The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-03-17
WASHINGTON.
Portland EEead Light.
lspecial to the Press.l

WASHINGTON, March 15.-Representative I.
B. Reed, presented petitions in the House to-.
day from Rockland, Bangor, Bath, Boothbay,
Kennebunkport, Eastport, Lubec, Castine,
Millbridge, Saco and Peaks Island, and the
names of two hundred others, ship owners
asking the restoration OF Portland Head Light
to its former height and grade.
To the Associated Press)
The E4aslker Resolutions.
The sub committee of the House Committee
ON foreign affairs to-day considered the Las.
ker resolution aud agreed upon a report and
resolutions to be submitted to the full COM
mttee on Monday. The resolution 10 effect,
declares that the &C ion of the House of Repre-
sentatives was simply an expression
of sympathy with the German peo-
pie in their great loss and that the house has
no concern with those relations between the
legislative aud executive branches of the Ger
man government, which prevented that ex-
preston OF sympathy from reaching the body
10 which it was addressed.
Mr.. Cook still Giving Information.
Wm. A. Cook was examined today by Mr..
Springer's committee in reference to the Ott-
mann's case, a case in which w. Fl. Ottmann
was charged with being connected with clerk
named Halleck in stealing about $48, 900 from
the United States Treasury in the summer of
1875. The witness testified that moneys
amounting to nearly the entire sum, having
been deposited in various places by Ottmann,
were found and were believed to have been the
sums stolen, but the money could not be identi-
fed. Two criminal proceedings were instituted
against Ottmapn, Mr.. Cook being his counsel,
but the juries failed to agree. A civil suit was
also instituted. Owing 10 the preponderance
OF evidence that the money had been stolen
from the Treasury, Mr.. Cook said ne declined
TO continue in the civil cose. The witness as
serted that he had refused to take fee for his
SSrVinea hacaus4 ha haliavad sba tn,
have been stolen. The case was afterward
compromised, Mr., Richard Crowley represent
ing Ottmann and Messrs. Bliss and Brewster
representing the Government By the COM
promise S12, 800 were returned to the Govern
ment aud the criminal csses against Ottmann
were dismissed. Mr. Blisss Isition ia the
compromise vas that no believed 0ttmann
guilty, bat the evidence was not sufficient to
convict Mr. Cook Said he believed that the
seitement OF the case by a compromise was
in direct violation of the law. The witness
was of the opinion that a third criminal trial
would have been more unfavorabie to Ottmann
than had been the other two. He also thought
that conviction might have been secured in
civil case. Mr.. Cox said that Otmann call
ed upon him, t8lliag him that Mr.. Crowley
would represent MIN in the proposed compro-
mise. Mr.. Crowley afterward called and said
he hsd influence enough to secure an adjust
ment of toe case. Witness, therenpou, re-
marked TO Mr. Crowley that he (Crowley) must
have Influence to secure a compromise; that it
was task which he (witness) would not under
take Mr.. Cook further testified that Mr..
Crowley also said: Ottmann had better get
what he car. In regard to the division of the
entire sum of money, Mr.. Cook said he under
stood the Government received $4,000 Ott-
mann $4,000, and that t he remainder was di-
vided among the persons who effected the
compromise.
American Tract Society.
WAsHlNoToE, March 16 The annual meet
ing OF the American Tract Society this evening
was largely attended Ex-Justice Strong
work among immigrants Rev. Go. d. Marsh,
missionary of the American Board in Bull
garia, spoke of the "power of the press" in
foreign missions. Hon. B. M. Cutcheon of
Michigan spoke of tho silent but effective in.
huence OF the society. The report shows
receipts for the year $S69066; expenditures,
1851 ,2S0; balance in the treasury, S7,7S5.
Donations and legaoies, $1l695l, of wbich
S31 300 were special, leaving $S4, ,557 available
for benevolent work. Benevolent expendi-
lures were $S3,I37, leaving a balance for
benevolent work of $1,420. The 147 colpor-
teurs employed made 130,46S Christian family
visits. The graJuitous distribution included
81. 600, 600 pages of tracts. Total issues of the
society for the year wer9 12,346, 300 copies of
books, tracts and papers.
Ceunterfeit silver Certificates.
The secret service division of the Treasury
fopOEln tuHb CcEIdlh COuhtcFl6ll6fs
are concocting measures 10 simultaneously
pass upon the pubic, especially in the cities OF
the South and West, counterfeit $40 silver
certificate. A sample of the same has Just
been received al the Office of the secret service
division. The issue is of the series of 1880,
James Gililan, Treasurer of the United
States. The paper is thick, greasy and Estiff,
all counterfeit. The note is one-eighth OF an
inch shorter than the genuine. There ia no
distributed fibre or paral lei silk threads in the
paper, as in the genuine. The words "silver
certificate" appear Ia panels twice in the up
per border, on the face of the note In the
panel to the left, in the counterfeit, the letters
r, I and in the word certificate are engrav-
ed the wrong side up. La the couoterfei5
there are no periods dividing the initials in B.
K. Bruce. Oa the lower left corner tie check
letter @ is without accompanying number,
and in the name Gilfllan only the first l is dot
ted. On The back of the note tho word 'taxes"
is plainly spelled ''tares," aud the word ZEN
graved" is spel ell "engravod." The color of
the seal is a brick red; it should be verging on
brown. These points, If carefully noted will +,
ior the present, protect the public.