Arizona weekly citizen., 1882-12-24
THOMAS CAYANAUGH.
Ex-secretary BristOw's Trouble WIZ" 'ne
 Express Companies


 Special to the Cincinnati Commerciai-
 WASHINGTON, December 10-Very few .eople know the inside history Of BITS
 tow's fight with the express eOmpanles
 y,n U he was Secretary of the Treasury
 The express companies made what MT
 Bristov thought were exOrbitant charges
 for carving currency to the great dls- -ributing point of the New York Sub Treasury. He told the companies that T lower rate must be conceded, or ne vould take the business away from them. The companies were defiant. At that tune hundreds of thousands of dol ! lars were being shipped daily. The ex- press companies offered the only secure | way for the carrying of these great | sums, and 50 they charged accordingly, ' heinz certain, as matters then stood, | that the Secretary could not get along without them. Suddenly the express peJple were notified that NIT. BrlstoW ! had made arrangements for carrying the | cur, eucy, and that they could not have | the business unless they came to hls | terms. For several weeks the currency ! was transmitted to New York ID the ! most mystsriOus way. Only NIT. Brls- tow. his confidant in the Treasury, the | sul,-Treasurer in New York. knew the
 way the work was done. The express companies held alOof upon the belief that Bristow would not dare to continue to assume the personal responsibility for the safety of the carrying of these great l sums. But as the work went on undlS- turbed for several weeks without loss or public scandal, the companies finally re- tented and were glad to make new con- tracts for what BrIstOw was able to pay
 them. This Is the way the express com pauies were circumyented: The Secre-
 tarv selected Q trusty special agent Ot the Treasury, who simply put the cur l rency in q valise and went over to New York ns an ordinary passenger on the night train. Thomas Cavanaugh, the Deputy Sergeant -gt-Arms under the gallant Colonel Hooker in the House,
 was tLe speci3l agent selected for
 tais york. He IS tall, broad b shoulderei. deep chested manly D looking specimen of humanity. Ills aduare. resOlute. sun Drowned face IS ac- compauied by a crisp, curling mustachei
 completely hiding his mouth Ills 3 stralght nose. clear blue eyes, and 3 square jaws stand out a face [ remarkable for its combination Oi 2 good nature and iron resolution. Mir Cavanaugh used to set out from the b office of the Secretary of the Treasury s after night with a valise simply stuheJ - with Government currency. One night f he had in his bag S7JO,OOO in greenbacks
 Every dollar ever Intrusted tO him wa: , safely carried. Not penny was evei . lost. His pay from the Treasury wa' his regular one-elght dollars per day . and his travelling expenses. He gave DO bonds for this work, Gs the law rec
 ognizes 10 such way of carrying such funds. The Secretary had absolutely Z no protection beyond Cavanaugh's indl 1, vldual honor. IT he had run away witt ! an odd million at any time he cOuld mol
 have been prosecuted for more than [ e breach of trust. In carrying this money -i Cavanau-h carried more than his life ( in hls hands. If 1t were suspected that B he was carrying such sums over Tn {
 section of a New York sleeper as an or, B dlnary passenger he would certainly @ have beer attacked. IT he Lad beer |. robbed nothing but his death Tn de ! lending his trust would have saved hln - from the scandal of being classed bl
 many as a guilty participant III the rob . bery. Toward the last Cavanaugh be [ came very nervous. He used to star
 out with bis money in one hand and hii
 revolver m another hidden m the pOck I etCf his great coat. A coupe took hin
 down the avenue. In the sleeping cal
 toward the last he slept but little ' Some Oue was always reaching acrOs. T his gashed throat for the money placed U in his trust. IL was great rehef wheI : this dreadful responsibility came to al end and he was able to go back to hI' b ordinary duties. To-day Cavanaugh u
 again carrying Government money. H. l is the official who takes from the Treas ?, ury the money needed in the business Q office of the Sergeant-at- Arms office b where the members are paid. Banl 2 cashiers and men in high trust coulI C find much to learn ID the rugged, unas
 suming integrity of Thomas CavanauC