Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-28

The police patrol boat was out early this
morning dragging for the body of Benja-
min A. Jones, who disappeared from his home,
No. 761 9TH street southeast. Christmas even
ing, as heretofore mentioned in The STAR Up
to this morning no tidings of the missing man
had been received by his family. The hat he
wore on the evening he disappeared was picked
up not far from the arsenal wharf by Captain
Bailey of the tug Teuton. Mrs. Jones has no
doubt now that her husband carried out the
suicidal purpose indicated in the letter she re-
ceived from him Thursday morning. The
letter, the fact of his leaving his jewelry at
home and the finding of his hat leaves no doubt
Ill her mind
REPORTED SHORTAGE.
Meanwhile new element has appeared in
the case by report that Jones was short IN his
accounts. He was clerk to Maj. Good
loe. paymaster at the Marine barracks.
The amount said to have been unaccounted for,
SO far as the investigation has gone, is
about $1,000. Suspicion has been di-
rected against the missing man by his
disappearance and the discovery at the Treas
ury department almost simultaneously of what
appears to have been systematic
the fourth auditors office observed
the regularity of certain erasures on the rolls
OF marines paid at the Brooklyn navy yard, and
to the large member of alleged enlistments
of men in the service from San Francisco.
whose term of service had expired In
quiry showed that the enlls.ments were not
IN San Francisco at all, but in New York.
The law allows payment to enlisted men when
discharged of sum sufficient to defray their
expenses to the place where they enlisted.
Thus by alleging that the men discharged at
Brooklyn were enlisted at San Francisco the al
lowance to each man would be about Sl33. So
Tar only the Brook yn navy yard rolls for one
year have been examined and some 81, 900 is
discovered on these rolls to have been fraudu-
lently obtained.
When Auditor Whitaker was asked about the
alleged frauds by STAR reporter this after
noon, he said that 1t was true that evidences
of fraud has been discovered. but he could say
nothing further ABOUT it at the present time.
AT THE NAVY DEPARTMENT.
The Navy depaI tment is in utter ignorance
concerning the alleged frauds supposed to
have been committed by Mr.. Jones. He is en-
tlrelya domestic parsonage under Ma. Goodloe's
supervision. AT the bureau of provisions and
clothing, which has to do with the navy pay
accounts, it was learned by a STAR
"}porter that Major Goodloe's weekly
statement of cash balances for last week has
not been received. This statement is
usually made out each Saturday and
forwarded to the Navy department
NHtuCt IL B stuI 10 the Treasury Tor Ferllcd-
ton. Up to last Saturday the accounts had
been regular in coming in and were found to
be correct.
MAJOR GooDLoE THINKS MR.. JONES ACCOUNTS
ARE ALL RIGHT.
Mr.. Jones, as heretofore published in The
STAR, was paymaster's clerk under Major Good
loe at the marine barracks. Major Goodloe
told STAR reporter this afternoon that he
had not yet examined Jones ac-
counts but he was positive that
He said he did not see how Mr.. Jones could
have taken any money unless it was very few
dollars and then the money would be missed at
once. The maio said that Mr.. Jones was an
excellent clerk. having held positions in the
surgeon generals Office, the Navy depart
ment and other Offices. He was in the war
and has been an enlisted man for a number
of years. He does not think that Jones has
committed suicide.
SPLASH IN THE WATER.
John Rick and William Campbell who reside
at 9th and B streets s. e., were crossing the
hayward bridge Christmas night, ON their way
to Uulontown, when they heard splash, such
as would be made by a man going overheard.
1t was then about o'clock. When they arrived
at the house of George Frederick, in Uniontown,
they told him what they had heard while cross
ing the bridge. Mr.. Frederick told them that
it was probably fish and they thought no
more OF the matter until they heard of Mr..
Jones disappearance.
IScREDULoUs POLICEMEN.
The police do not believe that Jones drowned
himself, although his hat has been found in the
water and the splash was heard Christmas
night. SO far as the finding of the hat is con-
cerned, they say that that indicates nothing as
a man intending to disappear and leave the i'm
preston that he was drowned, would do lust
such thing as to throw his hat overheard or
leave his clothes on the river bank.
THE FRUITLEss SEARCH FOR THE BODY.
The police boat has been dragging the East
ern branch all day for Jones' body, but up to
2:30 o'clock without success. A number of
small boats containing friends of the missing
man were also out, but their search was also
truitless.
Mr.. Jones was man of nervous tempera-
ment and was easily excited. He has suffered
from neuralgia and catarrh Of the stomach for
several years, and it is said had been
IN THE HABIT OF USING MORPHINE.
Some Of his friends think that he had been
using morphine on Christmas day and that
he has wandered off into the woods. Mrs.
Jones is an invalid and the disappearance
of her husband it is said had made her
condition serious. Concerning the finding
OF the hat it was stated this afternoon that Mrs.
Jones has not yet seen it, although it was
stated this morning that it had been positively
identified as the hat of the missing man by
other persons.