The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-21
A CONSUL GENERAL ROBBED.
MIR. MORSs, All PARIS, sWINDLED
BY HIS DEPUTY.
From the New York Tribune.

Washington, March 1S.-Samuel E.
Morss, who is now consul general in Paris,
has made report to the state depart
ment of the doings of his former deputy
to whose wiles he seems to have fallen
an easy victim. The report shows that
he was robbed by his deputy of not less
than $4,000. and perhaps as much as $780,
600, during the last three years. Clyde
Shropshire, a bright young fellow from
Rome, Ga, was appointed vice consul gen
eral soon after Mr.. Morss took charge of
the consulate. He is a lawyer by profess
sion, but an adventurer by habit and
popular with the fast set of Americans
who make Paris their headquarters in the
summer season. He had been living in
Paris for five or six years previous to his
appointment, and pretended to practice
law, although clients were scarce with
him and his means of support were uncer-
tain and rather mysterious.
He made the acquaintance Of Mr.. Morss
shortly after the latter arrived, and by
his charming manners and his knowledge
of Paris soon fascinated that gentleman.
Robert NJ Hooper had been vice consul
general for many years. He was a STEADY
going, old-fashioned gentleman, honest.
patient, faithful and familiar with every
detail Of the office, and people thought II
would be impossible to carry on business
there without Mr.. Hooper's assistance.
Mr.. Morss thought different and removed
him, appointing the plausible Mr.. Shrop-
shire in his place. 1t was an expensive
OH g.
point of View and made the consulate of
the United States in Paris the scene of
most deplorable scandal.
Mr. Morss, being a stranger and unfa-
mlllar with the practices and duties of the
office, left everything to Mr. Shropshire.
and retained confidence in him to the very
last, although he was frequently warned
by friends that his deputy was running
with rapid crowd, was an habitue of the
gambling clubs, ana had the reputation of
playing high and reckless game. Mr.
Morss was also informed frequently that
Mr.. Shropshire was living in suspicious
style, and had developed extravagant ha-
bits that were the subject of much gossip
In the American colony. But Shropshire
was such nice fellow that Mr.. Morss re-
FUSED to believe these reports, and when
he did allude to them once or twice the
explanations of his deputy were plausi-
BILE and satisfactory.
The last incident in Mr.. Shropshire's ca
reer as vice consul general furnishes a
plot for novel. A Boston gentleman who
was stopping for few days in Paris, pick
ed up roll of banknotes in the toilet-room
of the Grand hotel. which, when counted
was found to consist of about $4,000 francs
IN French, Austrian and Russian money
he TOOK IL to the cashier of the hotel. re-
lated the circumstance, and said that il
would probably be called for as soon as
the owner discovered his loss. The next
day the cashier called at the apartnents
OF the Boston gentleman, told him that the
owner had claimed the money and had left
LOO francs for the finder as a reward. At
hrst the American refused to accept the
reward but the cashier insisted upon his
taking 1t. because the donor had left the
city and he did not know his address. Fin
ally Mr.. Boston handed the 1000 francs to
his wife and told her that she might use
1t to buy souvenir of the incident.
A few days later he went to London.
where he recited the incident to Consul
General Collins, who had been his friend
at home. Mr.. Collins, who is a LAWYER
told him that he did not think the affair
had been well managed, and that he had
petter protect himself with receipt from
the csahier OF the hotel, because a num-
Der of people knew he had found the roll
OF bills and he had no evidence to show
how he had disposed of them. Mr. Boston
reflected over the matter for a while, and
then wrote to Consul General Morss at
Paris, requesting him to call at the Grand
hotel and obtain a receipt or a statement
from the cashier.
AS MIR. Morss happened to be away. the
letter fell into the hands OF Shropshire.
who Immediately attacked the cashier.
and, probably assuming that the latter had
confiscated the money TO his own account.
demanded an equal division. Under
threats of exposure the cashier gave
Shropshire check for 10000 francs, which
the latter took to Henry" an American.
who keeps a resort we'll known to the
sporting class of travellers, and asked him
TO cash II. Henry" who didn't happen 10
have sufficient amount Of funds in hand.
gave Shropshire $500 francs in cash, sur
rendered to him memorandum of money
previously borrowed, a thousand or more
francs and gave him an II. o. u" for
the remainder, which was payable on de-
mand. But when Henry" took the check
10 the bank he was told. that the maker
had no account there, and when this was
reported TO Mr.. Shropshire the latter real
lied that the cashier had played him a
trick instead Of paying blackmail. Shrop-
shire having refused to make good the
money Henry" had advanced him, the
latter Informed the police OF the AFFAIR.
whereupon both cashier and the American
vice consul fed from Paris. 1t Is not
known where the former IS, but Shrip-
shire Is understood to be in London, in
company with Mrs. Hattie Barnes. a wo-
man OF much notoriety from San Fran