The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-06

member is entitled to S417 salary for a
stated month. These certificates are signed
by the members and given to the sergeant
alarms, who collects the money from the
treasury, where the certificate is received
as receipt, and places it to the account of
the members. Silcott collected the money
last week on a number of these certificates.
The total was not beyond the ordinary
drafts, and he mad been making the same
collections for several years
WHERE THE LOSS IS TO FALL.
What concerns the members of the House
most deeply Just now is where the loss is to
fall. Some of the ablest lawyers in the
House land particularly those members
who have drawn all of their salary, and
have it in their pockets are of the opinion
that in signing the certificates the members
have given receipt to the treasury, and
released the government from liability, in
which case they must look to Mr.. Leedom
or his sureties for their money. Others Ia
great majority who have not drawn their
November salary, hold that, as the Ger
tificates were signed and presented before
Dec. 3, when the salaries were due, the
treasury must have taken notice of the
fact, and could not legally have paid the
certificates.
CAN'T BUY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS.
Meanwhile, many of the members will be,
for time at least, kept out of their Novem-
Der salaries, which, as Representative But
terworth says, is pretty hard with
Christmas SO near at hand. The committee
appointed to-day to look into the defalcation
will meet tomorrow and begin its investiga-
tion. number of representatives had
considerable sums on special deposit in the
safe of the sergeaut-at-arms, and these have
gone with Silcott. These deposits, so far as
heard from, aggregate about $4,000. 1t is
estimated that, including his private trans
100000.
GOING OVER THE BOOKS.
During the afternoon the employees in the
sergeant-at-arms' office were busy going
over the books and accounts. A statement
| secured from the treasury shows that last
week Silcott, in three days, drew $l33, 442
from the department. Out of this total
considerable sum was paid out to members,
some money was turned over to the
paying teller to meet current needs.
and the exact balance missing. ac-
cording to the books, is S71 ,S59.
But a number Of representatives were, as
stated, in the habit of keeping individual
deposits with the sergeant-at-arms, and, in
fact, a general banking business was done
in the Office on a small scale. What these
losses are has not been yet ascertained.
HEAVY PAYMENTS TO BANKS.
Inquiry at some of the banks this after
noon develops the fact that Sllcott paid
$40, 900 in notes at the National Metropoli-
tan Bank Saturday. There are also rumors
that he overdrew his account elsewhere;
but, with their customary reserve,
the banks fail to say anything
in confirmation. The heavy total
of the notes paid above referred
to goes to confirm stories that are afloat
here of extraordinary living and rash spec
ulation by the defaulter.. Later informa-
tion is to the effect that the paying teller's
funds, although in the same safe where
Silcott kept his money. were protected by
a separate lock and steel door, which may
explain their preservation.
sILCoTT's HISTORY.
Craven Edward Silcott came from
Youngstown, o., where he had been mer-
chant for many years. Mr.. Leedom says
that he seemed to have no more than an
ordinary mans share of vices, and was one
of the most economical men he ever saw.
Persons who know Silcott's habits, how
ever, do not give him good name. 1t is
said that he was intimate with a disreput-
able woman going by the name of Louise
Barrett, whom he had supported for some
time, and it was asserted that she Is
now his companion. This latter statement
is open to some question, as it is certain
that the woman did not go away with Sill
colt, although it is true that she has left the
the horse races steadily and of lending
money to his associates at the capitol to
back horses. On Saturday last it was the
gossip of the sergeant-at-armS' office that
| Silcott had won s., 400 from local book
makers, who do business just beyond the
| city limits Silcott leaves wife and three
children behind The Oldest is married
son % years of age, employed in the House
document room.
The object of Silcott's visit to New York
last Saturday, it is said, was to collect
$4,000 from Ex-Congressman Paige, Of
Ohio, now living in New York, which
amount Silcott had loaned him out of
funds in his custody. 1t was necessary to
have this money in order to have the cash
sergeant-at-arms.
SOME OF THE HEAVY LOSERS.
A number of members made a practice
of using the office as a bank, and through
courtesy this was permitted, although the
sergeant-at-a arms was under no obligation
| to allow this use to be made of his office.
| Among the members who lose personal de-
posits are: Mr. Rife of Pennsylvania.
81, 800; j. D. Taylor of Ohio, 5000; Mr..
| Boutelle of Maine, 81 800; Mr.. Bayne of
PENNSYLVANIA, $1,000; Mr.. Butterworth of
81, 500; Mr.. Picker of North Dakota,
| 5000: Mr. ParneT of Nebraska,
| So. 100, and Mr.. Owen of Indiana,
| $3.50. Nearly all the members had
some money on account of salary due them,
| hut affairs are in SO much confusion that
| list of the members and their losses cannot
be given. Some members permitted their
salaries to remain untouched for several
months. and these are the greatest sufferers
bv the defalcation. Mr.. Belden of New
York loses his entire salary since March 4,
about s., 400 Some few members made
assurance doubly sure, however. and are
| indebted to the Office, having overdrawn
| their accounts.
MISTAKEN IDENTITY.
Among the reports in circulation tonight
was one to the effect that Representative
| Turner of Kansas would state that he had
seen Silcott in the sergeant-at-arms Office
| Tuesday morning. Mr.. Turner says that
he did make such a statement, but that it
was a case of mistaken identity, and that
he has discovered that he had been con-
founding Cashier Silcott and Paying Teller
Ballentine. Speaking of the probability OF
members Of congress being out OF pocket
| by the defalcation, Mr.. Turner said that
| it would depend on whether the act Great
| ing the office made the sergeant-at-
arns-a government representative or
whether, as seemed probable from the
| fact that the members signed authorizations,
he was the representative Of the members.