do
nied.i On sunday he STAYED away uni O'Clock.
and when he came in she perceived that he had
have since assured Mrs. Buets that he had not
deceived her in regard TO his drinking; He
srldOm drank in all the time he lived there.
Bnrte rose at the usual time on Monday and
kissed his three little children good-by. He
did not kiss his wife. Toward evening she re-
his family physician. Dr. Van Rensselaer, OF
New Brighton. The doctor did not know what
it contained II WIS very brief. and read sub
s,antially as follows:
My DIAN WIFE AND CHILDREN; Good by. ! leave for
parts Tile only thing 10 !. to sell
aud 20 home to Washington. have becu very bad
man but us too late To help that now. May God bless
His signature ended the missive. The ru-
NOR that he ransacked his wife's trunks for
money is untrue. He left her u little money
not enough, however, To pay the bills that were
owing She has written to her parents. and
expects help. She cannot account for her hus-
hand's conduct Gen. Duane believes that
Buete has quilted the country, Tho tradesmen
who cashed the forged and altered cheeks will
lose the money AS the Government will not ne
cept the checks.
Racing to Sandy Hook and Back.
The West Brighton Yacht Club held Its first
annual regatta yesterday The following named boats
entered: Excelsior. Commodore J, II. Dilks: Parole
C.1.t q Vim Nnmn. Hn .se q Nnnt Gnlaghn Haunnce