The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-10-29

cape punishment through a disagreement
of the fury but S14.50o. which was found
on deposit in Alexandria to the credit of
Ottman, and which was supposed to be a
part of the stolen money, was turned over
to the counsel for the accused men. SO the
government got very little satisfaction
from its prosecution of the case. That is
the almost invariabIe record Of the trial
OF persons who have robbed the govern
ment.
The redemption of well-known paper
currency by the treasury has given oppor-
tunlty for more than one theft Every pre-
caution is taken against the abstraction of
any Of the old currency after the treas
ury has given receipt for it to the United
States express company. and all possible
safeguards are thrown around the new
currency which is sent out to replace it,
When the old currency is sent through
subtreasury 1t comes to the department
sorted according to denominations. II has
been counted twice at the subtreasury. At
the treasury II is counted again and sorted
according to the character of the notes
and then according to series. Packages
are made of notes of a like character and
each package is cut in half through the
middle of the notes. One package Of half
notes is sent to the secretary's Office and
the other to the treasurers Office TO be
counted again, and these Offices are
GHGGk on GaCn OIuGI- / llE U&ldA step is the
destruction of the old notes under the eyes
of a committee Of treasury employees, with
one portion not an employe of the treas
ury. Meantime the bank which sent in the
old currency for redemption has been
credited with its value, and packages of
fresh notes are made up In the treasurer's
office and shipped by express. These pack
ages, of course, are handled many times in
their progress through the treasurer's Of
flee.
When the redemption office Of the treas
ury was established, in 1874 there were
defects in the system which made it pos
sible to steal small amounts, and the
temptation proved too strong for a young
clerk. His theft, less than 800, was traced
20 him, but he had Influence" behind him
and he escaped prosecution. A clerk who
had been in the employ of the treasury
for twenty years, and who was trans
ferred to the redemption division when
it was first established, took about 81 200
and falsified his books to conceal the
theft. He was caught, but his friends
outside the office made up $1,000 of the
shortage and the clerks in the Office made
good the other 800, so the treasury Off
cials decided not to prosecute him.
Under Treasurer Hyatt a woman COM
mitted a series Of thefts by tearing small
pieces from silver certificates until she
had enough to patch together three-hfths
of a full note. Under q rule of the depart
ment three-fifths is accepted as a full
note. She substituted her patch work for
a complete note in one of the packages
she handled. No one knows how much
she got or how long her stealing had been
going on. When she was discovered In
the act she admitted taking $1,000 worth
of 500 certificates, and she made good
that amount. But in the treasury they
believe that she got much more. She had
grown wealthy somehow, for she mort
| gagged some property to make good the
sum she confessed to have stolen.
The biggest theft under the redemption
system was made by a clerk named Wins
low in 1874 He took a package of new
! money, containing 1880, intended to be
sent to the National Bank of Illinois in
exchange for old currency. The secret
| service people got so close to Winslow'
trail that he left q package containing
! $1,000 on the steps of the house of the
/ chief of the secret service. Winslow was
! arrested later, and the government recov.
cred all but S555.s5 of the stolen money
! Strange to say, Winslow got year and G
| half in the penitentiary
These thefts are about the only one;
which have occurred in connection will
the redemption of old currency The rec
ord Is a good one. considering the fac
tn, from, $500 900 to $1,000, 900 worth of mu
til8ted money comes In for redemption
every day.
The most noted theft from the gov
eminent in recent years was that of Sil
cott the cashier of the House of Repre-
sentatives. The reason assigned for tn
| embezzlement at the time Silcott disap
peared was that the cashier had Beer
| leading a fast life This was the expia
nation publicly given. But there was an
other story in circulation at the tim
which had many believers. 1t was sal
that the first shortage in the cashiers OF
flee grew out of the advances made t
an ex-member Of the House, who wa
making a contest for a seat in the House
The general belief was that he would b
seated. According to the story accepte
by some, money from the cashiers fund
was advanced to him during his contest
and when the House voted not to seat hir
he was unable to return what had bee
advanced. Sicott thereupon took wha
else he could lay his hands on and fled