The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-11-07
Ex-Treasurer GiIfillan Relates Some In
teresting Facts About Loose Ways
of Doing Business.
Peculation by Government Clerks, Their
Detection, and the Inadequate
Punishment Awarded.
Gillian Glad to Omit the Office Because of
Bad SubOrdinates Forced Upon Him
by John Sherman-Spin-
ner's Character.

teTudy. he - SuOIt NlSlI mere. III
the course of a conversation upon Treasury
matters he made startling statement, to the
effect that of all the men who had stolen
money directly from the Treasury the only
man who had been punished was Winslow,
who gave up the money stolen. The thieves
who kept the money were the ones who es-
capped. The heaviest robberies occurred
under Spinner, when he was Treasurer. He
was an easy-going old gentleman, who is re-
spoSible for the introduction of female clerks
into the Government. He used to spend a
good deal of his time visiting with his female
clerks, telling them stories of doubtful
color, and laughing uproariously if they
blushed or showed any confusion.
Early in his time Seth Johnson was the in
terest clerk and Fred A. Maddern was one of
the discussing clerks. Jointly they were
able to steal money for a long time. John
son was very impudent and reckless in spend
ing what he stole. One summer he went to
Saratoga and spentmoney freely as to:even
create a sensation there. Gilfillan, who was
then a confidential clerk in the Office, heard
of the affair and went to Father Spinner.
Said Gilfillan Look out for Seth Johnson"
'Why?' said Spinner, gazing rapturously
on a lady caller.
''0h, he is spending too much money. He
is throwing away every month more than
his years salary"
Spinner shook his head impatiently as he
said: "0h, there can be nothing wrong. |
Gilfllan muttered, And hate fool"
and passed out
The next day Gilfilan met Spinner. Said
the latter:
Upon second thought looked into John
sons case. lie is all right. You were Ut
terly in error about him.
How did you find out all this?"
Why, futile examined his case
Gillian said nothing. futile was the
simple minded and most inefficient clerk in
the office. But he thought be would go to
the bottom of the matter while he was about
it. So he went to futile and said:
81 understand you have been investigating
Seth Johnson. and have found him all
right?'
Yes " said futile. The is all right
How did you find out?'
"Oh. | asked Seth"
Gilfllan said nothing more. Two or three
days after lie came into the Treasurer's Office
and found the seals on the safes, and soon
learned of Johnson'S arrest. But how had he
been discovered? Through no keenness in
the Treasurer'S office. A brokers' firm had
conducted speculation for Johnson until
they had gotten away from him nearly all
the money stolen, and then had reported
him TO General Spinner. The defalcation of
johnson was found to amount to .000
That OF Maddern. discovered at the same
time was found to be $4,000. The brokers
surrendered $4,000 for Johnson, but the
Government. Both were sentenced to the
Penitentiary for year only, and to pay the
amount of their stealings. In a very short
time the two thieves were pardoned, and re-
leased from all obligation. Then Congress
Unidentified Spinner and the books balanced.
Another bold thief was discovered during
Spinner's time, the amount of whose theftS
can never be known. Very little has ever
been said about him, as the amount or ma
ture of his crime has always been suppressed
II IL IL.
tendency of all officials to smother informa-
ton OF interest to the public. Mr. Gilfllan,
who is now outside the circle of official re-
straint, gives a very interesting sketch OF
this robbery. which may. for all one knows,
have reached into the millions without leav
ing any tell-tale tricks upon the record. The
thief in this case was C. III. Cornwall, the
| Chief of the Redemption Division. He was
a very ingenius man. particularly skillful in
| palming and sleight-of-hand tricks. He was
on the Committee charged with the destruc-
ton of money redeemed or ordered to be
| cancelled. The method employed was to first
| cut the bills in two lengthwise. The pack
| ages OF half notes was thrown into a furnace
| by the Committee. Cornwall had attracted
| some notice by the fact that he was living in
| house the mere rent of which, 81, 800. was
| equal to his salary for the year, but there
| was no evidence that he was stealing.
| He was finally discovered through the
| sharp eyes of small boy. Pratt Treasury
Bureau man, vet in the employment of the
| Government. was member OF the Commit
| tee charged with the destruction of the re-
| deemed currency. He had little boy who
| went with his father one day to watch the
| Committee burn the money. The little fell
| low was very much interested When he
| came out and was going home he said:
"Why did one of the men put the money in
| his pocket instead of the fire."
The father was absent-minded, and he said.
Il al Aall md cfn nh In
| boys talk.
| But the child was persistent, and was not
| TO he put down The next time money was
| TO he burned he again accompanied his
\ father and this time he vehement in
| his assertions that the man did put the
money in his pocket that Pratt reported the
matter TO the Treasurer. When CORVALLIS
/ arrest was made very serious condition OF
| things was revealed-much more serious than
the authorities cared to acknowledge 1t APP
| peared that Cornwall, by his dexterity in
the art OF palning. was able to pocket
| number of the divided packages. These he
| afterward substituted for uncut packages re.
| deemed. In this way he was able to with
| draw whole notes from the redeemed
| packages and substitute III their place
| the cut packages he had stolen from
| the mouth of the furnace. In this way the
trace of the theft. CORVALLIS house was
searched. and large trunk was found even
| full OF cut packages ofstoen notes to be used
| in future substitutions No whole notes
/ were to be found Cornwall was too adroit
for that He pretended that he had only
been able to get out few packages. But
| the Treasury had no evidence on this sub
| ject except CORVALLIS word He was prose
| cuted for the theft of one package OF 500
notes He was convicted and sentenced to a
short term in the Penitentiary. Very little
was said about the case. Cornwall was
| almost Immediately pardoned through
| powerful political influence. The proof of
his having obtained a large sum was the fact
that he went back to his home in the in.
terror of Ohio where he purchased hotel
and when last heard from was prospecting in
his new business
The next prominent thief was G.. {. Ed
| wins. He had charge of making up the
| money packages TO be RENTED TO the banks
| He stole money from various .ackages, max
| ing the stolen amounts up from money on
hand until he became hopelessly involved.
| He stole $500 and made ready tor flight to
| Furope He went so far rs 10 engage his