Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-04-30
ELODGE. BARBER CO. KAS, FRIDAY, APRIL 80
CONSCIENCE MONEY.
Some Instances Of Restitution By
Penitent Robbers.
A Mysterious Source of Governmental In
come - Repentant Thieves Who Are
Troubled by the Voice OF Conscience
An Incorrigible Keprob4te.
washington Letter.1

Washington Letter.l
In the vaults of the United States Treas
ury at Washington there is the sum Of
$920, ,748 26, which is entered upon the books
of the Treasurer as "Miscellaneousreceip
from persons unknown" and which sum
constitutes what is known as the "Con-
science Fund.-" and it Is supposed to come
from people who have at some time de-
frauded the Government, and who wish to
make restitution by refunding the amounts
Of their peculations.
''This conscience fund.-" said Treasury
official, "has been steadily increasing for
sixty years, until now it reaches the enor-
nous sum of nearly quarter of a million
dollars. The first money of the kind re-
ceived at the Treasury was $3.50 received
in 1927 from an unknown person, who ex-
planned in his letter that he was refunding
for some customs he had once defrauded
the Government of. Since that time re-
mittances of all amounts ranging from
eight cents to g 800 have been coming in.
They come from all over the country, and
even from foreign lands. A letter was re-
ceived not long ago from a fellow out in
the Sandwich Islands, inclosing $3.50,
which, he explained, was the proceeds of
the sale of some old brass he had stolen
from an American man-of-war severa-
years previous at tho Mare Island navy
yard. The recollection of his crime wor-
ried him until he had to refund to ease his
conscience.
"a great deal Of this money is received
from priests and ministers, who write that
some sinner in their parish requested them
to send it in. During the smallpox epi-
demic in Canada Catholic priest in Que
bee sent Us a draft for sixty dollars, which
a dying Canadian had given him, confess
ing to have stolen that amount from the
United States Government, but not giving
the details. Frequently nothing accom-
panies the remittance to indicate what it
is for, but generally line or two of ex-
PLANTATION is given. Not long since we re-
ceived a letter inclosing an old and creased
ten dollar bill, with a note as follows:
GRIDLRY, GEoRGY, February (.
Mister trcsury pleas take this ten doIcPs 10
Is all have got and have had It q longtime
but / ont want 1t no more for my old man
said as how he had stole mule from the
yankees Just after the surrender and as how
reckiu 1t mite be stealth for the war was done
over with and he did not have any rite to
take nothin from the yankees no more and
so I don'twant no stealth In my family and
/ reckin the mule warn't wuth more than
ten dolers for il war a spawned old crittcr
anyway and aint got no more money your
umble servint
ANN GRAY nIGGs.
PS.-My old man died last week.
"There was a case Of true conscientious
ness. Another time we received a letter
containing four two-cent stamps, but not
a line of explanation. This, believe, Is
the smallest contribution ever sent in.
Another letter, post-marked at Kansas
City, was received inclosing ten s. bills,
with n note saying: This money. belongs
to the Government A fellow out in Mis-
souri, sent in S2l, with the explanation that
he had broken into a post Office in New
York State some years previous and stolen
that amount, but having since joined tho
Methodist Church he felt that be could not
be forgiven for his sin until he refunded
the money.
ain January we received an official en-
vclope post-marked at New York, and
containing S2,:lu0 in bills-one of 81 600,
two Of 500 and five of 800. They were all
cut in two, with n small piece cut from the
center, and the word Cancelled written
across the face. A note inclosed ran thus
"Here are -, 800 in United States bills,
mutilated so as to insure the Governments
| getting the money. Whatsoever a man
sows, that shall he reap. have sowed
the wind, and am rcapirg the whirlwind.
| This is next TO the final payment due. God
| grant me a speedy release"
We had received 500 from New York
shortly before, and circumstances con-
Accted with the remittanceS indicated that
they were both from the same party.
"There is tale connected with n con-
science item of 500 we once received. A
gentleman down in New Orleans wrote
inclosing a check for 500, with the follow
ing explanation. He said that, up to few
! weeks previous, there had lived an old man
at the mouth of Calcasieu Pass, in Missis-
sippi, who was reported to be a smuggler
He lived in miserable hut, near the beach
and was ostensibTy fisherman. This gen.
tleman who sent the money, and whom we
will call Smith, was out ducking one day
and a severe storm coming up, he sought
refuge in the old fisherman's hut
He found the old man very sick-in fact
dying. Smith stayed with him all that
night, and about daylight the old man
died, having made Smith swear that he
would send 500 in bills, which he would
find secreted behind a board in the wall, tc
the United States Treasury. The Old man
said that year before, while going out to
his nets one morning, he found drowned
mans body washed up on Calcasieu Bar
and in leather wallet on the mans per.
son were these bills. Some papers showed
the man to have been an officer in the
United States navy. The old man buried
the body and appropriated the money, but
would never use it. Smith kept his word
and sent the money in.
"One man sent in a one-hundred-dollal
bill with a most contrite letter, brimful oi
remorse and repentance. The bill wal
found to be counterfeit"