Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-12-12
HIS LOOKS DECEIVED HIM.
THE CASHIER OF THE SERGEANT-AT-
ARMS AN EMBEZZLER.

He Halls from Youngstown, Oils De-
faIcation Amounts to Ss1, ,s92 and is
Supposed to be In Canada-His Bonds
men All Ohio PeoDle-How the News
Was Received in the House of Repre-
sentatives-A Woman Mixed Up in the
Matter.
WASHINGTON, Dec. &C. E. Silcott,
cashier of the sergeant-at-arms Office of
the last congress, is an embezZler in the
amount of about $4,000, $4,000 of
which is government money. He has a
bond on file for $50, 900 with good secur-
ities, so the government will not suffer
SO severely as individuals. The chief
sufferer will be the sergeant-arms of the
last house, J. P. Leedom, who loses S10,-
900 cash and is responsible for the short
age of Silcott above the amount which
may be recovered from his bondsmen.
Silcott is supposed TO be in Canada.
The announcement of the defalcation
created asensation in the house. Silcott
was well known to at least 100 of the
old members. His little STOPPING figure
and his gray head were familiar to every
one who had occasion to go to the office
of the sergeant-at-arms to draw money
in the last congress. Many of the new
members had become acquainted with
him during the past summer. He was,
to all appearances man of good habits,
steady and trustworthy. Among his
people in Ohio he bore god reputation.
1t was as though the sergeant-at-arm
had accused one of their own of embez-
Element when the members of the house
listened to the announcement that there
was shortage in Silcott's accounts.
Mr. Leedom seemed to take the matter
quietly and with some fortitude. although
he told the newspaper interviewers who
crowded about him that he was in no
condition to talk. ''All of this money
has been drawn since Wednesday,, he
said to a United Press reporter as he sat
in the hack room of his little Office, gaz-
ing at the stream of anxious congress
men who poured in the door to look at
the big empty room and to ask questions
and offer sympathy.
Their First Suspicious.
"We did not suspect anything wrong
until 4:30 in the afternoon" he contin-
ued, land we had no absolute knowl-
edge of the extent of the defalcatien
until this morning, Just before | made
the report of it to the house. Silcott
went to New York Saturday, telling me
that he had to collect money Sunday
night he telegraphed to his wife that he
would be back Monday night We did
not know what had happened to him
when he did not appear, but we thought
he had been killed. We never suspected
the truth until his absence became pro-
longed, when we began to investigate.
We did not believe the worst until we
had gone to the treasury as last resort,
hoping that he had not drawn the
money. There we found that he had
drawn S133, 600 since Wednesday, ap-
parently with the intention of carrying
it away. Then | determined to report
the matter Immediately to the house and
await its action. The shortage is ST.
S92. l had $4,000 in the safe and Sill,
colt had like amount up to Saturday.
That is all, | suppose, Silcott has with
him in Canada.
Silcott came from Youngstown, O.,
where he was a merchant for many
years. His bond for $4,000 and his
bondsmen, fifteen in number, are all resi-
dents OF Ohio and of the vicinity where
he lived. The only names which Mr.
Leedom could remember among them
We're those of w. A. Blair, William Nc
Cormick, j. I. Wilson, R. H. Ellison
and Samnel brennan. The bond is in
Mr.. Leedom's private safe out west. Mr.
Leedom says that the bondsmen are all
good men.
A Speculator on Horses.
The letter from eX-Sergeant-at-Arm
Leedom to Speaker Reed, informing him
of the Silcott defalcation, was not re-
ceived with any manifestations of feel
ing beyong complete surprise when laid
before the house. The members seemed
thunderstruck, ana not a sound was
heard while the clerk read Mr.. LeedOm's
communication and the resolution made
by Mr.. Adams which followed. Rumors
of Silcotts crime had been whispered
about amoug the members, but it had
not become generally known, and the an
nouncement of the largeness of the de-
ficiency had even more startling effect
than the announcement of the crime
itself.
A Woman at the Bottom of 1t.
Although Silcott family live in this
city he did not seem to make any effort
10 disguise his relations with a woman
known as Louise Barrett, whom he had
met at a house of ill-fame here. On this
woman he lavished all sorts of luxuries,
and she is believed to have been the
principal cause of his disgrace. The
Barrett woman cannot be found and it is
believed that she is with Silcott. She is
a French Canadian and lived in Wash
ington three years. Silcott recently took
her from the house of ill-fame where
they met.
AN UNHUNG BRUTE.
A Fiend Commits Acts That Sound Like
Descriptions of Jack the Ripper.