New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-09
AT THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
CONSPIRACY AGAINST COLONEL IRISH.
PERSISTENT ATTEMPT TO CAUSE HIS REMOVAL

CONSPIRACY AGAINST COLONEL IRISH.
PERSISTENT ATTEMPT TO CAUSE HIS REMOVAL
FROM THE BUREAU OF ENGRAVING AND
pRrNrrNG-ARREsr OF TWO coSsPraAroRs.
WASHINGTON, Oct. s.--William +. Salter and
Wilmot II. Ward, Of this CITY, we're arrested at tho
instance of the Secretary Of the Treasury at Late
hour last night and committed to Jail upon tho
charge Of being engaged in a conspiracy TO steal
bonds and plates from the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing, and of endeavorng TO brbe employees Of
that bureau to assist them therein.
The facts of the case, as obtained from a source
entitled to the fullest credit are briefly as follows;
At the time of the shooting of the late President
Garfield. aud for some weeks thereafter, Colonel
Irish, the Chief of the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing wrote 10 members Of his
family who were spending the summer IN Oakland,
Nd, series of letters, largely devoted to the topic
which was then uppermost in all minds-tke at
tempt to assassinate the President In these letters
he expressed with the freedom of domestic CORE
spondence his views from time to time with regard
to the causes and consequences OF that public
calamity. When his family left Oakland these let
ters together with large collection of newspapers
containing articles relating to the assassna-
tion, were boxed up and sent to Washington
and placed for safe-keeping at the other end Of
Colonel Irishs desk in his private office where they
uuIOucncQ Dy MIN 1Or elgnt fnOnJn. or
more. Some tlme last spring Colonel Irish discov-
cred that these letters had been stolen. and he
warned by anonymous correspondents that they
were being uscd or were TO be used, to injure the
friendly relations then existing between himself
and President Arthur.
While engaged in an investigation with a view
to ascertainng how and by whom the letters were
purloined, Colonel Irish came upon cews which led
to the discovery Of cOnspiracy-with which tho
theft of the letters vas connected-to corrupt and
brlbe employees OF the bureau aud with their aid to
steal therefrom a quantity of bonds and
plates. Colonel Irish laid the facts at once
before Secretary Folger, and the latter. after
preliminary investigation. became satisfied thattz
persistent attempt get bonds and plates from the
bureau surreptitiously was being made. He turned
over the evidence already obtained to tho
Secret Service Division, and directed that
the matter be sifted to the bottom.
Special Detective Drummond. from New-York.
was assigned to the duty of following up the clews.
and he began an investigation which ended last
night in the arrest of Salter and Ward
lt appears from the researches of the detectives
that the object of the consprstOrs in endeavoring
TO get bonds and plates from the bureau was not
direct pecunary gam since they had intention Of
using them in coun terfeltlng. Their aim rather, Al
stated by themselves was to bring about the re-
mova of the present Chief of the Bureau by causing
1t 70 appear that his management was 30 loose and
inefficient to make the theft of bonds and plates
a comparatively easy matter, and SO careless as 10
destroy public confidence in the integrity Of Gov
ernmcnt securities. The theft Of Colonel lrishs
letters from his office is supposed TO have been
part OF the same plan.
Salter, it is said, represented to the dissatisfied
employees of tho bureau whom he attempted TO
brOe, that he acting in the interest OF Benjamin
L. Berry, prominent politician of Pennsylvania,
who supported by Senator Cameron and ths
Pennsylvania delegation as candidate for Colonel
lrish's position, ana who he said would certainly
get the place if the latter could be Ousted. In
that event, be tSalter would be assistant chief Of
the bureau, and he would re ward with promotions
the men who assisted him To bring about the re-
moval of Colonel Irish. Ward, who with several
others whose names have not yet been made
public, was associated with salter in this
attempt to bride employees OF tine bureau, was at
one time an empoye himself, but discharged by
Colonel Irish about year ago. OF >alters antece-
dents nothing can be learned Tonight The two
men will have preliminary examination to-mor-
row. The proof against them is said to be full and
conclusive.