Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-25

/
Seeking to surreptitiousiy initiate this classic
exploit visitor ut the treasury on one occasion
dropped his soft hat over bundle of notes of
large denomination which was lying unguarded
Tor moment. He took up hat and money to-
sether and presently vanished. The loss was
quickly discovered and traced; the thief was
captured and the doodle recovered. The
only large sum ever stolen from Uacle Sans
| pig bank was package Of $500 notes contain
| Ing S4I 600. clerk named Hallock passed it
! out through window Of the cash room to .
| saloon keeper named Gilman. who acted Is con-
federate. There was q third person of dubious
antecedents, one Brown. in the conspiracy. He
was the first one caught, while betting with
SoOo biiis on race track. OF the stolen money
$29oO0 was got back. Brown turned state
evidence e and in that way escaped justice. The
Jury which sat on the cases Of Ottman and Hal
iock disagreed and they got of. This lesson
| teaches that evil doing does not always meet
with suitable reward.
ONE GREAT DRAwBAcK
One drawback about stealing from the treas
ury is the inevitable difficulty OF disposing Of
what is technically termed the SWAY" Sup
pose that well-meaning robber with q
hankering after . better life should sue
| coed in getting away with such . cubi-
cal package Of $40 bills as has been de-
himself" as the French say. He would as
sumo the direction Of Sunday school class
An almost necessary step with any one who
would have credit for high quality Of virtue
| and would give to charities. Meanwhile the
government would have advertised a. stolen
| the 800 notes from No. 20, 600 to No. 24,e00,
and he would certainly be nabbed while trying
to pass some of them. The world has no pity
for man who is trying to reform: it will drag
him down II it can. The case would have been
about the same il he had stolen $50 gold pieces.
There is so little gold in circulation that the
putting into circulation OF much money in that
| shape would be sure to excite suspicion. great
robbery OF the national funds having been
made public. II he tried to melt up the coins
and dispose Of them as bullion the consequence
who stole silver brick from the mint in Phia-
delphia. He was taking out ashes-threw the
brick which weighed about twenty pounds
into a barrel with other refuse and carted it
away unsupported. The brick WAS missed at
once, ard the thief was arrested while trying to
sell it in New York. On the whole it may be
safely asserted that it does not pay to steal from
Uncle Sam.
Two hundred and fifty freight cars would be
required to carry away from Washington the
silver dollars which are stored in the single
vault Of S93. 100000. Putting it that way gives
a more vivid notion Of the bulk represented by
the stores OF coin accumulated beneath the treas
ury. No wonder that the counting. conducted
BY sixty experts, occupies from two to three
months and costs $500. The operation is
performed in the presence Of a committee, one
member OF which Is appointed by the outgoing
treasurer, one by his incoming successor and
the third by the Secretary Of the department.
The treasurer gives bond for al50, 900, but no
bond is supplied by any Of his subordinates. II
one OF the latter should prove defaulter the
treasurer would be obliged to make up tho de-
felt out Of his own pocket However, Congress
would doubtless pass bill for his relief in such
a case. ]. N. Huston, President Harrisons
first treasurer, said that no trust company
would assume the responsibilities OF his
place for the $4,000 per annum Of sal
AIRY attached to it. Nevertheless, there
have been many applicants for the posi-
ton under Mr.. Cleveland. When the count Of
the money is completed the new treasurer will
sign . receipt in full. The receipt signed by
Mr.. Neoeker was for 1854, s16, 1855. The
plates from which paper cash IL printed at the
bureau Of engraving and printing will be
changed as quickly as possible by striking of
his name and substituting that Of his successor.
II the difficulties in the way OF burglarizing
the treasury are great it would DO no. less ha-d
to accomplish any stealing from within. Sec
rotary Carlisle is as carefully hedged about
with restrictions as is his most humble subor-
dinate. He cannot get dollar without depos-
iting vouchers for it, which must be signed BY
other officials. The treasurer cannot draw Is
from his own paying teller without indorse-
ment by persons who STARE with him the gen.
eral responsibility. The cashier cannot open
one Oh tl3 N3ufVs unless accompanied Oy as
strict guard as would be placed upon q
stranger. The tellers who receive and pay out
the money in wire cages are never allowed to
go away at the close Of business hours until
their accounts have been verified for the day.
More likely than not they will be directed to
look over each others cash and make sure that
1t is ali right. The chain on the leg OF eacl one
ID none the less zeal for being unsubstantial
There was once q smart fellow VINO made up a
dummy package Of $40 notes and skipped out
with the real parcel, but he did it SO awkwardly
that he was captured before he could get far
away.
A BANK CLERKS TRICK.
Considering the present impoverished condi-
ton Of the treasury no high-mipde robber
would think of trying to filch the few coins left
in Uncle Sans pockets. But some people have
no compunction. What could have been the
frame Of mind Of certain New York bank
clerk a while ago who sent in the fragments of
$500 note for redemption? They were really
and truly pieces Of u $500 gold certificate and
all together they made up a complete bill. Un-
fortunately, however, the fragments were cut
from sixteen different certificates Of that de-
nomination, and by this ingenious process a
whole one was produced without impairing the
value OF the sixteen originals 1t is q melan-
choiy fact that the experts in the redemption
division have no faith or confidence in human
nature.
They detected the cheat and the perpetrator
is now being punished for it. Strange that in
this very bureau should have formerly fattened
female criminal. who invented the plan of
making an extra $40 out of every ten notes of
that denomination which came into her hands
for examination. She did it by ingenious past
ing. and she might have carried it on iRdefi-
nitely had she not excited suspicion by wearing
diamonds and driving to and from the treasury
in stylish carriage Humility is more becom-
Ing to thief than to an honest person. The
first thing that detectives inquire about is
whether an individual suspected of stealing is
living beyond his or her ostensible means.
There is no doubt that tie treasury is often
robbed. Probably it most frequently suffers
in the redemption division. People are con-
stantly trying to get cash equivalent for
money falsely alleged to have been destroyed
The games put up on Uncle Sam in that shape
are as varied as they are ingenious. Nearly all
OF them are detected, but every now and then
one of them succeeds. Doubtless the fragments
Of good deal Of counterfeit paper pass muster
for the remnants of real bills and are paid for as
such. This is not surprising when it is con-
sidered that many imitation notes and certif-
Gates constantly pass through the banks unob-
served
The new treasurer does not give a recent for
the public moneys handed over to him until
every cent has been accounted for He gives
acknowledgment only for the cash, not being
obliged to take charge Of the queer assortment
of valuables which for several years were kept
in the department Most Of these we're gifts in
gold, silver and precious stones. conferred BY
foreign potentates upon Presidents and other
l. - H>:- Il ~ IT..