Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-02
MAJOR SMYTH'S FLIGHT.
THE MISSING PAYNASTER NOW
IN NEW YORK.

Various theories Advanced as TO tho
Motive for His Departure Under
an Assumed Name-A New Man d.
rected to Take Charge OF MAJ
smyth's Work Here-No Cause Known
for His Sudden Flight,
The publication in the NEWS yesterday
of the flight from this city of Major w. ID.
Smytb. Pavmaster Of the United States
army. created something of a sensation in
the HIGH circles in which he moved. The
motive of the sudden departure of Major
Smytb is still shrOuded in mystery. He
had a large salary and much credit. Had
he been in need of money he could have
secured it for the asking. Why, there
fore, he should have drawn the govern
ment money and departed in such nys-
FERROUS manner cannot fail to cause COM
ment.
IJis now known that Major Smvth was
one of the passengers on the steamship
NacOOchee. which sailed from SaVannan
on Monday under an assumed name. 1t
is not 'fficult to follow his movements.
When he left his boarding place on south
Broad street he was driven almost direct
liz to the wharf Of the Ocean Steamship
COMPANY. 1t would appear that he did
not have much time to himself after land
inv from the NacOOChee In New York
| early Yesterday morning, for dispatch
received during the day stated that
| he was at the Metropolitan Hotel and had
| been taken in charge by his father, and
was being cared for by his family there.
The theory of the Majors flight, which
| is accepted by most of mis- friends here, is
/ that he was suffering from temporary alb
| CREATION of the mind, and that he drew the
money with which to pay the troops
/ a week before the usual time and
| that he mistoOk the New York steam
| ship for the Florida steamboat. The fact,
| however, remains that he went to New
| York on the Nacoochee under an assumed
| name, and this would seem to dispose Of
the defense of unaccOuntability set up by
| his friends.
1t is understood that Col. Mcclure,
| Chief PaYmaster at Washington, will at
| tend to disbursing the money due the sol
| diers in Major Smyth's district. He will
| probably be here to-day. Ma
| Tor Smyth will be taken
| to Washington from New York, but
his friends here are confident that the
matter will be hushed up without court
martial, although there is hardly prOba-
bility that this will be the case.
A Washington dispatch to the News
| quotes Paymaster General Rochester as
| saving last night that all the information
| received there concerning the disappear
| ance and alleged defalcatiOn of Maj.
! Smvth was a dispatch from his clerk,
| which came to him on Tuesday, stating
| that Maj. Smyth drew $4,000 from the
| Merchants National Bank here on Mon
day, and had not been to his office since,
| but had been seen on Tuesday with his
| mustache shaved offriding in a carriage on
which was a new and cheap-lOoking
| trunk, and that il was supposed he had
left the city by a southern train and had
| gone to Florida. Gen. Rochester SAID that
| Col. Carey, of the Paymaster General S
office, had been directed to 90 to Savan-
| nah to take charge of the office and pa
! pers, and would leave Washington last
| night for that purpose. He said also that
| $4,000 was about the amount Of the gov
| eminent funds subject to Maj. Smyth's
draft in Savannah, but that about $4,000
more was subject to his draft in New
| York. He did not know whether Maj.
Smyth had drawn this last mentioned or
not. Mai. Smyth has been in the pay de-
partment of the army for about two years,
and until last February was stationed in
Arizona, but was transferred at that time
20 Savannah Gen. Rochester has notified
Gen. Hancock, in whose department Sa-
Yannah is, of the matter.
Washington dispatch received by the
! News at O'Clock this morning says:
| mo one here in military circles is sur
! priSed at the announcement that W. IL.
Smyth, Major and Paymaster in the army,
has run away, as alleged, with lot of
government funds. Maj. Smyth was APP
pointed by President Arthur to please his
friend, John F. Smyth, the young mans
father. The appointment was considered
an unwise one in official circles, and was
made against the wishes of the authOri-
ties at the War Department, where it was
thought that SmythIdid not have proper
sense of the responsibility of his position,
and, doubtless, believed that his influence
| with the President would be sufficient to
prevent him from being punished in case
of any shortcomings on his part. 1t will
hardly be possible to save MIN from the
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