The Washington times., 1895-03-07
AIkIGR0 RAISED CHECKS
Continued from First Page, ]


fail and promising to make good the amount
OF his stediiHgs if the minister would only
give him time.
Before he received a reply to this letter
he acted upon the advice OF the Argentine
consul IN New York and returned 10 wash
ington. Here he had frank and fun talk
with the minister, and the latter agreed
to give almagro time in which TO make
good the losses.
In the latter part of January Almagro
returned TO New York. and after a few
days' stay there sailed for the home of his
father. in Cuba, for the purpose OF trying to
raise the money. which would also raise
the cloEd from his good name and fame.
Arriving in Cuba he found his father i'm
poverished financially, owing TO the CON
tinual business depression, and unable
to help him out OF the difficulty. He had
sGuandered over $4,000 at the gaming
table, and his parent could not help him
TO The extent Of that many pennies. He
found friend. however, who said while
he could not let nim have the amount in cash
he would give notes drawn up in favor OF
Minister ZehallOs covering the amount
embezzled.
CRUSHED HIS HOPES.
With this cheerful intelligence Almagro
returned TO Washington and informed the
minister Of the success OF his mission. A
rich Cuban friend, he said, would cover
the loss with his personal note. AImagro
was crushed and disappointed when the
minister spurncd the offer with the remark,
Your friends notes are worthless 10 me
in this emergency. / must have the
money
This was not only a shock. but a surprise
to the accountant. FOR, - said he, last even
ing. ''my friend in Cuba is worth SO TO
every 81 Minister Zeball0s is worth, al
though ne is reputed here in Washington to
he a very rich man.
After this, matters dragged along until
Yesterday. when action was taken by the
police. AS the First precinct pau ol
wagon drove up to Headquarters for the
prisoner, and Policeman LOTUS. in full
uniform, appeared and beckoned for
AlmagrO to get into the wagon, his face
blanched and he fully realized that he was
at last IN the iron clutches Of the law. He
was locked up at the Twelfth street police
station. being assigned to one OF the witness
cells Oh the second floor. This morning
be VIII be given a preliminary hearing in
Judge Nller's police court. when searched
at the station he was found TO have $50,
watch, chain. and some keys.
District Attorney Birney said last night
that Almagro would be proceeded against
by warrant from the police court. The
prisoners relations with the legation, ne
said. were not those of an attache, but
simply Of an employe-accountan clerk,
and Interpreter. The offense, therefore,
is one against the United States, although
AlmagrO is a citizen OF Spain, and not OF
the Argentine Republic. Mr.. Birney also
said that besides raising checks Alaagro
frequently failed to deposit in Riggs
bank sums OF money that were given
him for deposit by Minister Zeballos.
MINISTER ZEBALL0s' STORY.
The Argentine minister was called upon
last night, and was asked to give what he
knew about the affair. He spoke very re-
luctanuy, and would have said nothing had
not Alnagro confessed and given the cir
cumstances to the public. Mr.. Zeballos
said that he wished it understood that Mr.
AlmagrO was in no Sense connected with
the Argentine legation in an official ca
pacity.
Up 10 last December Mr.. Zeballos had no
cause 10 suspect the clerk, but he about
that time, was informed that Almagro
was gambling, and on an examination OF
his accounts be found that he was being
charged at the bank of Riggs & Co. very
much in excess OF rhat he knew his expenses
were After investigating he found that
several Of his checks which had been given
for ordinary expenses had been altered
One check for instance, for $12 had been
raised to S1,2C0. He had up 10 that time
no reason to suspect Almagro, and there
fore gave him checks on which 10 collect
money and pay such bills
When MIR. ZeballOs made fun inquiry and
compared the checks he wrote with the
checks Alnagro cashed he found that the
clerk had altered the aggregate to the
extent OF 50, 164. He Immediately ac-
quainted Almagro with the discovery. The
clerk did not deny IL , but promised to refund
the money, and MT. Zehallos, out of con
slderation for the young man persuaded him
TO keep the incident quiet.
WROTE A CONFESSION.
Il was the more inclined to do this
said Mr.. Zeballos. las he wrote me let
ter in confession, asking that it be not made
public out OF respect to his father, whom
he represented to be a highly respectable
gentleman. ] found subsequently that the
statement about his father was true. The
letter was written last December He
has not paid back the amount, although
am told that he expects friend to obtain