Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-05-02


Vas the complete destruction OF the lrea-
sury notes withdrawn from circulation OK
a. worn or mutilated that they we're unnt
10 be relssued. The bulk of these issues
was very great. The first so withdrawn
were called the demand notes, ,Ihey
were issued under special act, and, being
receivable for duties. bore premium
naarlv euual TO gold. There wore sixty
million dollars Of them in small denomina..
tions. and their issue involved the use Ct
many cords of paper. After the financial
svstsm authorized by the act of February
95 1850. had been instituted this issue was
redeemed and the notes corded up IN the
Treasurer's vaults. The problem was TO
count these notes, destroy them beyond
the possibility OF reissue. and give tne
Treasurer credit for them without any OPP
portunity for reissue or fraud.
THE PLAN.
After much deliberaton the following
nIau was devised: The notes were sep
arated into denominations and made INTO
packages uniform in amount: and each
package was cut into halves, lenethwlse.
'The upper halves were delivered 10 the
suuerinteutent of force of counters in the
office of the Treasurer the lower halves TO
the head OF q like force in the Office OF the
Register. These two forces had no com,
municatlon with each other. Each counted
! their respective packages, and made
record of each one. Tho records were
compared in another Office, and, If they
agree, the count was supposed to be cor
| rect. -,
The counted packages were then deiiv-
| cred TO committee of citizens, and by
| them placed in furnace in the basement
/ of the Treasury, which bad been heated 20
q white heat the door was Locked, ena t Tue
| combustion watched by the committee
| through openings. until they were entirely
consumed The committee then yerlhed
| the facts by affidavit upon which o war
| rant was issued TO the Treasurer TO creuIt
| hrs account with the notes 50 destroyed.
| Receipts were gwen whenever the pack
| ages changed hands. The process was e1-
pensive, complex. and supposed to be reh-
| able.
The burning of cord or less of notes
| daily was a subject of general curiosity.
Applicationg to witness it became 50 ire
ouent that an IRON railing was built around
| the furnace within which no one was al
united except the committee OF citizens.
| A colored messenger one day applied foT
| permit for his boy of ten years to see the
| process, On the following daythe messen-
! Ger told me that his boy had asked him a
| Singular question: Whether It was right
| for Mr.. Cornwell, when throwing the pack
! ages into the furnace to drop one OK them
| in the side pocket of his overcoat."
INTERFERENCE.
| Cornwell was n clerk in the bureau OF
| General Spinner. the Treasurer, whose
| duty it was to see the packages cut IN
| halves by the machine. and deliver them
| TO the chiefs of the two divisions OF coun-
tiers. He had no right TO touch them after"
ward. His assisting in the work OF the
| citizens committee was an impairment
| interference with their duties which de-
stroyed the value Of the system, and was
probably tolerated because of his official
connection with the work Of the Ireasu-
rer's bureau, where he was trusted clerk,
! | believe Of the third class.
The messenger was directed 70 60 70 bis
home and bring his son TO the Register
| Office. He proved to be modest, intelll-
gent lad, and greatly alarmed at the conse--
quences of his question. lie was not
| certain" ne said THAT he saw anything.
But Mr.. Cornwell worked very hard and
| threw more packages into the furnace than
all the other gentlemen. He wore an over
coat with a slde-pocket having q large
opening. and once, as he was quickly pass
ING his hand with the package from the
basket toward the furnace-dOOr, he Thought
he saw one package drop into the large,
open pocket. He was not certain OF TINS,
however, and might be mistaken
APPEARED TO AGREE.
The how was sent home in charge of his
father. who was told to keep hun indoors,
and not permit him to communicate with
or see any other person. Without attempt
| ing to ascertain how any use could be made
az these packages of half-notes | directed
the heads of the counting division not to
permit any OF their counters 10 leave the
room, but TO send for me when their day 3
| work was finished.
| About o'clock the accounts OF the DAY
were made up and the aggregates appear
ed TO agree. then directed the counters
in the two divisions 10 bring their pack
| ages together in one room and place each
| nackape of upper with the corresponding
package Of the lower halves.
If there was no irregularlty, as the day.
work commenced with the packages OF en-
tire bills, a package OF lower should De
found for every package of upper halves.
But when the last two packages were
reached, TO the amaZement and alarm OF
every counter, they would not match at
all Every counter knew that something
was wrong. and each was in terror lest he
or she should be the one supected. some
of the young women were IN tears, ana
one OF two gave indications OF Mysteries.
They were dismissed with the assurance
that no suspicion rested upon them, and
that thew would have no trouble II they
kent the facts to themselves for the next
twenty-four hours.
HIS EMOTION.
The next morning Cornwell was called
into the nrlyate room of the Register and
shown 10 a chair directly in front Of that
officer. who, without noticing him, went
on with his regular work. COrnwell soon
became nervous, and in an excited manner
asked what was wanted of him. ! replied
that had an impression that there was
something which he ought 10 disclose 10
me, and that / wanted HIM 10 consider
thoroughly. without interruption. he In
sisted that he must return TO his duties. l
said that had had him excused for the
dav in order that he might assist me in the
investigation of an lrregularty. lie soon
became excited. and a he appeared TO be
summoning his fortitude TO meet an emer-
cency. / suddenly said to him:
"Cornwell. you have been stealing, ana
your thcfts have been detected"
/ should fail If / attempted to describe
the effect of these few words. His emo
tiOu was pitlable. A deathly pallOr cover
ed his face. and he seemed 10 be trying 70
swallow something which he could not.
As commonly happens, Satan deserted HI;
, victim, and his first words were fata
confession. After supreme effort at self
! control, he said:
How did you find it out ?"
"That is of no importance" L said
: "What want of you is 10 tell me how
/ much you have taken, and where 1t 49,"
HIS ENTRIES.
{ He made no effort or struggle. but gave
, ND at once. He took from his pocket {
, small blank book in which he had entered
, from day TO day in regular order the
amount of his stealings. The following
, had been his method Of procedure: He re
, ceived from the Treasurer daily, for exam
, pie, 100000 in ten packages of S10,0O'
! each, and became accountable for them
|, After seeing the whole bills divided in tn,
) machine it was his duty TO deliver ant
/ take a receipt for an equal number of pack
aces of upper halves from one division anC
! of lower halves from the other division o.
the counters 80 that the same number Of
y packages of divided bills should be sent Il
, the counting divisions which he had re
| ceiyed in entire bills from the Treasurer.
I Having distracted package of uppe
|. halves at one time and of lower halves a
Z | another, while the bills, after having beef
! counted, were being thrown into the fur
a | mace, he could then take package o
/ whole bills from those he received from
r the Treasurer. and by substituting tn
!. packages of stolen halves for them in tn
: delivery TO the counters. his account
{ would appear to be correct. He woul
deliver to the counters just as man,