Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-07

The investigation of the House special COM
mittee into the subject of the defalcation of
Cashier Silcott has gone far enough to show
that there rests no legal responsibility any,
where to make up the loss to the members of
the House. 1t has been found that the govern
ment dealt, under the law, with Mr. Silcott as
the agent of the individual members, and,
therefore. is absolved from all responsibility
More than this, there is no law constituting the
sergeant-at-arms the disbursing officer of
the House and his bondsmen are in
no way responsible for the defalca-
ton. Their bond is given for the
proper performance of that officers duties
under the law. The custom of employing the
sergeant-at-arms in the capacity of disbursng
officer is one that has been fallen into without
being authorized by any law. Therefore, while
the equities in the case nigh: imply a RESPONSE
bility on the part of the government. there is
really no such responsibility resting either with
the government or with the bondsmen that is
recognized by the statutes. The individual
members will have to stand the loss, unless
they act merely on the equities of the case and
reimburse themselves by an appropriation
without the warrant of law for so doing.
Many of the members who want to get their
money back will probably favor the passage of
bill for the relief of Ir. Leedom so that he
may settle his accounts. and in this way they can
get their money without making direct appro-
priation for themselves.
STATEMENT MR.. LEEDoM
The following statement of the condition of
the finances of the sergeant-at-arms' Office was
laid before the investigating committee by Mr.
Leedom yesterday, and at the examination of
the office by the committee found to be
correct. so far as the figures are concerned:
Amount due members. Sl53.271; amount in
safe and bank, O,6ll; shortage. S71,95O. At
the close of business November % there was on
hand ill cash S2S.555
''Of the amounts drawn from the Treasury by
Silcott at various times between November rs
and the time of his disappearance the follow
ing disposition was made: On the 9th
he drew S36,60S, of which he paid
S21 500 to the teller, MIR. Balleptine and
with the balance paid off notes amounting to
S14, 500 in the hands of the Metropolitan bank
supposed to have been drawn by congressman
On the 29th he drew S36, POT, which he paid
over in full to Mr.. Ballentine. On the 30th he
| drew S6O,G27, OF which he gave 1852 in drafts
| to Mr.. Ballentine. The amount of cash on
hand at the close of business November 25 was
| SIS, 555. The amount in Silcotts safe Decem-
| Der t. when Mr.. Leedom made the investiga-
ton, was S39.400. The amount in the teller's
hands December was $50, 351 and the amount
| in bank was sl9,660.
The fact that there was more cash in the
| safe at the time that SilcOtt went away than at
| the close Of business November 25 shows that
he was afraid to take anything from the safe
and that none of the stealing done from
| the sergeant-at-arms' Office. The money taken
was that which Silcott had drawn from the
| Treasury and had not turned over
| TO the scrgeant-at-arms. You see, Mr.. Ballen-
lentine's door Tapped over on that of Silcott so
| that MIR. BallenIine could have had access to
Silcott's cash at any time, and he was evidently
| afraid that if he had taken any of the cash on
! hand it would be discovered. / am confident
| that the notes which Silcott paid OFF at the
National Metropolitan bank were forged and
| that to protect himself from punishment for a
| crime for which he might have been eXtradited.
| Col. Canaday, tine sergeant-at-arms of the
/ Senate, tells me that Silcott came to his house
twice recently and said that he wanted to con-
| suit him about something. He seemed much
disturbed and could not get himself up to the
| point of saying what he wanted to. He asked
Col. Canaday, though, if he was good lawyer"
War Department Changes.
| Appointed: Vim. Whitehall, Virginia, clerk
at $1,000, surgeon generals Office; Saml X.
Kiner, Illinois, clerk u, 200, adjutant's generals
office; Zachary I. Eberbach, Pennsylvania,
clerk, $1,000 adjutant generals Office; Geo. G.
King, Georgia, copyist at $500, signal Office.
Promoted: Ozias j. Markle, from $1,000
surgeon generals office, to 81 200, adjutant gen.
erals office; Ulysses G. Myers, Pennsylvania,
from $500 to 81, 200 signal office.
Permanently appointed: Emmett @. Andrus,
| Michigan, clerk, 1000, commissary generals
office; Anderson c. Ginsenberry, Kentucky
clerk, $1,000, quartermaster generals Office
Thos. J. Clark, New Jersey, clerk at 1900
surgeon generals Office
Declined appointments: Oliver 8. Brown
sachusests, as clerk at o., 900, surgeon gen
erals Office.
Count Emil de Keratry is in this country tc
further the cause OF international copyright
| hetveen FRANCE and tha Unifcd ~. a.