Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-12-08
HE WAS A PLUNGER.
How Cashier Silcott Sank
Deeper in the Mire.
THE RACE TRACK HIS HOBBY
Fortune Would Not Favor Him, so
He ResOrted to Theft and
Forgery.

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD !
WASHINGTON, December 7.-Sergeant-
alarms Leedom has been gathering ad-
ditional facts bearing on the dedication
of Cashier Silcott. There has been a
good deal Of speculation SO to why Sill
cott took up number of notes at the
National Metropolitan Bank last week
just before he disappeared. Leedom has
secured an explanation. which is to the
effect that the cashier forged the names
Of members Of the House and others to
thirty-fve notes. aggregatiDg $14,500. 1t
was these notes which he took UP No.
vember 9th.
Leedom's tEeory ia that Silcott has
gone to Canada. 1t is believed, how.
ever, that he can be extradited. II was
reported this morning that he had been
seen in New York en- route for Buffalo,
and that he had been arrested in Albany.
The reports lack confirmation.
Members of the House claim that the
Government will have to make the sums
lost good to them.
TEE COMMITTEES REVELATIONS. @
The Congressional Committee con.
tinued its inquiry into the affair of the
Sergeant-at-Arms' Office today.
Representative Thompson, of Ohio,
was before the com mittee this afternoon
in connection with the inquiry into the
character of the notes taken up by Sill
colt. He was confronted with the record
of note purporting to be his, for the
amount of q months salary. It was
cashed September 18th. Thompson de-
clared that he was not in Washington in
September. He denied that he ever
made such note.
Representative Stone. of Missouri,
Mansur, Caruth, Crisp, Herbert and four
or five others testified the same in res-
pect to notes made out in their names,
Caruth stating that he was in Europe
when the note purporting to be his note
was made.
HIS HOUR OF RECKONING.
II is believed the forged notes were
issued by Silcott to cover losses on horse
races; that he hoped to win enough
money to take them up. but failed to do
go, and simply got deeper in the pit.
With the opening of the new Congress
his hour of reckoning had come, and
being unable to settle up, he decided to
make another big haul and skip the
country. Before going with the money
he got from the Treasury, 1t is now un-
darstood no consulted his lawyer, who
advised him to take up the notes, so as
to destroy the evidence of the forgeries,
as that crime ia covered By the extradi-
tion treaty with Great Britain. While
the taking up of these notes has embar.
rassed the evidence of forgery, it is
thought an indictment can be returned
for forgery by the Grand Jury, thus max
ing his extradition possible if he is found
in Canada. AS soon as possible the case
will be sent to the Grand Jury, and an
attempt will be made to serve indict.
ments for forgery and for grand larceny.
nB PLUNGED DEEPER AND DEEPER.
As an evidence of how Silcott was try
ing to save himself by plunging deeper
and deeper into every gambling scheme
to get money to make good his forgeries,
the fact is disclosed that for the past two
months he has bought five whole lottery
tickets each month.
THE FORGED NAMES.
Following are the members whose
names were forged: Herbert, Turpin,
Davidson, of Florida; Bullock, Crisp,
Grimes, Bootham, THOMPSON, Of Ohio
Wickham, Richardson, Washington, R.
A. Pierce, Kilgore, Grain, Moore, Carl
ton, Lawler, Gest, Gear, Hayes, Conger,
A. j. Anderson, Stone, of Kentucky
Stone. of Missouri; Goodnight, Mont
gomery, Caruth, Paynter, J. A.
Buchanan, g. L. Anderson, Mansur,
Wade, Chatham, Bro wer and Ewart.