St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-07
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
How Treasurer Wyman Proposes to
Move s5,OOO,0OO in Silver.
A Blaze at the Capitol---D Democrats Not
Assessed.
Our Coasts Defenceless---A Signal Corps
Man Deserts His Wife.
Especial Telegram to the Globe.

special Telegram TO Cne dlODe.l
WASHINGTON, Aug. 6.-Treasurer Wyman said
to-day to the GLOBE correspondent that the
transfer Of surplus in the treasury from the Old
to the new vaults would commence about Sept.
l.. There is about S., 900, 600 Of silver, which
constitutes the cash surplus Of this kind OF
money on hand in the treasury. Mr.. Wyman
said that he should not make the date OF the
transfer public as a precautionary measure. The
transfer will be made by men regularly employed
in handling money for the government. under
strong guard, as to insure absolute safety.
BIT OF BLAZE.
Early this morning fire was discovered IN the
closet of the clerks room of the house of repre-
sentatives at the capital. Fortunately it did but
little damage beyond burning few unimportant
documents. This is the third fire since January,
but none of them have done much injury to the
government property. All of these fires are at
tributed to that much abused cause, spontaneous
combustion.
LIE NAILED.
The statement that the Democratic campaign
committee has been collecting money for a cam
paign fund from employees of the house is posi-
lively denied. j. B. Trainer, who was an at
tache of the house during the forty fourth,
forty-fifth and forty-siXth congresses, and is at
present an employe of the house, says that never
during his entire service there have employees
been assessed by Democrats. There has never
been an inrimation that the committee wanted
employees to contribute he says, and none Of
them have done So
OUR DEFENsELEss CONDITION.
''There is nothing in the reports this year that
has not been known for long time,'' remarked
Gen. Newton, chief of engineers, when ques
toned about the reports on the coast detenses.
''They show an utterly defenseless condition of
our coast and the impossibility of repulsng an
attack by the navy of any second or
third class European power. The
defenses of Washington form the most
striking example, though no worse than many
others. Here's the national capital, the capital
building and that important institution called
the treasury, protected by two dismantled,
decayng and superanuated forts that are entirely
gress will realize the necessity for improving
this state of affairs
A SCANDAL
Private W. W. Hill of the signal service corps,
husband Of pretty wife, and the father of three
interesting children, has eloped with Washing
ton young lady whose father is a retired officer of
the army, Hill was under arrest in Fort Meyer
for forgery, ,sbut escaped from the guard house
and eloped with his girl. He has resided in
Washington for some five or six years past. He
appointed on the police force about three years
ago and distinguished himself by doing ''spy"
duty. Through his indiscretions he was dis
missed from the force and shortly after was
given clerkship in the business office of the
National Republican, and from this he enlisted
in the signal corps. About four months ago he
was arrested in a notorious den in company with
two very young girls, the daughters of a we'll
known attorney of this city The father of the
girls, on account of the scandal that would nee
essarily have followed, refused to prosecute the