The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-02-05
THE MOST VALUABLE ASHES
THOSE or THE BURNED PAPER
MONEY OF THE 0oYERNMENT,

Wonderful Skill In Identifying the Nearly
Destroyed Bills by the Ink Tracing on
the Ashes Film-Ashes Better Than
Afidavits.
Washington, Jan, S.-There are many
people in this country who accept the
theory that greenbacks, treasury notes
and silver certificates are only govern
ment promises to pay, in its full Sig
nificance. They have been told that
these are Uncle Sans "I. 0. u" notes,
and when they lose these or have them
destroyed they think they have the
same right to come to the government
and demand new notes or the payment
of the same as one man might go to a
neighbor and tell him he had lost the
promissory note that had been given
for debt and ask him to make out an
other. These people take for granted
that since the government has In Its
vaults gold and silver represented by
S'S PoPSi AiOhCy IL pG OOlioSAod5
of the debt owed and stands ready to
pay it on demand, even though the note
has been destroyed.
| Senator Cullom has constituent Of
this kind. He is as earnest and honest
as any old farmer in Illinois, no doubt,
and his case is one that appeals for
| sympathy. but he is unable to under
stand why the government cannot re-
imburse him for the loss Of about -FOUR
thousand dollars by fire when he makes
affidavit to the fact Of the destruction.
This Is not a new case. The Treasury
department and the President have
| been appealed to. and score of letters
| have been written to the old gentleman
| explaining why the government cannot
| accept his word or oath for the debt
| owed and pay it. These letters have
| been unable to convince him Of the flu
tility of his effort to secure a return of
| his money. He is now writing to Sena-
tor Cullom and the senator is trying in
! patience and sympathy to explain that
| he Is powerless to help him.
| The case is that of F. J. Bissell Of
| Fountain Green, Hancock county. Mr..
Bissell had the misfortune to burn
about four thousand dollars in green
backs, treasury notes and silver certifl-
Gates last spring He tells US how 1t
was done, and there Is no doubt that 1t
is very sad case. Mr.. Bissell Is a
farmer, and after selling some land last
spring, instead of depositing his money
in bank, he hid it in an unused flus.
| He had, according to his own state
ment, forty-four hundred dollars in a
box, which he wrapped in an old car
| riage curtain and deposited it in the
| bottom Of this unused f1ue in store
room. Last March he returned from
helping neighbor with his butchering,
and as he neared his own house saw
| that the chimney was burning. He ran
| to the store room and tried to get out
his treasure box, but the fire was very
! hot. and all he could get was twenty
| golden double eagles and some small
| silver pieces which were stuck togeth-
err But he makes affidavit to the fact
| that there was in the box, besides the
four hundred dollars in gold, SO, in
paper, all greenbacks, except fifteen
dollars, which was in solver certificates.
| He took the gold to Carthage and
a SllUWGu IL W a UdIhCl VI tlidl CltyJ WIZ
wrote to the Treasury. Mr.. Bissell also
/ wrote to the Secretary of the Treasury
and made affidavit that the box con-
| tanned four hundred dollars in gold,
| $3.50 in currency and several dollars in
| silver He sent the lump Of gold to the
! Treasury and check for four hundred
dollars was returned to him for the
gold. 1t was also explained that the
Treasury department could not redeem
currency unless it could be identified.
Mr. Bssell had not even sent the ashes
of his currency to the Treasury. He
had only sent his affidavit that it was
burned.
Mr.. Bissell would not accept the
check for four hundred dollars. He
looked upon it as an attempt by the
government to satisfy his claim for
four hundred dollars. He returned ii
| to the United States treasurer and
there it is now, waiting for him to
claim it, There has been much cores
pondence with Mr.. Bissell, but the
Treasury officials were unable to con-
vince him that he had no claim upon
the government. He wrote to Presi-
dent Mckinley and to Secretary Gage
anu JHey answered MS lelleTS. I6liIFR
him that only congress could make
good his loss. Then he wrote to Sena-
tor Cullom and he has kept up quite a
correspondence. The senator realizes
that it is very sad case, as the loss
seems to represent Mr.. Bissells savings
for years. He has an afflicted son, and
is in sore need of his money, but Sena-
| tor Culom can do nothing for him, as
congress cannot appropriate four thou
sand dollars to pay for money burned
without having the evidence that it was
burned. An affidavit cannot establish
the fact of the destruction of the mon
ey. Con gress has the power to appro.
pirate four thousand dollars and make
it present to Mr.. Bissell or anybody
else, but it is not likely that congress
will do so. 1t never has passed such
an appropriation bill and probably new
er will. 1t would be very dangerous
precedent to establish for congress te
come to the relief of every man who
loses his money or has 1t burned
There would not be money enough In
the United States Treasury to pay all
the claims that would be presented.
Mr.. Bissell, however, argues that the
real money is in the treasury and that
what was burned was only the promise
to pay of the government. He writes: