Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-07

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EfzS note, saying that the
&& other halves would
NN& be forwarded If ac-
encouragement OF the first batch was made
In the newspapers. This was done, and
uncle Sam was richer by $1,000. No ex-
PLANTATION was offered. and the affair re-
mains a mystery. The exception above not
ed was 'wad'' of 1895. simply folded in
a sheet of paper. with the word "Con-
science" scrawled on it. On one occasion
postmaster General Wanamaker got a let
ter with $1,000 in 1t and the written words:
This is the balance of interest 1 owe on
a sum OF money / stole from the govern
ment In 1865. have now paid principal
ana 1nterest-in all $17,5OO No man has
suffered for his crime more than l. and now
pray the Lords forgiveness for my SIM"
Letters with Enclosures intended for the
CONSCIENCE 1und are usually addressed to
the Secretary of the Treasury. BY him
they are sent to the public moneys division.
which makes note Of the amounts and de-
posts them with the treasurer of the United
states; Inc sums received are almost al
ways in cash, with now and then a draft.
Ihey are never accompanied by the names
OF the senders except once in a while in
the cases of persons who have made mis-
lakes lakes as TO payments of customs duties.
Inc written communications relating to
them are very BRIEF as q rule II other
WISE they contain elaborate apologies and
appeals.
Some Are Funny.
Some OF them are funny. For example,
one conscience-stricken person wrote not
long ago from Suspension Bridge saving:
Since the emancipation of negroes have
taken two pairs of shoes Of a ship that the
gunboats captured. 1 tuck the shoes while
she lay at Key West"
The letter was signed IAN Irish Man."
ana with 1t was inclosed $3.50. Another
correspondent sends $500. 'in settlement of
incom tox." His note. addressed to the
"Conciance Burough" of the Treasury. ex-
plains that when the tax referred to was
levied he was not able to state his income
without in1uring his business. Only the
other day remittance Of s. 40 was received
from man who felt sorry for Having
beaten his passage on a government train
during the war" Another sum of 500 came
from an individual who regretted having
been a party to certain undervaluations in
the matter Of customs duties. 1t was post
marked London" and was signed, Zone
who is suffering" Wrapping two postage
stamps was a scrap of paper with the
words. Money that belongs to the govern
The great majority of such contributions
are small amounts. To "Koncience" is
credited s. and to "Conshins" S. Another
person sends e to the "Conshions fund I"
one old soldier is a regular customer He
forwards IS from time to time ION account
OF 500 which I obtained by unfairness sew
enteen or eighteen years ago, and which
hope to hquidate ! give my God the bene-
Mt or the doubt" A draft for SLOT on New
York, received from St Louis the other
day. and addressed to 'Mr. B. Carlisle"
was folded in a sheet Of paper which bore
simply the word Delinquent" 1t was
handed over to the conscience account
A correspondent writes, please credit the
inclosed 25 cents to c. F., and obllge" In a
neat feminine hand is an anonymous mis-
sive which says: "A lady who recently
swore to statement which she now finds
to be wrong sends to you ST."
On several occasions 1t has happened that
people have cut bills in two sending one
half to the Secretary OF the Treasury and
the other half to the treasurer of the United
States for the sake of safety. There are
persons who do not entertain absolute faith
In the integrity of government officials
One man forwarded $40 to the conscience
fund while ago. saying, Pay this money
clear" A repentant Hoosier writes: I'm
closed find $40. which / return to the gov
eminent, having beaten her out of that
amount In minor ways from time to time"
probably. who RENTS 81. &c. with the words
"C'est pour lie tresorie" scrubbed on a
scrap of paper.
Very Careful About 1t.
The person who sent $500 to the con-
science fund the other day was very care
full about it. He mailed at the same time
$500 to the Secretary of the Treasury, 5000
to the United States treasurer and 500 to
the assistant treasurer at New York He
claimed that the sum mentioned completed
payment of 600 made by him as double
restitution for $4,000 of which he had de-
frauded the government during the war
Whether this statement was true or not
cannot possibly be ascertained. owing to
the fact that no separate account has ever
been kept of contributions to this fund.
This Is unfortunate, because it leaves an
opening through which dishonest indiyid-
uals might asperse the integrity Of govern
ment officials.
In forwarding money to the conscience
fund the senders frequently request that
acknowledgment shall be made by publ
cation In the newspapers. TO do this the
Treasury Department Is not obliged to adj
vertise, inasmuch as the reporters gather
items of the sort every day and print them
as news. Very many of the contributions
are in sums Of only few cents EACH Some
people are morbidly conscientious and un-
dergo tortures Of mind in consequence of
such peccadilloes as using few sheets of
government paper for private purposes. By
RENTING few pennies to the proper
quarter they can save themselves MANY
agonieS Sometimes the Enclosure is only
two cents. Probably that signifies repent
ance for postage stamp used twice Now
and then it happens that stamp does not
get Cancelled on it's way through the mails
Being still perfectly good, there is a temp
tation to stick it upon another letter
1t is a melancholy thing to be Obliged to
say that the swindles against the govern
ment which bear such fruit Of repentance
seem to be sadly small percentage of the
multifarious cheats that are p-acticed un-
detected and apparently unregretted by
those who perpetrate them. People every
where are continually trying to get ahead
of Uncle Sam In way or another
Chief Special Agent Tingle Of the Treasury
Department said yesterday that, IL certain
New York importers would hand over to the
conscience fund what they have withheld
by fraud in customs duties, the depleted
Golfers of the nation would be now filled to
overlooking. 1t is likely that nearly half
of the anonymous contributions referred to
are from individuals who have been TEMPT
ed to smuggle in a small way. This method
of robbing the government is by far the
most popular.
Voyagers returning from across the seas
fetch gems concealed in cakes Of soap in
the followed heels of boots, beneath porous
plasters and even in rifle cartridges. the
powder behind each bullet being removed.
The device Of folding diamonds in a slice of
meat. feeding the latter to dog just before
reaching port, and killing the animal few
hours later Is a familiar one 1t is actually
said that a pet pelican was landed on one
coca sion with a necklace of rubies in its
pouch Dolls carried by little children have
been used as hiding places for such treas
ures and customs officers have been Obliged
to administer emetics to steamer passengers
and sit down to wait for swallowed precious
stones to reappear. The government only ex-
acts a duty Of ten per cent on cut diamonds
because If II were higher, they would ali