The Osceola times., 1881-03-26
THE CONSCIENCE FUND.
An Increditabic Story of Dcath-bej Repent
ance-other Remarkable Cases.


ance-Other Remarkable Cases.
The Washington Post publishes the
following interesting facts concerning
conscience money" returned 10 the
Treasury: A rather remarkable letter
which was received at the Treasury, yes
terday, inclosing n check for $500, and
stating that this was sent hy an old wo-
man on her death-bed. in reparation of a
theil of a similar amount, which she had
stolen from the Treasury twenty-seven
wears age, when employed as n clerk"
reads well to the general public, but
sounds suspicious to the Treasury author
tiles. There are several facts about it
which led TO the conclusion that the
story is not genuine one. In the first
place, twenty-seven years ago there were
no women employed in the department
in any capacity. AT that time," said an
official, 'in every room there was pile
of tobacco quids in the corner, and clerks
sat with their feet on the mantel pieces.
Salmon p. Chase appointed the first wo-
man TO position in the Treasury, and
that was in the year 1861. The sweep
ing, even, was done by men. Then,
again, in those days the revenle of the
Government was light, and the entire
expenditure was comparatively small, so
that there was but small amount OF
money kept in the Treasury and $500
would have been very soon missed. AT
any rate, if this money was taken it was
made good by some bonded officer who
was responsible, and therefore it now
does not belong to the Government.
There is no record of any such occur
renee. Another suspicious circumstance
is that the letter is written on a sheet of
paper from which a printed heading has
been torn, and the paper has the same
water mark and is identical with paper
used in the department. This paper is
of peculiar manufacture and is not gen.
orally in the market. From these facts
the conclusion is reached at the Treasury
that the story is manufactured one; but
whatever may be said of the genuineness
of the story, there is no doubt that the
$500 note which has already been re-
ceived into the Treasury is good, but the
letter is evidently made up. There are
several theories advanced to account for
this singular incident. One is that the
person wished to pay the amount into
the Treasury, and in order TO be certain
that its receipt would be announced in
vented this story. Assistant Secretary
Upton, who has a wide experience with
the ways of correspondents of depart
ments, thinks that the money was sent
and the letter written by a crazy person,
who had an idea he or she owed the gov
ernment this money. He says that it is
common thing for people to get such
notions, and, while perfectly sane in
other matters, are insane in this particu-
lar. He believes that the larger part of
contributions to the conscience fund are
sent by this class of persons. The result
is by no means improbable to the gov
ernment. The conscience fund has al
ways been source Of much speculation,
but beyond bare amount, and sometimes
the postoffice from which it was sent
nothing has been known. In former
years these amounts were placed to the
credit of customs or internal revenue re-
ceipts, if the sender indicated for what
purposes restitution was made; bnt when
nothing was indicated by the sender it
was swallowed up in the miscellaneous
items Of the Treasury. Since 1878, how
ever, all receipts from this source have
been stated separately to the register of
the treasury. and the record of this fund
since that date is an interesting one.
The total amount for each year is very
large, considering that it is made up of
small sums. The following are the re-
ceipts to the conscience fund for the
years specified: