Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-08-31
MR.. BERKsY's LATEST InvEsTioy

Mr.. Thomas Berkey has been giving
Sacramento series of surprises of late,
but his latest is beyond question the most
sensational When he appeared before
the County Committee SO dramatically,
and hourished Treasurer Galatians re-
markable receipt in their faces, there were
those who, reasoning by analogy, doubted
the genuineness OF the payment he
protested to have made. 1t now appears
that Mr.. Callahan accepted from him a
sealed bag, contents unknown, and gave
him receipt for 81, 700. Tuesday an
examination of the bag was made as closely
as possible without opening it, the result
being the discovery that it did not con.
tain $1,000 in gold, or checks, or green.
backs that what it did contain was APP
parently number of silver dollars, est
mated at from 100 to l40. To add to the
! surprise of this discovery Mr.. Callahan
calmly explained that he has sometimes
been in the habit of receipting for sums OF
money without counting them. 1t is evident
that only this phenomenal kind of County
Treasurer could have been induced to give
receipt for 81. 700 in exchange for bag
containing between one and two hundred
dollars in silver, and this eccentric prac.
tice of the County Treasurer may be pray.
erfully commended to his constituents as a
subject for meditation. Yesterday, by or.
der Of Court, the "sack was opened, the
seals being broken in presence of several
witnesses, and 10 the contents proved tc
be 1876 silver dollars only these and moth
ing more. In view of this fact Mr.. Ber
keys dramatic declaration before the Cen
trail Committee, emphasized by the flourish
of Mr.. Galatians 200 receipt, takel
on new interest. Mr.. Berkey hal
now another opportunity for explanation
He Is said to nave expressed an apprehen.
sion that, if this kind of thing went OF
much longer, his enemies would "make
him out to be a criminal" Mr.
Berkey has strange notions as Il
what constitutes criminality. H
evidently does not think it criminal t.
break the laws. to embezzle public funds
to misrepresent his proceedings in the mos
profuse and tropical manner, and finally t,
perpetrate a barefaced fraud upon tn
County Central Committee, the Count,
Treasurer, and the public generally, for tn
purpose of preventing his removal from
ticket which his presence disgraced. Blu
perhaps Mr.. Berkey did not know any
thing about the contents of the bag. Per
J haps he himself was the victim of mis-
! placed confidence. Perhaps this bag is tn
J mysterious Especial deposit of the exist
J ence OF which he notified the Controlle
nearly year ago. Perhaps some malig
nant enemy has procured access to the bs
since it was deposited, and changed its con
tents in order to injure Mr.. Berkey. n
doubt he will have new story to fit tn
latest developments, though at first the,
seem to have taken him rather by surprise
The most interesting question, however, i
whether, under the circumstances, he still
thinks it his duty to run for Sheriff as al
independent candidate There is no tellin
how man so peculiarly constituted as to hi
moral sense may regard the situation. Fo
all we know he may think the bag discov
cry complete vindication of his charac
ter. Fortunately it is more easy to an.ici
pate the public Judgment, and that may
relied on to disapprove of Mr.. Bsrkey AM
his impudent candidacy in the most EN-
phatic manner.