Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-12-15
WASHINGTON VIKINGS.
The silcott Committee in a
Quandary.
Sensational Suicide of Franklin B.
iGowen = The Democratic
Senator'S.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.

WAsHfNGroN, December 1.-THE
special House committee investigating
the defalcation of Cashier Silcott held q
session today in accordance with the in
structions Of the House that the com.
mittee Immediately begin an examina.
tion Of the laws bearing upon the sub
iect. One of the members of the
committee said If it was decided that the
sergeant-st-Arms is disbursing officer,
then the serious question arises as to
how the individual deposits and accumu.
lated salaries of members are to be re-
garded; while if 1t should be held that
the Sergeant-at-Arms is not disbursing
officer, then the extent of his agency and
other vexatious questions remain to be
settled. The special committee will
probably take further testimony Monday,
as some facts have come to light which
cast the suspicion Of forgery or other
fraud upon certain transactions had by
Silcott with the National Metropolitan
Bank.
TIE "EvENINa STARS" DISCLOSURES.
The Evening Star has the following
Developments in the case of the shortage
of the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House,
while they do not fix dishonesty upon
anybody but Silcott, show astounding
looseness in the financial transactions
throughout that office. Members of the
House criticise Leedom for this and for
the alleged fact that he discounted mem.
bers' notes out Of public money; and
another thing that they condemn him
for is that, as they say, he
was perfectly aware Of the bad
habits of Silcott, and yet trusted
him in the face of this knowledge. Lee.
dom and Silcott were both fond Of attend.
ing the races and betting, therefore Lee.
dom knew the habits of his cashier, and
it is alleged he knew Silcott was leading
a fast life in other respects. This was
known, of course, to a number of the
members also, and the habit Of discount
ing notes appears to have grown out OF
the rapid pace at which certain members
Of Congress were going, to some extent, it
is thought, in company with Silcott.
The moral atmosphere within certain
circles, in intimate association with the
Eergeant-at-Arms' Office, does not appear
to be clear. While the thrty.five notes
referred to in the Star some days ego,
are alleged to have been forgeries, there
are lot of notes in the safe which are
genuine, and this loose discount busi-
ness appears 10 have been going on for
impression, as indicated by some OF its
members in discussing this matter,
that the advances which were made
we're from the public funds, and If
Leedom was not aware of this fact,it was
because he knew nothing about the
state of his own or the public finances
in the hands of Silcott.
On this subject leedom stated that
discounting during the session of Con-
gress was done with his own money or
with private monies deposited with him,
and not out of the public funds, and
when Congress was not in session the
discounts were negotiated with banks.
When he was notified by the paying
teller that he had overdrawn, ne simply
got money out of his own safe, in Sill
colts part Of the safe, and made the ne
cessary deposit.
It appears from the books of the Ser
geant-at.Arms that Adams, who is Chair
man of the Investigating Committee, has
overdrawn his account to the amount OF
$40; that ex-Speaker Carlisle has over
drawn his account $4l6; that Reed has
overdrawn his account to the amount of
81 1884. Other overdrafts are also shown.
A reporter made an investigation of
the case of Speaker Reed and discovered
that it was, in fact, an overdraft. Reed
placed certificate in the Sergeant-at-
Arms Office on the 4th of December,
when money was due him for additional
salary as Speaker and authorized the
procursnce of q draft for the amount on
New York. A day or two afterwards he
got the draft. His certificate should
have been taken to the Treasury, the
money drawn and the draft procured.
It appears, however, that the money was
not drawn from the Treasury, though
the proper Gum was paid to Reed.
This gives the appearance Of an over
draft.
Adams, of Illinois, Chairman of the
Silcott Investigating Committee, said his
account with the Sergeant alarms was
overdrawn to the amount of $40 through
O misunderstanding.