Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-19
CONCRESSMEN INVOLVED.
The Silcott Investigation Brings to
Light Many Queer Things.
Reed Has 0yerdrawn His Salary to
the Amount of S1,934.
Other Members 0verdraw, But All
Done Through Mistakes.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-THE Evening
Star has the following: The developments
In the case of the shortage in the SER
geant-at-arms of the house. while they do
not fix dishonesty upon anybody but Sill
colt, show astonishing looseneSs In the
financial transactions throughout that
office. Members of the house criticise
Leedom for this, and for the alleged fact
that he discounted members notes out of
the public money, and the things that they
condemn in him is for that, as they say,
he was perfectly aware of the bad habits
of Silcott and yet trusted him in the face
of this knowledge. Leedom and Silcott
were both fond Of attending races and
betting, therefore Leedom knew the habit
of his cashier and it is alleged that
he knew Silcott was leading
a fast life in other respects.
This was known of course, to a number Of
members also, andthe habit of ~discounting
notes appears to have grown out of the
rapid pace at which certain members of
congress were going to some extent, this
thought in company with Silcotts moral
atmosphere within a certain circle In in
innate association with the ~sergeant-at-
arms, does not appear to be clear. While
the thirty-ive notes referred to in the Star
some days ago, are alleged to be
forgeries, there are a lot Of notes
which are genuine and the loose discount
business appears to have been going on for
years. The committee are under the i'm
preston as is indicated by some of its
members In discussing this matter, that
the advances which were made were from
the public fund, if Leedom was not aware of
this fact it was because he knew nothing
about the state of his own or the public
finances in the hands of Silcott. On this
subject Leedom stated that the ~discounting
during the session Of congress was
done with his own money or
with private moneys deposited with
him, not out of the public funds and when
congress was not in session discounts were
negotiated with the banks. When he was
notified by the paying teller that he had
overdrawn, he simply got money out of
his own fund in SiIcott's part of the safe
and made the necessary deposits. It APP
pears from the books of the ~sergeant-at-
arms that Adams, who is chairman of the
investigating committe, has overdrawn
his accounts to the amount Of $40, and
that ex-Speaker Carlisle has overdrawn
to the amount of S416; that Reed has
overdrawn his accounts to the amount Of
81 1884. Other overdrafts are also shown.
A reporter made an investigation of the
case of Speaker Reed and discovered that
it was not, In fact, an overdraft. Reed
placed his certificate In the s~ergeant-at-
arms Office on Dec. 4, when the money was
due for additional salary as speaker, and
authorized the procurance of a draft for
the amount on New York. A day or two
afterward he got the draft. His
certificates should have been taken to the
treasury, the money drawn and draft pro-
cured. 1t appears, however, that the
money was not drawn from the treasury,
though the proper sum was paid to Reed.
This gives the appearance OF an %Overdraft.
Adams, of Illinois, chairman of the Silcott
investigating committee, said his account
with the sergeant-at-arms was overdrawn
to the amount Of $40 through a misunder-
standing.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 14.-Capt.
Wheat's election as postmaster of the
House of Representatives, and the talk
about Wheat being a Wisconsin man, has
called out innumerable applicants from
Wisconsin for positions about the Capital.
Each Wisconsin representative is receiving
applicants by every mail. Some of them
are weary Of constant importantly by
people Iuey NEVER u6dIu Ol VIII dI6 eli
deavoring to get all of the Wisconsin
members and senators. together with Secre-
tary Rusk, to drop everything else and get
them appointed to some position with
good pay and little work. There are now
on file len times as many applications
from Wisconsin as there are places to fill.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 14.-Senator
Sawyer's luck with his new brown stone
castle near the Chinese legation in this city
is a fair sample of Washington business
methods, says the Post of today. The
Senator was promised possession of his
house on May l. When May came the
contractor asked an extention till August
/. In August he begged for an extension
till November |. and when this day came
around be said he would be all through in
a week. On the 5th day of December the
Senator managed to crawl into the base
ment and eat his meals in the kitchen,
finding a sleeping room in the garnet.
Senator Hearst s new $500, 900 palace, about
three blocks from Sawyer's house, was
promised August |. The contractor still
has his men in the house, and Senator
Hearst will be lucky if he is able to drive
them out and get well settled himself be-
fore next August.