Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-07-23
Missing Money.

Two thousand six hundred and forty
dollars of government money was lost
or stolen at or near the cash
room of the Treasury Department
this morning George A. Morris, an
assistant in the Congressional Library,
was sent by Mr.. Spofford. the librarian,
this morning. to cash draft for SO 800
to meet the monthly expenses of the
library. Morris presented his draft at
the paying teller's window in the Treas
ury Department, and received $500 in
coin and $3.50 in greenbacks. After
obtaining the money he secured piece
OF yellow paper, euch as is used in the
Cash room to bind money packages, and
wrapped up the notes, placing rubber
band around the package. The coin
he delivered to u messenger to be taken
to the library. He then left tho cash
room with the money under his arm.
From this point the stories told by the
clerks in the cash room and by Morris
to the Librarian differ. Mr.. Spofford
says that he was informed by Morris
that after counting over the money at
Il small desk in the cash room, to be
sure that it was all right, he laid the
package upon the desk for a moment to
look after the coin. After so doing he
placed the money package under his
arm and, leaving the Treasury, entered
II streetcar to go to the G Ipitol. When
ut the corner of Fourteenth street, q
block away, he observed for the first
time that the package felt peculiar, it
! being softer and less compact than
packages of notes usually are. He
hastily examined the contents, and, to
his dismay, discovered that it contained
| common red tape instead of greenbacks,
he hurriedly returned to the Depart
ment and Informed the officers of his
loss.
Another story is that in about fifteen
minutes after leaving the cash room
with the money NJ, IRIS returned, in a
very excited manner, and said that he
had been robbed in some way of the
money. He had with him an opened
package, the same size AMI shape as the
one with which he had left the Treas
AIRY. Instead, however, of its contain
ing greenbacks it aad in it rolls of red
tape, as that article is put up for use.
After getting in the cars to 60 to the
Capitol, he said, he opened the package
to see II his money WAS ali right, but,
instead of finding legal tenders in it he
found only red tape. He at first said
that the exchange in packages had been
made In the Cash room. A gentleman
Ut the secret service, however, saw hiEa
wrap up his money aud 60 out with it.
Morris, who was greatly excited, then
said that the exchange might have been
made III a restaurant where he stopped
to get drink of water. While drink
ing the water, he said, he laid the
package on the bar, and some one
might have slipped the spurious one in
Its place. He did stop in Losekam's.
Just above Wizards. to get a whisky
smash, but no water. The secret-ser-
vice men and the city detectives are at
work; they suspect that Morris, with
the assistance of q confederate, got
away with the $3.50. 1t was noticed
that he did not enter the house by the
regular entrance, but by side door.
While drinking at the bar there was q
man on mis- right, but the package was
on his left. The spurious package was
wrapped up in the same kind of paper
as the genuine, and in the same form.
After leaving the restaurant Morris got
into car going toward the Capitol.
The indications are that the green backs
were exchanged for tape after Morris
left the cash room. He has been in the
habit of cashing Mr.. Spofford's drafts
tor long time. On recent occasion
he made very careless and ostenta.
llous display of several thousand dol
lars of government bonds while riding
in street-car from the Treasury to the
Capitol.-Dlspdtch to Chicago Times.