The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-08-31
$50, 1000 Eaten by Rats,

From the Punxsuiawney spirit
Daniel McSweeney, chief of the United
States secret service for New York and Penn
sylvania. has been in Ringgold township
and vicinity for the past week working up
what he saws is the rankest fraud ever at
tempted to be perpetrsted upon the govern
ment. The story rs reported 10 the Spirt
/ is 10 the effect that several weeks ago a let
| ter was received at the United States Treas
| ury Department containing large number
/ of small pieces Of bills of denominations
ranging from 500 10 $1,000. The pieces
sent invariably indicated the value Of the
/ bill Of which they had been part, and ac-
cording TO these the scraps sent in represent
ed over $1,000, the mntilated remains Of
oyer $4,000 in greenbacks-
Accompanying this large collection Of
small bits of paper money was an affidavit
signed by Daniel F. Harrison, of Ringgold
township, setting forth the circumstances Of
! the accident, and asking the United States
| Treasury to redeem them in new currency.
The affidavit set forth that be, Mr.. Harrison,
! had $4,000 in greenbaeks and that as be
considered the banks in these parts to be a
/ little shaky, and there were some bad peo-
! pie in the neighborhOed, he concluded that
the safest thing for him 10 DO was to hide
his money. Accordingly, about the sth Of
November, 1881, be took it TO the oats box
| in the second floor Of the spring house,
made hole in she oats. put the money in,
covered It up and left it there. About the
middle Of April, 1882, be went TO look at his
money to see If it was all right, when, to bis
horror and dismay, the rats had gnawed it
into little bits. He gathered therefrom all
the pieces he could find that would give any
clue to the denomination Of the bills and
sent them in for redemption.
When the treasury experts came to exam
inc II they became suspicious. They thought
the money did not look as though the rats
had eaten it, and even went so far as 70
doubt Mr.. Harrison's affidavit Chief Nc
Sweeney, of the United States secret service,
was sent out here to look the matter up.
He went to Ringgold, found Mr. Harrison
and told him his business. Mr.. Harrison
was, Of course, indignant al this apparent
want OF faith in his yeracity, and told the
detective so. But he was persistent and in
sisted upon knowing all about Mr.. Harris
ons business. He asked him what year he
came TO this country and how much money
he had made each year up TO the present
time. To all Of which Mr.. Harrison made
affidavit. But as it amounted in all to only
about 5000, the detective was still in doubt
about how Mr.. Harrison happened to have
$50 GOO and where he got it.
Mr.. Harrison insists that he had the mon
ey and does not seem 10 think il is anYbodys
particular business where he got it, as long
as it was honestly acquired. Mr.. Harrison,
although looked upon as somewhat Of
Colonel Sellers, being very fertile in schemes
to make millions, OCCASIONAL makes a ten
strike in financial way. and during the
past year made profitable real estate deal
ont in Seattle, Wash.
Detective McSweeney has returned to
headquarters where be viii submit his re-
port, and lift does not appear to the Treas
ury Department to be all straight and right
the mutilated currency viii not be redeem
ed, bat the detective viii return with the
warrant for the arrest Of Harrison on
charge Of attempting 70 defraui the govern
ment
The detectives theory Is that the little
remnants Of greenbaeks, not large enough 10
destroy the bills, had been torn from the
corners and sides az odd times and saved up
with this purpose in view. But the detect
i've may be sn wrong. IfMr. Harrison real
ly did lose $4,000 he has our sincere sym
pathy, and We hope be may get $1,000 if
justly entitled 10 it.