The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-12-19
The Peculiar Shortage Of postOffIca Cash
Ter Explained.
WAS NOT GUILTY OF REGULATION
Yet His Books showed Shortage OF
sl5,oooTho Innocont victim OF
Ana!li2.'s t.. arc -aEisr-:' cam%s i,
Him to Fnlslry tho noolss TO Cover
the Dcncit.

Liz IuISeSL pOSiUtilCCe1 Ol the country
discovered that. his cash was short He
had balanced his books. Everything ap-
peared to bc straight on the face of the
figures. But when the contents OF the
money drawer were run over the
amount was $1,000 less than it should
have been.
Some cashiers would have gone over
the books and the money again, and,
verifying the loss, would have reported
1t Immediately. This cashier did not do
that. lie had risen to his responsible po-
sition by virtue of Il record OF eXactness
which was the admra ton Of all who
knew him. Postmastera had come and
.postmastcrs had gone. Administrations
had changed in political complexion.
The cashier had advanced from post
ton to- position, because he had a talent
which was phenomenal for handling
the funds and the complicated cash ac-
counts OF the office. Long before the
civil principle went into general prac-
sice this man had made himself ind!s-
pensable through merit. And So with
out regard TO politics or influence, he
remained in the office and climbed. In
spectors had examined his books time
and again. They had complimented him
as often as they visited this office.
The man had come to be known in
Washington as the model pos'tollice
cashier. AS his fame increased, his
pride in the management of his office
grew. He was rigid in his system.
Gradually his duties were extended as
his ATTITUDE for this part of the bust
ness manifested itself He was de-
pended upon to audit accounts other
than those for v,lich he handled the
money. Successive postmastcrs re-
posed implicit confidence in him. They
relied upon his unerrinG accuracy TO
help make their administration of the
office successful. They believed he
was the oue subordinate who, either
Through intent or carelcssneSs, would
never go wrong. Friends who appre-
ciated the capacity and the rectitudc
of the cashier told him 1t was only
question Of q few years until his re-
cord would carry him into the position
of postmaster. Before the fHteful day
in March, 1896, they were right. AS
surely as his party triumplred at the
next general election the cashier seem
cd destined TO reach that official emil
nence for which he had fitted him
self by his life work.
That March night the cashier went
home 10 his wife and told her OF the
missing money. No one else was ia
ken into confidence. The experience
himself that he was certain to find an
error in the books which would acG
count for the loss. He believed firmly
that the deficit was only apparent lie
would find the mistake, he argued He
would correct it. and be spared the
mortihcation nf admitting that his
heretofore extraordinary accuracy had
failed one time. The next day he
searched. and the next he went over the
books page by page. Still that loss
stared him. Then he made a. fatal er-
ror, lie hid the loss so that under or
binary examination and rcDnrts #
would not show. He said to himself
that some day he would find the miss
ing error on the books, or, II not, that
ne would make good the loss to the
government from his salary when he
became postmaster. Thus the cashier
2asoned. He convinced himself thai
me best thing he could do was to hid :.
what he still believed was only an error
lhat a crime had been committcd of
which he was only the innocent victim,
never occurred to him. The money
which had disappeared was kept in the
once vault The lock of that vault was
4 combination. 1t was the rule OF tho
Office that the combination should he
used by the cashier alone. No ,one else
neg even the postmaster himself had au-
ihor!ty To open the vault. But TO guard
against the possibility of Inconvenience
me knowledge of that combina ton was
not limited 20 the memory of the cash
Ter. An accident might happen. The
caShicS might meet sudden death or
"iSanil''y. 10 protect the interests
ot Thc service from contingency. rr
mote though 1t might be, the cashiar
mad furnished the postmaster with IN.
combination. He had given n memo
randuin OF The numbers to be usnd
only IN the event that he was inrap,ci
hated This knowledge should have rr-
manned scaled In an unopened envolon
y former postmaster, with regard for
the spirit OF The arrangement, placed
tie coihplnation. which had been en-
c.'9eu IN II sealed envelon, in the care
OF third party, and 1t was locked i'm a
safety DEPOSIT vault where it remain
eu throughout the term of office Whcr,
inc knowledge Of the combination ,voc
rther than in the cashiers mind d,,r,
ing Inc month of March, 1896. lis ono of
dhe unsovcd mysteries of This very
strange case AT the time the cashier
save no thought to the memorandum
or Nhe combination held in t,ns.,
Grounded in his own innocencn az ,,,is
use OF the public money, the thou~hi
never suggested itself to him ia mae
inquiries Suspicion never entered bis
mind. =" ms
Two or three weeks passed Tho hal
ance mad been forced. The books had
pech iaisiiied. The cashier has qlic;ed
himself with the thought that if The
i plunGer in the accounts did not reveal
llselr lie would make the amount GOOD
from ms salary. lie came ana went as
usual lie was domestic He had M
wees. lie lived within his means. Hn
was not eXtravagant. There was no
sign oil wrong. In the view OF the de-
Ter.
one night the footings were made,
and when the money was cnuntod .t,orn
was aMOtlnr shnrt n.cn a $3.50.