The record-union., 1894-05-10
CARPENTERS CACHE WAS LOOTED,
But Sheriff 0'NeiI Recovered $40 Of
the Amount.
w. d. Payne Tells How the Industrial
Feed was Portioned Out-The
Fort Abandoned.

"Colonel'' Carpenter-Inman, the
whilom leader of the Sutter Fort Indus
trial Army, has proven himself to be
rank all-round scoundrel, an emoezzler,
fraud and liar.
He was one of four of the officers OF the
army who robbed the men of the money
contributed by the citizens to aid them in
getting out of the city, and the story he
told when arrested was bare-faced lie,
in keeping with his former false profes-
sions of remorse for his past deeds and
assurances of reformation.
Yesterday morning w. d. Payne, the
young printer who had acted as Adjutant
of the army, confessed to Sheriff O'Neil
that Carpenter and himself had buried
$75 under the tree where they were cap
tured on the river road leading to Clarks-
burg. He said that S3I7, the alleged pro-
ceeds of the minstrel show, were divided
between the four officers-Carpenter,
himself, Logan the Treasurer, and saw
age.
PAYNE's CONFESSION.
Payne's confession was taken down IN
writing, and is as follows:
TO the Sheriff Of Sacramento County: Tues
day morning, about 10 O'Clock, Colonel Car
penter, Captains Logan and Savage ana my
Self split S3I7 among us equally and then
separated. Logan and Savage Went away
from US, and 1 90 not know anything of their
plans The money taken by Carpenter and
myself1s buried near where we were arrested.
II. c. Drummond never received a cent OF it.
w. d. PAYNE.
Sheriff O'Neil Immediately started with
Payne to get the money. In the mean
time William j. Kelly of Sutterville, of
whom Carpenter and Payne hired the
horse and cart that took them TO Free
port, came to town, and meeting REC
oRD-UNIoN reporter told hlm OF Car
penter's actions while at his place.
He did not know who Carpenter was
when the latter called, but the Colonel
represented himself as Government
detective in search of couple OF coun-
terteiters. He displayed about $50, and
said the Government paid him llber-
ally for his services. He hired keiley's
horse and cart, and got the latter's hired
man to take himself and Payne to
point below Freeport.
CARPENTER sQUEALs.
The reporter went at once to the Sner-
ifs office and informed Under Sheriff
Steve Rooney of what Kelley had said.
Rooney went into the jail and asked
Carpenter what he had done with the
money.
He denied having had any money.
when Rooney informed him that Payne
had confessed 10 having planted $40
under the tree near the river bank, and
that he had gone with the Sheriff to get
it; that it was known be (Carpenter) had
Sl60 when at Kelley's place; that of
courses the rest was buried somewhere.
and that Payne undoubtedly expected
to be let off and then go and dig it up.
Then Carpenter weakened. He trem-
bled like man afflicted with the ague,
and owned up to the truth of Kelley's
statement. He told Rooney to telephone
Sheriff ONeil to have Payne dig up the
other sack, which was buried three feet
from the spot where the $40 was cached.
Rooney telephoned to Freeport and
learned that Sheriff O'Neil had not yet
reached there. The operator at that point
was told to inform him when he got there
of Carpenters confession.
BOYS STRIKE BONANZA.
When Sheriff O'NeiI received this in
formation he asked Payne If there were
not two lots of money cached. and the
latter admitted there were. On reaching
the spot they found that the ground
where the money was hidden had been
scratched over for a distance of several
feet and the coin carried away.
Inquiry among the people in the neigh
borhood revealed the fact that some little
Portuguese boys who visited the spot out
of curiosity discovered the corner of a
handkerchief peeping through the ground
and pulled it out. 1t contained three so
gold pieces wrapped in a SO gold note.
The latter they took to be worthless bit
of wrapping paper and cast it into the
river, but the coin was divided among
them.
This the Sheriff succeeded in recover
ing. The other $40, which was in a
small purse. was not found, but Sheriff
O'Neil got a tip as to where it went to-
and the persons who helped themselves
to the money had better return it at once
or they will find themselves in trouble.
The money that was recovered will be
turned over to the men at the fort, and
they are mighty glad to get it, as their
treasury and larder are empty.
AT SNOWFLAKE PARK.
Yesterday morning a REcoRD-UNIoN
reporter visited Snowflake Park and
found there were just 500 men remaining
of the army which before Colonel Smith
and her Oakland regiment departed con-
tanned upward of 1000 men.
The statement of Colonel Denning
Smith on Tuesday that Mrs. Anna Smith,
the Commander-in-C Chief, had resigned
and gone to San Francisco is denied by
the men at Snowflake Park. They say
that Mrs. Smith resigned as Commander
in-Chief in order to take much needed
rest, but she was Immediately after
elected Treasurer of the regiment, and all
the money on hand turned over to her.
The recruiting officer told the reporter
iDdL men WeI0 SILL D0lUR Iah0n 1DLO LQ6
ranks, and before they leave the city the
remaining forces will be greatly aug
mented.
There were two sick men in the camp
yesterday morning, and about noon one
of them was taken to the County Hos
pital suffering from an aggravated case of
malarial fever.
AT Suffers FORT.
Yesterday morning the men at the fort
were uttering imprecations on Carpenter,
Savage, Logan and Payne for their theft
of the funds of the regiment.
One of the banners that had done serv-
ice IN the parade announcing that Colonel
Carpenter would leave the city after
Monday nights entertainment was made
to read: colonel Carpenter Leaves To-
morrow for Folsom"
Toward the noon hour the men were
notified that word was received to the
effect that they would have to vacate the
fort at O'Clock, and the announcement
was received with applause and favor
able comment by them, as they appeared
TO be anxious to leave.
THE ARMY MOVES OUT.
All was hustle at the fort during the
----- - -------------