Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1889-12-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our regular Correspondsat)

Washington, u. u, Dec. y, 1903.
The delegates TO the Pan-American
Congress spend a good deal of their
spare time putting their individual
museums TO rights. The souvenirs that
were not collected, but simply accu-
INFLATED during the trip as each mans
share, are bewildering in number and
variety There are first about 200
menu cards for half as many cities.
There are all sorts of designs, good,
bad and terrible. Then there are
scores of mementoes given by manu-
facturers, and medals and badges given
by cities and corporations. Some Of
these trifies are very costly and elegant.
Pittsburg makes the biggest showing.
There are two large books bound in
morocco, the 400 large pages of one
being filled with photographs of places
Of interest in the Smoky City, while
the other volumes devote 500 pages to
the business interests Of the city. The
Pennsylvania Railroads souvenir book
contains date ofthe trip, with especially
beautiful illustrations and an extract
from Secretary Blaines address Of well
come to the guests.
The motherly arms of Canada have
just folded TO her loving breast another
absconding cashier in the person Of
Silcott, cashier for Mr.. Leedom, the
retiring Sergeant-at-Arms Of the house,
who made away last week with sum
estimated at $4,000. AS the house
committee Of investigation has not yet
concluded its labors, full particulars Of
the amount cannot be obtained. Ger
tain it is however, that the loss will
not be covered by the bond Some Of
Silcott's preparations for flight were
made with foresight that showed The
man to be no fool so far as cunning is
concerned, The developments of
Saturday show that he is likely forger
as well as a defaulter. Just before
leaving The city he took up notes at
the National Metropolitan Bank to the
extent of $4,000. These notes are
believed to have been forged with the
names Of about thirty members of Con
gress and other persons. In taking
these notes up Silcott in all probability
destroyed them. Mr. Leedom's follow
ers are talking very bravely of bring
ing Silcott back on the charge of
forging these notes. A child should
know that no eXtradition on a charge
of forgery could be produced II court.
Silcott has covered his tracks well.
A slow-moving, middle aged man,
with a back inclined to be in the style
made obnoxious by Richard III, and
other crooked back people, a man with
a wife and family and well connected
withal, does not cut all ties and sail
away from home and friends and fam
lily into the black depths of disgrace
and danger, without some strong rea-
sons for his action. Silcott lived Il
double life He had his office and his
friends at the House of Representatives
and came and went for six years, hon
ored and respected. Behind this was
another life. He had a mistress, a
French Canadian young woman, whose
life had been one of the most wretched
sin for years. She was no fascinating
Camille, only an ignorant, lazy, drink
ing shrew, but she set the heart of this
aged victim on fire. She is supposed
to be with him now in Canada.
Silcott had another love, and that
was gambling on horse races. He was
well known by the habitutes of pool
rooms as a heavy better, and was at
these rooms nearly every day, making
his bets and losing most of them. His
salary, like the Irishman's blanket was
too short at both ends, and the only
thing that surprises one is that he lasted
so long
Mr.. Leedom can to some extent
blame himself for giving Silcott the
temptation to rob him, and through
him the government Mr.. Leedom
says that Mr., Silcott always appeared
to be very economical. He often, he
says, spoke to him about dressing
badly. He seemed actually unwilling
to buy clothes of respectable cut and
quality. If Mr.. Leedom had gone a
little farther and thought that these
evidences of an economical spirit were
fully counteracted by Silcott's passion
for betting one hundred dollar bills on
race, in the pool rooms, month in and
month out, he would have exhibited a
greater gift of observation. And Mr..
Leedom could have very easily learned
of this heavy gambling. Mr.. Leedom
is himself one Of the most earnest vo-
taries of gambling on horse races, and
his visits to the pool room have been of
nearly daily occurrence when he is in
the city. Is it not strange that the
master never noticed the mans habits
except as to his clothing. Mr.. Leedom
evidently put too great confidence in
Silcott.
The death of Jefferson Davis caused
no stir in Washington. Nothing that
is not officially recognized ever does,
and so Jefferson Davis going to higher
judgment occasioned sorrow only to
such of his personal adherents and
friends as now reside here. The death
of an ex-Secretary ofWar is by custom
observed by draping the pillars of the
Department and his picture in mourn
ing. But Mr.. Davis's portrait remains
undraped, and the War Department
ignored the demise Of one of its ablest
secretaries of the past. So far as gov
eminent recognition is concerned, JEFF
ferson Davis died the day he walked
out of the Senate, asking pardon of
such as he offended" to take up the
cause of the confederacY.