National Republican., 1883-08-29
FOUND ON THE FLOOR.
Report Of Comptroller Knox as TO the Notes
Found in His Office
Extended Explanation OF Treasurer Wy
man About the $4,000 Package.


Treasurer Wyman and by Mr.. Knox, comp
troller Of tho currency, as to certain notos
found upon the floor and among the waste
paper Of the department He says that while
such accidents cannot occur without care
lessness on the part Of some official or en-
ploye, yet, as TO err is human and not unpar-
donable, he does not think the facts furnish
cause for the removal of any clerk or employe
or for ceDsure of the head of either Of the
offices in question. Each is respons ible,
under heavy bonds, for the safety of all prop
erty In his hands; and as ho is responsible
for the conduct Of his subordinates. their dis
charge or retention should bo left chiefly to
his discretion. In neither Of these cases is
there any suggestion Of o wish to mako any
change on account of these accidents.
The report of the comptroller Of the cur
roncy is as follows:
have received your letter of the twenty first
inst. in reference TO three half sheets OF national
bapk notes, having one one hundred and one fifty
dollar note on each half sheet bearing the en-
grsyed signatures of the register aud treasurer but
not signed by the officers OF the bank, which were
recently found among the waste paper OF the
ohice
on the day previous to the finding Of these notes
in the waste paper basket a shipment was made
oftwelve half sheets 60 1901 TO the First National
bank of Carroll, Ill. IL is the rule Of this office,
in making shipments of unsigned currency to
national banks, for the vmult clerk to deliver to
the person counting the package from the vault
taken from the package and the amount taken is
deducted from the full amount upon the wrapper.
The remainder is then counted. and, II found
correct, delivered 10 the vault keeper, who, after
examining the first and last sheets of the package,
S NAKED anS nin IN the Is yaI prop
On the day Of this occurrence one, Of the vault
keepers was sick and absent from his place, and
a clerk, having other duties to perform. was re-
quested to perform this duty. While examining
this package he was called to the performance
datU kUh kCou In MT
notes Just received from the bureau of engraving
and printing. Reurning to the package he sup
the first wrapper into tho wasto-paper basket.
The scraps in that basket were subsequently ex-
amined as is the custom of tho office, but through
some neglect this paper was not fully opened and
the three half sheets were not discovered
examinason Is yo,,nS man % of eNnslen pe cbaThe
ter and regular habits, who has long been en-
ployed In the office and his negligence is attrlb-
uted to the fact that he was performing duty TO
which he had not been accustomed. A large
number Of such packages are examined in the
Office daily, and more than 90,0OO,0O0 of unsigned
national bank notes shipped each year. but no
such occurrence has heretofore happened and II
is believed that this accident will have the effect
to increase the diligence of those engaged in this
duty. and prevent any like occurrence hereafter
' JOHN Jay KNOX, Comptroller.
Tho following is copy of the report of
Treasurer Wyman:
have the honor to acknowledge the receipt OF
your communication Of the twenty first instant in
found In room in the Treasury building, and. in
accordance with request therein, submit the fol-
on Tuesday morning, Aug. Il, at about o'clock.
there was found on the floor Of the room formerly
used as a punching and canceling room In the re-
demption division Of the treasurers office, by a
workman, not an employe OF tho Office, but en-
sa i Sng gaa Sssps ys,as ;SS Psta
S;s,E'a %osf$sn % % OnS q .Ss smploye; q he he %
ter and by such employe reported to the
chief Of the division, upon his arrival. about .
o'clock. This $4,000 was part of S223 600 United
States notes, which had been redeemed and can
celed in regular course. and delivered by the
counter to the redemption teller, and was trans
ferred on the day previous to the delivery clerk
to be classified BY Issues and denominations, and
to be lettered and numbered and cut in two prior
to delivery of the two halves for verfcation by
other officers previous TO final destruction. The
sr s thS
receipt therefor after the same had been carefully
inventoried and checked. As the delivery clerk
received and checked the packages they were
handed by him to his attendant, or messenger, who
placed them In proper order III covered box on a
total amount the box was locked and drawn upon
the wagon into the cnnceling room, part of the
same division, and here the box was unlocked,
the contents removed and spread out upon tables
to be prepared for final delivery from the Office.
In removing the money from the box to the tables
the order of handling was reversed, the messen-
ger handing the package to the delivery clerk, 10
be by him placed upon the tables. In this trans-
fer no checking was done. The money having
been brought in locked box, II was apparently
thought sufficient that the box should be emptied
1t being supposed that oil the money had been
transferred from the box to the tables the mes
Bengor backed the supposed empty box aud wagon
into an adjoining room, formerly the cauceling
room, but now used in part for the storage OF
wagons and boxes, and at present undergoing re-
It would appear that in removing the notes
from the box, as stated, the package of $4,000
must have fallen unobseryed upon the wagon,
there being space of ten inches more on the
platform OF the wagon outside OF the space cov-
cred by the box The wagon was backed into
QQfh hFnn hnn nN thRf h fRtgia Vat
and the package of notes, 1t is evident must have
fallen from its lodging place on the wagon as it
from by some one IN passing Relying upon the
Of trnS.yy sseya a Ind h
proceeded to prepare the money for delivery from
the office, butdid not consumnate the delivery
he rule of osiss hse to Ro' de1sE iSsE IN % n. lot
$3.50 900, and the amount on hand being s223 o0t
only, Therefore. after lettering, numbering
each) the entire amount was PLACED in covered
wagon which was locked and takent the vault
was nude, but reliance w0s placed upon the
former count, and on the fact that 'as supposed
that It had not passed from the custody OF tht
delivery clerk during ~ IN the Intermediate time
phe Sse Of m is .Ss
canceling room about noon of the 18th, and wa
therefore out Of its proper place. undiscovered TO
discovered BY the delivery clerk during the morn
ng Of the 1ilh soon after 1t was taken from tn'
(sl5l 000) received from tho redemption teller thC
whole to be cut and delivered for destruction
An examination and search would, of course
have been instituted, and there is no doubt tn,
money found by the workman IL not so found by
him, would have been recovered by the employe yel
OF the office few hours later.
In regard TO the condition of tho ten notes. Il
may be stated that no money is delivered to thu
delivery clerk that iB not Cancelled by punching
and the notes in question were so cancelled with
four holes In each note of the size aud placed a.
the holes are in the paper herewith submitted
which is Df the size of United States note Tn,
cancellation would have been complete proteo
tion to the treasury against any attempt to Obtain
redemption again of the notes, which were usees,
70 any finder, and no loss could have occurred 4
the department..
That there wasa neglect of necessary precautlon
in handling this money is evident II the money
had been checked of as IL was transferred To thl
tables from the boxes, or aferward as IL wa
placed IN the boxes for the vault at the close o
the day, either of these counts would have shown
the deficit, which would then haye readily beer
traced. entertain no suspicion that the mislay
ing of the notes was other Than an accident. HaC
the parties In charge or Others in the same room
been disposed TO take and hide the money for dis
honest purposes, no Use could have been made o
them, unless by collusiOn with others In the dyt
sion attended with such risks Ms TO render sucl
scheme impracticable and unlikely to be at
tempted
IL may be proper to state here that the amour
of notes DESTROYED during the fiscal year 1882