The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-01
SEARCH FOR SHORTAGE.
Treasury Officials Counting Ninety
Million Silver Dollars.


WASHINGTON, Oct. s1.-The silver in
the great vault at the Treasury Depart
ment is being recounted. The recount is
not being made by weight has been
customary, but every piece of coin is being
counted by hand This is being done for
the purpose of learning If any more of
Uncle Sans wealth has been stolen. Sew
eral months ago Thomas Martin, a colored
man who had been employed in the treas
ury as a laborer for many years, and who
assisted in the spring count by passing the
bags out of the vault, was arrested and
confessed to theft. He persisted, however,
that he had only taken money out of two
bags. The money in these bags was count
ed and it was found that SIS had been re-
moved and that lead disks had been sub
stituted to make up the weight of the
stolen coin.
Treasurer Roberth determined to find out
just how much money had been removed
from the large vault in which Martin was
employed. He had taken $50 out of two
bags and it was impossible to tell just how
much money was removed, and the theft
concealed by replacing the same with lead
until every bag should have been opened
and its contents counted Treasurer Rob-
erts and the assistant treasurer, Mr.. ]. p.
Meline, Immediately began the recount. A
committee of supervision was appointed,
consisting of Z. B. Daskam, of the bureau
of public moneys; F. H. Huntington, of the
bureau of loans and currency, and G.. G.
Bantz assistant cashier OF the Treasury
Department.
A force of twenty-eight clerks were set
to work to count the 900 in the great
iIon cage. and an equal number were en-
ployed as messengers, scalers and weighers.
The count has been in progress several
months and about 100000 has been counted,
bagged and sealed each day during that
time. AS the count has progressed several
short bags have been found. The total
shortage thus far amounts to several hum
dred dollars. Martin was employed around
the vault whenever any handling was to
be done, on account of his supposed hon.
esty. The officials believe that he stole all
the money
former Treasurer Morgan. as his successor
has not receipted for the coin yet. Mr.. Nor
gan can hardly be said to be responsible
Tor the dishonesty of the negro, Martin,
and it may be that Congress will remuner-
ate him. afterward, as was done in the sill
yer certificate case. The bags were for
merly only tied up at the ends and it was
a matter of little difficulty for a dishonest
person around the vault to steal at times
The bags are all being sewed up now
sealed and tagged with the counters name
so that 1t will be more difficult to effect
similar thefts in the future. The count will
hardly be completed before next March
Austrians Using American Wheat.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31.-Secretary Will
son. of the Department of Agriculture, has
just issued a report, prepared under his d.
rection by Frank H. Hitchcock, chief of
the section of foreign markets, that gives
some interesting facts relative to the pres
ent wheat shortage in Austria-Hungary
and the consequent importation into that
country of American grain. According TO
the United States consul at Reichenberg,
Austria, an importation of 400 carloads of
American wheat was made as early as Au-
gust coming by the way of Hamburg
Other importatiOnS were reported among
them one OF sc. goo bushels of red winter No.
and Kansas wheat, purchased through the
Vienna Produce Exchange. After recount
Ing these unusual importations of the pres
ent season, the bulletin presents a careful
review of the grain situation in Austria
Hungary during the past ten years.