The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-03-19
FLEECED BY HIS DEPUTY
Consul General MOrss q Victim Of
His Assistants Dishonesty.
WAS A BLACKMAILER ALSO
Trained With Rapid Crowd and
FreqHented Gambling Clubs.
Morss Warned, But Satisfied by
His Clerks Plausible Explanation.
Amount Said to He $4,000.

A report has been made by Hon. Samuel
E. MOrss, now consul general in Paris to
the State Department that he was robbed
than $50 1000, and perhaps as much as
$50, 900, during the last three years.
Clyde Shropshire, bright young fellow
from Rome, Ga, was appointed vice consul
general soon after Mr.. Morss took charge of
the consulate. He had been living in Paris
for live or six years previous TO bis APP
pointment, and pretended to practice law,
although clients were scarce with him,
and his means OF support were uncertain
and rather mysterious.
Mr.. Morss, being stranger and unfa-
miliar with the practices and duties OF
the office, left everything To Mr.. Shrop-
shire, and retained confidence in him to the
very last, although he was frequently
warned by friends that hts deputy was
running with a rapid crowd; was an
habitue of the gambling clubs, and had
the reputation of playing a high and reck-
less game. Mr.. Morss was also informed
frequently that Sir. Shropshire was living
in suspicious style, and had developed ex-
travagaDt habits, that were the subject
OF much gossip in the American colony.
But Mr.. Morss refused TO believe these
reports, and when he did alIude TO them,
once or twice, the ex plantations OF his
deputy were plausible and satisfae Glory
The last incident in Mr.. Shropshire Ca
reer was an attempt to bIackmail the
cashier of the Grand Hotel, in connection
with some money which had been found
in the hotel and given TO the cashier by
the finder, without taking a receipt. The
gentleman vino found the money wentfrom
Paris to London, and upon reflection wrote
to Consul General Morss at Paris, request
ing him to call at the Grand Hotel, and
obtain receipt or a statement from the
cashier. As Mr. 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 a check for 10, 900 francs,
which the latter took to an American who
keeps resort well known TO the sporting
class of travellers, and asked him To cash
il. The American gave Shropshire $500
francs in cash, surrendered TO him memo
randum of money previously borrowed, a
thousand or more francs, and gave him an
II. o. u for the remainder, which was
payable ON demand. But when the check
was presented TO the bankit was found that
the maker had no account there, and when
this was reported To Mr.. Shropshire the
latter realized that the cashier had played
him trick instead of paying blackmail.
Shropshire, having refused to make good
the money, the police were Informed OF the
affair. whereupon both the cashier and the
American vice consul fed from Paris. 1t
is not known where the formeTis, but ShrOp-
shire is understood 10 be in London in com
pany with Mrs Barnes, woman OF much
nOUOriety, from San Francisco. S he is said
to be engaged on the stage Of one OF the
London theaters, while he is doing news
paper work. Their intimacy was notorious
in Paris for several months before Shrop-
shire disappeared.
When Mr.. MOrss returned he discovered to
disbursement that the vice consul, in whom
he had placed so much confidence, had
not only been involved in a Matchmaking
enterprise, but had borrowed money Of
every one of his acquaintances, accord
ing to the financial ability of the lender
1t was discovered that he had appropriated
nearly all the fees collected at the consulate,
the amount OF which cannot he accurately
ascertained, and that he had been in the
habit of collecting exerbitant fees from
exporters, whose honesty was suspected,
and who are supposed to have been as
sisted by him in defraEding the govern
mcnt
Itwas aIsodiscoveredthath he hadswindled
the French government out OF l, 900 francs.
which he charged for certifying to the
claims of exhibitors at the Worlds Fair
at Chicago, whose exhibits were destroyed
or injured in the fire at the manufacturers
building AS an act of courtesy, these
claims should have been certified to with
out charge, but it appears that ShrOp-
shire demanded $500 for bis services as
notary, and made no entry OF that fee
upon the books. Many other cases OF a
similar nature were soon discovered, some
of them even more disreputable.
Mr. Morss, who is highly respected, does
notfix the amount OF bis deputy S embezZle-
ments, but it will not be far from $40 900,
il the money he borrowed from patrons OF
the consulate is included. Mr.. Morss has
taken no steps for his arrest, because it is
Impossible to recover anything, and he
wishes to avoid scandal.
Clyde Shropshire, formerly vice consul
general Of the United States at Paris, was
from office last year and Ed. P.
MaeLean, deputy consul general, was pro-
noted to his place. Shropshire was ap-
pointed July 8, 1898. The fact Of his
defalcations was first brought to the at
tention of the State Department In July
of last year. As vice consul general SbrOp-
shire acted as an agent of American es-
tates of various sorts, and it is supposed
that considerable money and estates thus
coming into his possession have been mis- |
applied.
The United States, it is said, will not !
lose anything by his transactions. The |
last report on the matter was received from |
Consul General Morss about four weeks |
ago and then the amount of official fees |
appropriated by Shropshire was ascertained |
to be only about four or five thousand |
dollars For this amount the consul gen. |
eraI is responsible and ShrOpshire's brother |
s prepared to make the shortage good. |
The private sufferers by ShrOpshire's con- |
duct will have to take their own remedy |
lie has disappeared from Paris and his
present location is unknown.