New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-06
THE HOUSE PLUNDERED.
THE sERGEANT-AT.ARMS'S CASHIER A De
FAULTER IN NEARLY 100000
LAST SEEN IN WASHINGTON on SATURDAY,
CoNGRESsNiEN LIKELY TO LOSE THEIR
SALARIES FOR NOVEMBER THE
CRIME MADE EASY BY LOOSE
BUSINESS METHODS

tBr rELEGRArH TO THE TRrsUNEJ
Washington, Dec. 5.-Just as the House OF
Representatives was about 10 begin business this
morning, a tardy member. J. H. ONeall, of In
diana, having first been sworn in and taken his
seat on the Democratic side, those who could look
down from the gallery on the presiding officers
desk saw the Speaker toying nervousy with a
sheet of paper which had been handed up 10 him
by one of the Clerks force. On the sheet was a
brief message, which looked from a distance as
trivial and unimportant as private pension
bill. But the Speaker read it over twice, and his
face grew disturbed and anxious. The House
was in good spirits, and hum of conversation
rose from the benches on both sides Of the
chamber. Nobody seemed to have an inkling
of what was coming, and the shade on the brow
of the Speaker passed quite unnoticed The note
was sent down TO be read. and in ten seconds one
could have heard pin drop. on the floor or in
the galleries The biggest sensation the Capitol
has known for years in the way of defalcatons
was sprung without warning; and almost be-
fore the members of the House themselves could
realize it, the news was flying through the cor
ridors that the cashier of the Sergeant-at-Arms's
Office had fed, with between $4,000 and
81 100000 Of the Houses money, and that nearly
all of the Represe ntatives would lose, in conse-
quence, their November salary. The retiring
Sergeantat-Arms, John p Leedom, of Ohio had
himself sent the note TO the Speakers desk II
read thus:
regret report that c. F. sIcOtt late cashier Of the
ONCE Of the sergcanat Arms has departed this city
without settling his and been unable to
ascertain his whereabouts and there is deficiency in the
cash OF the office. In view OF these circumstances
spectfuly request immediate investigation Of my ac.
counts, under such Representatives
may take in the premises.
When the House had recovered from the sur
prise and CONSERVATION into which it had been
momentarily thrown. Mr.. Adams, OF Illinois,
moved that an investigating committee be ap-
pointed, and the Speaker named Messrs Adams
Stewart, of Vermont; Payne, of New-York Reed,
of Iowa: Holman, of Indiana; Blount of Georgia,
and Hemphl, of South Carolina The House
will not meet again until next Monday, and they
have until that time to report.
The extremely loose business methods tolerated
by the House in all its dealings with the Ser
geant-at-Arms's Office made defalcation easy and
tempting for ScOtt 1t has been the custom for
the Sergeant-at-Arms to draw the monthly pay
of the Representatives, each member giving q
receipt in advance, certified by the Speaker or
the Clerk, to he presented at the Treasury. The
salary becomes due the fourth day of each
month, but the Sergeant-at-Arms, or his cashier,
has generally been permitted TO get the receipts
cashed from three to eight days in advance.
Most members keep an account with the office,
and have settlements when they wish, the Ser
geant-at-Arms doing sort of private banking
business of over million year. but giving a
bond of only $4,000. Silcott, Mr. Leedom's
cashier had the run of all these disbursements
and used to go in person TO the Treasury 10 get
the monthly receipts cashed. This time he went
earlier than usual The total of the members
salaries each month is about $4,000.
On November 81 Scott took certificates for
about $4,000 TO Treasurer Huston. lie ex-
planned that the office had no balance on hand,
and that Representatives were beginning to draw
on him. He asked, a special favor, to have the
$4,000 given TO him then, This done, and
on November 20 he came back and got So 900
more. The next day he drew 6O,O0O delivering
all the remaining certificates No member could
draw cn the office until yesterday, and there was
nothing to prevent Sicotts starting for Canada,
if he wanted to, with all the money and three
days leeway. He did start last Saturday night,
going over to New-York, whence he tclegraphed
on Sunday that he would be back here the next
day. Nothing has been heard of him since
The guileless Sergeant-at-Arms feared at first
that his trusted cashier had been sand -bagged'
in the metropolis. He waited for a day. and then
began investigation. lie learned that Slcott
had drawn out his own account in local bank
before leaving town. Then he went up 10 the
Capitol and looked at the books and in the safe
The books showed that the cashier had charged
up about $4,000 more than there was cash to
balance He also took 81 900 from the safe
belonging to the Sergeant-at-Arms. How much
more he embezzled will probably not be known
until thorough invest CATION is made. About
$50, 900 in cash was discovered untouched in the
paying tellers box in the safe Silcott could have
taken this, but, az some experts think, left 10
behind TO avert suspicion for day or two.
The bulk of the loss, of course, will fall on
the Sergcant-at-Arms. His bond, for $50 900,
is signed by cX.Reprcsentative David X. Paige,
of Ohio; ex-senator Camden, Of West Virginia.
and Charles Feiton, OF California SilcOtt also
is under S5O, 900 bonds, among those who signed
for him being eX-ReprcscntatiNe John L. Wilson.
NJ A. Blair, Samuel brennan, and K. III. Ellison,
of Ohio Mr.. Lcedom telcgriphed to-day TO the
cashiers bondssa n, and will try TO meet his
obligations as promptly as possible. But the
members of the House will have 10 do without
their salaries for the present. and may not set
a part OF the November payment at ALL An
unfecling world may smile at their predicament
and it is true that Congress can make good the
loss in the next Sundry Civil bills but Silcott's
flight will leave many members in an embarr.iss-
ing and annoying plight Some Of them have
already drawn on the $500 odd due yesterday,
and these who have been banking with the
Sergeantat-Arns may suffer other losses.
Congressman Butterworth, for instance, left
a sum OF money the other day with Mr.. Leedom
to pay a bill, and he doesn't know now but that hs
will have to pay the bill over again. II is said
that Mr.. Rife, of Pennsylvania, had $4,000 on
personal deposit with the SergeantatAms, ana
may lose it. Other members who. it Is sfate'' pu'
money into Mr. Leedoms hands for safe keepns'
and now regret it, are j. ID. Taylor VINO hsa S''
Bayne, of sPcnnsylvania. $1,000; bou'ene'
Maine. 81 800: Hermann. CT Oregon Y So DE-
Pickler. of South Dakota. ss''oo. o,sem ~.
roson.o tio baye left their salaries uhur""n win