Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-03-13

committee yesterday morning, he had with
him the county orders covering the period
from March, 1886, to March, 1888. Among
these orders, are enough OF Wheat
ley's bogus issues to make total OF
between $500 and $500. This will increase
$3.50.
In laying these orders before the commit
tee, Mr.. Boyce stated that they were In
loose shape aud liable to be lost easily, for
which reason he would insist that they be
left In his custody, he conceding to the
committee the full right to examine them
at any time. IL any should be lost, he said,
1t would be used as a reflection against him
and he was unwilling to take the risk. He
suggested that the committee 20 to Dover,
where all the orders could be examined at
his office, without incnrring the risk OF
losing any by conveying them between
Dover and Georgetown.
Attorney Bacon said the committee
would consider the suggestion later.
HUNTING FOR BOGUS ORDERS
Then the tedious TASK of going through
batch OF orders, $50 In all covering the year
between March, 1887, and March, 1883, was
commenced. At Noon, when the committee
adjourned until Monday, 22i had been gone
over, and among them were four bogus
orders, as follows:
1885,
November term, George Smith. ...........sil50
II: +. Johnson.....,....., 1850
June term Henry Thompson. ............ 1900
March torn, Horny King. ................ 1850
Total. ..,........................ 1880
There was no doubt OF the fraudulent
character OF these orders. They did not
appear on the levy courtllst Of allowances,
and thsy also bore the now familiar en-.
| dorsement OF the payees' names In Wheat.
ioy's well.known writing, written with an
indelihle blue pencil. la addition to these
| four that were undou Jtedly bogus, three
Others were held up for examination, az
they were considered OF a suspicious IN.
| ture. One Of these was an order for $780,
made In favor OF William u. Ellis at the
| February term, 1886. 1t appears In the list
| of allowances, however, ard Is believed to
| he genuine The other two were for john
Donovan. $3.50, March term, 1885, and John
| W, Conoway, $ll.68, March term, 1851. The
! payees named In These three orders will be
summoned and asked whether they re-
| ceived the orders or not.
Il Is believed the bottom of Whentley'5
steelings has about bsen reached. The
orders now before the Gommttep extend
back to 1866, and among them are bogus
ones to the amount OF from $500 to $7GO,
| HIS previous operations, which can 10 rack
| only to 1882, when he went Into the offloe,
are supposed to have been rather light. He
| evidently started In small way and grew
/
amount OF hts stealings by bogus orders, 1t
is now believed, will not exceed $1,000.
GEoBdETowN, March a.-The WhGatley Ia
vestiRating Committee In session yestardL7
afternoon, continundthe examination Of the
| county orders eusmlttad by State Auditor
Boyce. During the afternoon bogus orders
Issued by Whea'ley as deputy clerk OF the
| peace were found to the amount OF 929).lO.
The committee and also the levy court ad-
journed until Monday.
aEoRaETowN, March 1.-The levy
court did not continue the investigation
into the dsfalcation of Rufus T. Wheat
ley, late deputy clerk of the peace, yester-
day. II was O'clock in the''afteIncon be-
fore the court met, and then the com
mittee having charge of the investigation
declined to hold session, ct least the
Republican members did, and rs they
comprise majority Of the committee,
the session was not held. The excuse
offered was the absence of State Auditor
Boyce, who was In Dover hunting mp
more of the Sussex county orders to lay
before the committee aud learn If they
contain any bogus orders upon which
Wheatley obtained his stolen money.
Auditor Boyce come down last night and
will appear before the committee to-day
with all the county orders reaching back
to 1884, the beginning of bis official
term. These will probably cover Wheat
ley's issues OF bogus orders, as he did
not begin his term of service as deputy
clerk Of the peace until 1854.
HINTS OF ooLLUBIoN.
How far these orders brought down by
Auditor Boycs will increase the extent OF
Whestley's rascality is not known, as no
one has yet been through them with o
visw of learning how mAny are bogus.
That thu amount already discovered will
be considerably increased, there is no
doubt, and the entire defaloation may
reach, if not sucosed, 90, 800 There are
grave suspicious that Waeatley had CON
federates in three or four of the nImer-
Gus county collectors who served during
his term, and with their help worked his
scheme of issuing bogus orders with
great SUCCESS. With collectors in
colluslon he could work with much
greater facility aud with much
less fear OF detection than when
proceeding on his own hook, as in that
event he could always depend on having
his bogus orders cashsd without gu stion,
though at large discount by the collec-
IL.
The latter would turn In tho bogus orders
to the county treasurer as cash for taxes
collected, and thus be In clear pocket to
tha extent OF the face Of these orders less
the amount paid Wheatley for his share
of the transaotion, 1t cannot yet be def
nitely stated that this plan was followed
but the Indications point strongly in this
direction, and for this reason there arc
fears that the entire defalant!on may
reach 1880 or $1,000.
Despite the eA9ernsss with which they
started on the trail, the Republican mem
hers Of the levy court seeli strangely in.
, different about keeping up the hunt.
I There have been polii"I o4Hnges ia
Sussex county of late yEtra, and men
7 who were Democrats FOR eGrs, md had
) held office, were fouud Qorkipg in the
: Republican ranks ri tina last cleo iun.
The fact that the t1end OF tbs Investigation
may impliaate few men of this oasrAc
/ ter may account for ths Republican
/, apathy in the great hunt FOR fsaHi, bat il
o will not prevent the invest ;Niou from
7 being carried on to tho end This much
! this Democratic members az th1lgYy court
+, arc determined GA. They lad 20 fcras
, their Republican colleague u star. thp in,
yegtigstion, and hey arc datasmiued tina,
il shall be carried on 10 its legitimate
end, nc matter who may suffer thereby.
y The committee will meet this morning
i and continue the examination, begGI
I Friday, of the tisEt batch of ordsr!
r brought down by Auditor Boycs, wLiet
= resulted in bringing to light bogus order
i issued by Wheatley to the extent o
: $500. The examination of tho balance
( viii probably increase these figures to q
! | lohst $500 How much rayoAlitv will III