Arizona weekly citizen., 1893-06-03
DESFALCO GRANDE.
A Very Crooked Mexican Official
 Short in his Accounts.
He Gets Away with the Entire Rev
 enue Sack

enue for the State of Sonora, with his office at Hermosillo, 1t is said is short in bis accounts with the gov ernment, S6S, GOO, and is himself somewhere on American soil. He passed through Nogales on the 9th instant and was seen by only one or two persons who knew him, and stated that he was going to meet a i friends family then en route from San Francisco. He presented a check for $I, 200 drawn by a responsible house in Hermosillo on New York firm, and received in exchange one hundred dollars in money and another draft on San Francisco, and left for the north on the first train.
 The history of this defalcation is interesting. Rafael Fort, the Collector in question, is an inveter- ate gambler and never missed ''feast," where he has been know to lose S5,ooo o1 $6,ooo at a sitting.
 His office has always been badly and loosely kept and no one knows how long the shortage has existed.
 Some time since the government sent out an Inspector to examine all the Revenue offices. It IS stated that the Collector at that time was short, but that his bondsmen and friends made up the shortage and the Inspector put his O K on his book. As soon as the Inspector left this money was with drawn and returned to the persons| who loaned 1t.
 Shortly after the Inspector came and discovered the condition of affairs, but concealed 1t from the government for consideration, which was tr.ar all the fines collected for violati1n of the Revenue laws should be his, under which stipulation the Inspector is said to have gathered in some thirty or forty thousand pesos, to the great disgust of merchants, stoCkmen, and others on whom he levied arbitrary fines for any and all sorts of real or imaginary of the Revenue laws. But by that hook or crook that never fails the government got wind of what was going on and sent a secret secrvice officer to in- vestigate. The Collector got opportune information of what wns coming, inn mediately ordered all Sub Collectors to remit to his oftlce all funds on hand, burnt his books, records and papers, 1t is said gave each of his bondsnen money to curethemselves, bought the $I2oo draft already mentioned, left Hermosillo in carriage, took the train at way station and fled to American soil, where he now IS. It was supposed he he had only gone to mine he owns nearly until the I2th inst., when, with the arrival and investigation of the h. spector, the explosion came.
 The fugitive Collector and the Inspector from Mexico passed each | other at Crittenden.
 The check taken up here was sent to Tucson house and by them endorsed to a New York bank. The investigation in Hermosillo brought to light this check and the Mexican government wired its coun- sul in New York to have payment stopped. Security was given, the draft protested, and the endorSers notified.
 These latter employed counsel, the consul asked time to consult his government and finally the order came to withdraw the protest and allow the draft paid. In the mean time the investigation is going on, and as far as know the dedication reaches S6S, 900.
 This scandal and half has stirred | up the sleepy capital of Sonora more then any thing ever did before.
 Rafael Fort is connected with | the best families of Sonora and his bOndsmen are said to be high | officials of the State government.
 Fort being guilty of embezzle- ment of public moneys is extra ditable under the third article of the Treaty of Dec, 1861, between the United States and Mexico.-No- gales Herald.
 Happy ana content is a home with 'sThe Ro chester" lamp with the lie ht of themornino