The Lake Charles echo., 1894-08-24
OFFICIAL REo TAPE


Yho Remarkable Jp,arneglngs oE a Light
weight sss0 Gnldpiaec,
Some weeks ago, ia performance q
hia duty, Public Prinfer Henediet eE-
pressed Il duantity IF wnsto gold leaf to
the Philadelphia mint, with tho request
that ita value beraturnpa u hira in sold
cqin. Hedid not aagersisa he sola leaf
fes aale, es hs aiio. htlt
prafarred ho deal with UAelo sam az
rect Ia few days ho received BY
express from the mint for the waste
Gold leaf several bags Of gold coin, tho
value &c which was S1,010.54 He 40
lSnowledgetl its receipt and at once sent
IL TO tho treasury department to DO
/ placed to the credit Of tho miscellaneous
receipts Of the treasury
Tho gold coin contained in tho bags
received from the mint was taken out
| by the treasurer and counted and
weighed, as the law proscribes, Out Qf
the 81, 6t0. 54 one $40 goldpieee, accord
ing to the treasury scales, was exactly
| &l,g5 light Treasurer Morgan wrote
tho public printer to that effect and re-
auested that he at enaa forward 81. 20
to make good the shortage Of tho $40
goldpieae,
Tho public printer did not propose to
pay the Si.26 out Of his own pocket,
50 ho wrote to Superintendent Town
send Of tho Philadelphia mint inform
ing him that ono $40 goldpiece was
short 81. 20 and to please forward that
amount, This was done. In his letter
containing the $t,25 shortage Superin-
tendent Townsend expressed regret that
the public printer had not rotuFnod tho
original $40 goldpiece
Mr.. Benedict on receiving the #l, 9b
sent it to the treasury department. aisd
got receipt for il. This he thought,
would close the transaction, But II
didn't. The treasury officials IL seems
We're not satisfied Several days after
ward the public printer received the
$40 goldpieoe stamped across its face
eight 81. 20, " with the request that he
return to the department SIS I5, 40 as
/ to make his account ba4uAes tha fJa'
: partment having received VIII shl hls
was surprise TO tho public pfiilg liai
as lie WAS dealing with government OIL
oials he thought he could stand tht
racket if they could, He sent the ttghi
$40 goldpiuee to tho Philadelphia mint
with the request that they torWagt
Treasurer Morgan certified aralt foi
$I8. rs,
q After lapse Of nearly i weak he 70
!, eeiyea 4a.eaBl1isuMqnti0n from 6Rperlll
! tendan5 Tec4sis8iia stating that ha hal
: weighed tho disputed ooint and that b
J found a shortaga of but 3 and request
Cd the public printer to return to hin
! the rs cents he had paid out in excess
y IA demand was nado ON the treasur,
for a5 cents. 10 was received, and Y
turn Public Printer Benedict foTwaEdei
IL to the mint M
This ended tha transaction, but "a
G question arisoss WHO made good th
. shortage In the $40 Roldpihcef Did th
$ superintendent Of tha mint at Philadel
= phia make the Shortage good out OF hl
: own pocket, or was ii charged to th
@ government? And, again, il the official
y of tho mint weigh the gold coin, as th
70 law requires, how Is IL possible for
It light coin to get mt, and must not somli
thing bo wrong with the scales used b
b tho treasury departmantl Tho tIoasur
" officials stamped Bhe coin sl.ab ligh
n The mint people say it is but ~ hgh
b Had this matter occurred with HriyaI
individuals instead pf government OF
10 cials athe private itndifiaual would q
T. doubt have had 70 pocket theF loss, :
J. Washington Post