New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-19
A CONSUL-GENERAL ROBBED.
MR. MoRss, AT PARIS. swINDLED BY HIS
DEPUTY

THE LATTER APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A CLEVER
AND PLAUSIBLE ApvENTuRER WHO
ABUSED HIS CHIEFS CONFIDENCE
AND GOT AWAY WITH $4,000
OR $4,000 OF HIS MONEY.
rBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBuNE.l
Washington March 1S.-Samuel r. Morss. who
Is now Consul General In Paris, has made a
port 10 the State Department Of the dongs OF
his former deputy. to whose wies 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 100000. during
the last three years. Clyde Shropshire a bright
young fellow from Rome. Ga. was appointed
Vce-Consu-G General soon after Mr.. Morss took
charge of the Consulate. He is a lawyer by pro-
fession. 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 six years pre-
vious to his appointment and pretended to prac-
tise law, although clients were scarce with him
and his means Of support were uncertain 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 fas-
cnated that gentleman. Robert NJ. Hooper had
been Vice e-ConsuGeneral for many years. He
was n steady going old-fashloned gentleman.
honest. patient. faithful and familiar with every
detail Of the office. and people thought 1t would
he impossible to carry on business there without
Mr.. Hoopers assistance. Mr.. Morss thought diff
ferently. and removed him. appointing the plausi-
BILE Mr. Shropshire in his place 1t was
pensive change for Mr.. Morss from a financial
point Of view, and made the consulate Of the
United States in Paris the scene Of a most de-
plorable scandal
Mr. Morss, being stranger and unfamiliar
with the practices and duties Of the office. left
everything to Mr. Shropshire and retained con-
fdence In him 10 the very last although he was
frequently warned by friends that his deputy was
running with a rapid crowd. an habtue Of
the gambling clubs. and had the reputation Of
playing high and reckless game Mr.. Morss
was also informed frequently that Mr.. Shrop
shire was living In suspicious style and had de-
veloped eytravagant habits that were the subject
Of much gossip in the American colony But
Shropshire such nice fellow that Mr.. Morss
refused to believe these reports and when ne
did allude to them twice the >plana tons
Of his deputy were plausible and satisfactory.
ANOTHER OF SHROPSHIRE'S EXPLOITS.
The last incident in Mr.. Shropshire's career as
Vice-Consul- General furnishes plot for a novel.
Boston gentleman who stopping for few
days In Paris. picked up a roll Of banknotes in
the toilet-roon Of the Grand Hotel which, when
counted. was found to consist of about 2S,OOO
francs in French, Austrian and Russian money
He took 1t TO the cashier of the hotel, related the
circumstance. and said that II would probably he
called for the discovered his
loss The next day the cashier called at the
apartments Of the Boston gentleman. told him
that the owner had claimed the money and had
left 900 francs for the finder as a reward AT
first the american refused to accept the reward
but the cashier Insisted upon his taking ii. be-
cause the donor had left the city and he did not
know his address. Finally Mr. Boston handed
the LOCO francs to his wife and told her that she
might use it 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 bee:i well managed and that he
had better protect himself with a receipt from
the cashier Of the hotel because a number 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
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
fell into the hands Of Shropshire. who imme-
diately attacked the cashier. and. probably
suming that the later had confscated the money
to his own account, demanded an equal division.
Under threats OF exposure the cashier gave
Shropshire a check for 10000 francs which the
| latter took to Henry" an American. who keeps
a resort well known to the sporting class of
travellers. and asked him to cash it. Henry,
who didn't happen TO have sufficient amount
OF funds in hand. gave Shropshire 300 francs in
cash, surrendered to him memorandum OF
money previously borrowed thousand or more
francs and gave him Il o. L." for the
mainder. which payable on demand. But
when Henry" took the check to the bank he was
told 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 Henry
had advanced him, the latter informed the police
Of the affair whereupon both the cashier and the
American Viee Consul fed from Paris. 1t is not
known where the former is. but Shropshire Is
understood to he In London, in company with
Mrs Hattie Barnes. a woman OF much nOtoriety
from San Francisco. She is said to be engaged
on the stage OF one OF the London theatres while
he is doing newspaper work. Their intimacy was
notorious I'm Paris for several months before
Shropshire disappeared.
CONSULAR FEES APPROPRIATED.
When Mr. Morss returned to Paris he dis
covered TO his amazement that the Vce-Con-
sui in whom he had placed so much confidence
had not only been involved in blackmailing
enterprise. but had borrowed money Of nearly
every one of his acquaintances in sums varying
from $50 TO $500. according to the financial
ability OF the lender. II was discovered that
he had appropriated nearly all the fees collected
at the Consulate. the amount Of which cannot
be accurately ascertained. and that he had been
in the habit Of collecting extortionate fees from
exporters whose honesty suspected and
who are supposed to have been assisted by him
I'm defrauding the Government When a
pected exporter came to the Consulate To have
an invoice certified instead OF charging him