The times., 1897-08-06
MARTINS FATAL MISTAKE
Robbed Uncle Sans Treasury
and Caught in the Act.
lis INGENIOUS METHOD
Took Out Silver Dollars and Re-
placed Them With Lead Slugs
of Equal Weight-FaiIure to Re-
place One of the Dollars Led to
His detection.

|
jail yesterday on the charge of robbing
] the United States Treasury. invented d
method which wasbeld as " ell as ingenious.
He was caught by the discovery that one of
the weight OF single dollar. Mr. Martin
took out Ten silver dollars and replaced
| them with only nine lead slugs, each ac-
curateiy of the weight of a silver dollar.
| Had he put IN ten lead slugs the peculation
| of silver might stin be successfully in pro
gress.
Martin, colored man, has been en-
| ployed during the last three counts OF the
coin in the Treasury vaults as a laborer.
He is only employed during this process.
and according to Mr. Roberts, the United
States Treasurer, has been regarded as a
very reliable and trustworthy man.
Martin has never before been accused or
suspected of any wrong doing. On Mon
day last he was tempted, and although
he succeeded in abstTacting only $2S from
the bags on Monday and yesterday he
confessed that part OF the funds were
| given to woman 20 buy things for him.
On Monday last the weighing of the
silver was in progress In the presence of
Mr. f. Z. rakiB, representing the sccre-
tary OF the Treasur y; Mr. Howard Elliott,
representing Mr.. Roberts, and Mr.. A. t.
| Huntington, represen ing the outgoing
| Secretary of the Treasury. Mr.. Bantz,
assistant cashier, was also present The
work consisted IN the taking down, weigh
ing and replacement OF the bags Of silver
/ Ia loo. nv hfcrt I a. nt
used, the bags being replaced in terraces.
There were fifteen or sixteen laborers
besides Martin engaged in this work, so
that his feat OF abstracting silver involved
| the UpteiBg OF the bags, taking out
number of dollars, slipping in the sgbsti-
| tute slugs, retieing the bags, putting the
| distracted silver in his pockets. and all
this while taking a bag from the bottom
| TO the top OF the pile, up the terraces
Of silver. His first wolderful feat of pres
! tidgitation with Uncle Sam silver dollars
was on Monday. He opened one bag
/ and took out ten dollars, but, as stated,
| he was evidently in such a hurry that
| he had no time for dead reckoning and
| replaced the coin with only nine lead
siugs. This gave him away, for when
| the fatal bag was weighed it was short
one dollar by the unerring test OF the
| weight.
This fact the committee. Of course. knew,
and they began an investigation. which
ended in the arrest and Imprisonment OF
| the cuiprit Treasurer Roberts said yes
terday to a reporter for The Times that
| the incident is only another proof of the
| fact that so perfect is the system OF
! guarding the treasures that no one can
get away with the money The com
mittee watched him after Monday, in fact,
watched everybody who might he Interested
| In stealing petty sums Yesterday morn
! ing Martin, having spent most of the SO
stolen on Monday, tried to steal some
more. He united bag and took out
| SIS. Mr. Elliott watched him very closely,
| and especially at lunch-time, when Martin
retired 10 the wOodshed in the sub-base-
! ment. Ii is Clark in there, and Martin
! distributed his silver among the sticks
| Chief Hazen. OF the secret service bu-
reau. continued the story from there He
| said: After the discovery. on Monday, the
Treasurer put in a representative of his
own, Mr. Elliott, and if there is any
suecial credit due it is to Mr. Elliott. He
followed Martin out into the sub-hase-
ment. on the north side OF the Treasury in
| TO a wood vault. Mr.. Elliott asked the man
In charge what Martin was doing there.
TIE man in charge said he didn t know. and
| Mr.. Elliott had the electric lights turned
On. And the silver glittered about in
| spots to the number OF SIS. There were
also some of the slugs"
Martin was ordered UP before Mr. HaZen.
The slugs were placed on the table. At
first Martin denied any knowledge of the
| slugs. He was searched and two of the
| tags OF the bags of silver were found on
him. Martin was then taken into a private
! room. and there he made a full confession.
IT was taken in writing by Chief Hazen
! He said:
! Il got the lead used by me from a man
| on Fourteenth street near S, in this CITY.
! II aslead pipe and Ipaid 20 cents forft.
| l got it within the past ten days cut the
lead myself and carried 1t around in nv
| pocket until used. 1 cut the lead with a
pair OF shears. which shears are at my
house.
u cut thislead purposely and got the cor
rect weight OF the dollars Il ad distracted.
| or as nearly as could guess it. On Mon
| DAY, when the vault was open, had this
| lead With fne in my pocket. I put some
| pieces of lead an the bags and took out ten
silver dollars, / spent the ten dollars In
| market, or nearly all of it, and used some
| or 1T IN buying some goods.
II gave the money to a lady friend of
| mine TO buy the goods. 1 put some lead
| IN the bag from which took the money
to make up the difference in weight The
baS Wason pile OF bags, and, after taking
| the coins out and putting thelead In. / tied
the bag up again
Il changed the silver dollars by buying
pieces OF tobacco, and used the change
buying what l wanted. l acknowledge
stealing the money and having the articles
ia my possession. The two tags found
on my person by Agent Barker were taken
by ME from. the pile. made up the differ
ence in weight by putting in the lead.
81 make the above statement of my own
free will and accord without apy nronise
of immunity whatever from any one. -
Martin was taken bef,re Cnm,nissiona,
in the afternoon. He had already made
his confession to Chief Hazen. He waived
examination and was committed To iau
In default of $4,000 bail. The punish.
ment for the crime Is from one to ten
years in jail and from 81 to $4,000 fine.
MI Hazen said yesterday that he has
no recollection OF any similar case There
Is storyin the Treasury that man named
Wright was once caught Carving off
silver dollars In bis shirt, but the story
does not seem to have foundation In fact
Martin lis about fifty years of age. a
n,ulatto. and lives at 1925 Twelfth street
northwest. He is believed to be quite well
off, and might well have foregone the
temptation or stealing few silver dollars