Morning journal and courier., 1889-12-06
NeWS Dy lelegrapn FROM ALL QUARTERS. SILCOTT'S DEPRECIATION. The Cashier Of The House
 "A Fugitive. IA SHORTAGE OF S72,0O0. Murderer Carlton Executed
 Yesterday. THE MARINE CONFERENCE. Mr. Hynes' Cunning Speech To
 The Cr0nin Jury.
THE MARINE CONFERENCE
sILCOTT,s DEPRECIATION.

The Cashier of she House a Fugitive
 A Shortage of $72,O00-Thc Facts
 Cleaned by . Committee of InvesSi-
 satien-several Congreasmen Lose
 Personal Deposits-A Fast Woman
 the Cause Of she Crime.
 WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.-Great exoitement reading of communication from Sergeant at-arms Leedom, announcing that 0. E. Sil- colt, one of his subordinates, had absconded with large sum of money.
 During the afternoon the employees in the sergeant at arms' office were busy going over cured from the treasury shows that last week Silcott in three days drew $133, ,442. is from the department. The payments were as fol- lows: Nov. 27, s36, eos; Nov. 29, $36, ,2o6 70; Nov. 80, $sO, ,6s7.4s; total, $1sS, ,442.1s. Out of this total a considerable amount was paid ont to members, some money was turned over to the paying teller to meet current neads, and the exact balance missing accord ing to the books is $71 ,s59.96. But . num- Der of representatives were in the habit of keeping individual deposits with the ser geant-at- arms and in fact general banking business was done in the office on a small scale. What these losses are has not yet been sscertained. Inquiry at some Of the banks this afternoon develops the fact tional Metropolitan bank Saturday. There are aleo rumors that he everarew his account elsewhere, but with their customary reserve the banks fail to say anything in oon6rma- tion. The heavy total of notes paid above referred to goes to confirm stories that are afoat here of extraordinary living and rash speculation by the defaulter. Later inform ation is to the effect that the paying tellers funds, although in the safe where Silcott look and steel door which may explain their preservation. Last Saturday Silcott notified Mir. Leedom that he was going to New York and would be back Sunday night. A message was received from him dated New York Monday morning saying that he had been detained, but would return that night. A similar message reached his wife in this city. AS he did not appear Tuesday Mir. Lee dom was fearful that he had been ovsrtaken by some accident, but to satisfy rising suspi- cions began an investigation. The informal tion that Silcott had drawn his bank balance deepened the suspicious and the inquiry was pursued. The enormous office safe could not be opened at the moment, as Siloott had the combination, but when an entrance was finally effected it was found that some ESQ., 600, set apart for the use of the was made at the treasury department, and Mir. Leedom was stunned by the result. He was informed that Silcott had called there Saturday and had drawn about $72.000. It was possible for him to draw this large sum without exciting comment, as he had for a long time been charged with the duty of col- leoting the money with which the salaries of Al }o q bonds in the sum of $50, 0,000; his suretiss numbering about fifteen persona. This is, however, an indemnity bond given to the sergeant-at-arms, and MT. Leedom, who is himself bonded in the sum of $50,o00, is directly responsible for the shortage. Silcott came from Youngstown, Ohio, where he was a merchant for many years. His bond is for $50, 900, and his bondsmen, <, fifteen in number, are all residents of Ohio and of the vicinity where he lived. While Silcotts reputation for honesty had never been brought into question in any of his off, cial transactions, it was known that he was spending larger amouns of money than he could afford to spend on the salary he re- ceived, but this was explained by the belief that sileott's horse racing ventures had been successful.
 Although Silcott's family live in the city, he did not seem to make any effort to dis- guise his relations with woman known as Louise Barrett, whom he had met in a house of ill-fame here. On this woman hs lavished all sorts of luxuriea and she Is believed to have been the principal cause of his disgrace. The Barret, | woman cannot be found to-day and 1t is be lieved she is with Silcott. She is French Canadian and has been living In Washington ! for three years. Silcott recently took hel | from the house of iil.fame where they had met and established her in a very respectable locality.
 Inquiry at banks in this city where Silcott | had deposits shows that he has overdrawI his accounts and there are reports that there is 8 large amount of his paper out. The government will not be loser by the defal cation. His sureties and those of Nil. Lesdom | will be obliged to make up the amount ol | government money taken. Mir. Leedom 1T | order to recover the money for his bondsmeI
 will be obliged to apply to Congress. Ther' | is some talk among the members of passing
 bill for the immediate relief ot the member
 whose money was taken by Silcott. Severs | members hold that this cannot be done.
 Siloott leaves wife and three childrer
 behind. The oldest is . married son twenty two years of age, employed in the Hous document room. The object of Silcott'
 visit to New York last Saturday, it is said
 was for the purpose of collecting $12,0o
 from sx- x-Congressman Paige, of Ohio, nov !
 had loaned him out of the funds in his care
 It was necessary to have this money in orde to have the cash balance when turned owe
 to the incoming sergeant-at.arms.
 A number of members made practice o
 using the office ss Q bank, and througl
 courtesy this was permitted, although th
 Sergeant at arms was under no obligations t
 allow this use to be made of his office
 Among the members who lose personal de
 posits are: Rife, of Pennsylvania, $2, 50( 1 J. D. Taylor, of Ohio, 5000; Boutslle, c
 Maine, $1,500; Bayne, of Pennsylvania
 $1 ,000; Batterworth, of Ohio, $900; He,
 man, of Oregon, $2, 500: Pickler, of Mort
 Dakota, 5000, and Parnell, of Nebraski
 $2,e00.
 Nearly all the members lose some none
 on account on salary due, but affairs are
 so much confusion that list of the member
 and their losses cannot be given. Some neH
 bers permitted their salaries te remain III
 touched for several months and these are tn
 greatest sufferers by the defalcation. Belde
 of New York loses his entire salary sine
 March 4, about 2,400. Some few member
 made assurance doubly sure, however, an
 are indebted to the office, having overdraw . their accounts.