The Washington times. (Washington, D.C.) 1894-1895, 1895-04-14

Bundles OF government documents OF ap-
parent importance, and stacks OF private
papers. OF certain value, all OF urques-
toned interest, are strewn over the dreary
dumping grounds that mark the southern
terminus OF Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and
Twentieth streets. They are associated
with ash heaps, broken crockery, tin cans.
and every variety Of domestic refuse. and
lie scattered to all the winds that blow.
These packages Of charred paper were
deposited there with other debris from the
wreck OF the great Knox fire.
The question is, how came these papers
to be stored in the Knox warehouse, and
who placed them there? The bIackened,
Emokc-and-water-st stained masses make no
answer. Behind this mystery may Iurk the
story OF some great crime. Those papers,
thought to have been lost in the fatal fire
OF last fail, may bear testimony TO some
monster theft of public documents.
CHARACTER OF THE PAPERS.
Among the papers lying there are the
records of Amos Kendall Postmaster
General under Jackson; records OF the Gen
eral Land Office and official receists; stubs
belonging TO the check book Of the Assistant
Treasurer OF the Unut-d States at New York
city; the personal papers OF Samuel Morse,
OF inventive fame; and private papers OF
Commodore Patterson, Capt. Theodore
Cushing Otis. OF Company G, Sixth Massa-
chusetts Cavalry; Dr. William j. Morton,
OF New York; Mrs. Elizabeth G. Otis, OF
Boston; z. W. TowBshesd, OF washington;
VIII lam Stickney, Capt. John Arthur
Lynch. and scores OF Others.
In the ruin heaps are the pay accounts
OF Paymaster William T Thompson, o.
S. N, and the private papers Of Caleb
Leach dating back TO 1879.
There are several sheets seemingly cut
from a book. ated Registers Office,
Treasury Department, February II, 1SOO,
signed by Secretary WslcOtt and Regis
ter Joseph Nouye, granting lands appro-
priated for military services TO Jonathan
Dayton Records of the same character
abound al the dump. The number Of
military land warrants is surprisingly
large.
Among other things there is the commits
sion Of Hiram J. PenrOd to De hospital
steward, signed by Q. s. Grant, ard dated
Washington, D. c., February IA, 1867.
LETTERS OF CALEB LEACH.
There are many papers in the name Of
CaieD LeaC0, ana among JNeLH are seFettl
affecdonate ones written to his children
ana beginning ''Honored sen AID daughter
In the same batch are several Cancelled
checks drawn on the Bank Of Pennsyl-
vania in 1902, and water rent receipts
given by the ''Proprietors OF the Plymouth
aqueduct"
There are also several shares in the
HUDSON River Ore and Iron Company OF
New York standing in the name Of Fred
W. Rankin and dated 1866.
There are personal letters addressed to
Hon. J. Butterfield, Commissioner Of the
General Land Office. and to several other
officials whose terms OF Office were many
years apart.
There are the private papers Of many
families, in which matters are discussed
which could never have been intended for
the eye of any one excepting the person
addressed. The peculiar discovery was
made by Capt. NJ. 4. Cunningham, Of the
Department of Agriculture.
A reporter for the Times called on Judge
Lamoreaux, Commissioner of the General
Land Office, last night. He looked over
some of the papers, and could think OF no
way in which to account for their having
been stored at KnoX's warehouse by q pri-
vate citizen. There were some papers that
unquestionabI bly, belonged to the Government,
and it seemed very queer that the private
letters Of the various officials should have
been in the possession of one person. E0
will investigate the matter.