The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-24

he obtained enough money to pay Off
the first batch. Much of the paper was
held as good investment which eX-
plains the amount outstanding. Said
a banker yesterday:
1 imagine that Southall was always labor
Ing under heavy mental strain. He must
have had a hard task to keep track of his
checks to have money to take them up when
they fell due. Yet he always seemed the
most free from care. He seemed never to be
worried. and I sometimes envied him his
equanimity. He was the most genial Of men.
and never appeared to be rufled. 1 think
even those who have been yictimized by
him feel genuinely sorry for him.
Knew 1t Year.
Col. Mackenzie, formerly chief of the
Rock Island engineering office, of which
the st. Paul engineering office in
which Southall worked was q branch,
was reported in telegram yesterday
as saying:
In common with a number Of the officials
OF the department. have known for about
year that there was something wrong as
to the time checks issued at ST. Paul. When
| was in that city last summer, 1 looked
into the matter somewhat, but could learn
little, and we did not suppose that the affair
amounted to anything like what the reports
now claim. 1t was suggested that several
thousand dollars in time checks had been
issued, but. as the matter did not come up
officially, and did not involve the govern
ment funds, no attention was paid to it, be-
yond informing the secretary of war.
1t was the impression among department
officials that the amount involved did not
aggregate more than $1,000 or $4,000, and
1t was assumed that the parties who had
issued the checks, would take them up,
and that would be the last of It. Recently
however, l received the letters from Col
King and Mr.. Du Shane. giving more detail
ed information. showing the magnltude of the
operations. We have been led to believe re-
Gently that the amount of outstanding time
checks charged to the division at St. Paul
aggregated moro than $40, O00 and moro re-
Gently, was told that certain banks had
more than $4,000 of such checks.
Government Out Nothing.
WASHINGTON. March 23-Attorney Cen
eral Griggs said today that the amount Of
money realized by Southall through the is
suance of false time checks will reach at
least 100000. The statement of the amount
is based on the report Of national bank ex-
aminer who was sent to Minnesota for the
purpose OF making an investigation. Mr..
Grtggs said the government is not liable for
the actions Of Southall, and that holders OF
the fraudulent checks can make no claim
against the federal treasury.
what Col. King Says.
Special to The ST. Paul Globe.
ROCK ISLAND. Ill, March 2s-Col W. r.
King. chief of the United States civil service
in charge OF upper Mississippi river improve
ment work. stated this evening that the office
at St. Paul is a branch Of the Rock Island
ONCE. AS to Southall's so-called shortage, he
stated that the amount of the time certi1-
Gates put out by him is merely conjectural.
1t Is matter which the officers Of the gov
eminent cannot we'll know anything about,
because the fraud is not on the government
Time certificates are not issued by the as
sfstant engineers except in special cases, and
are not transferable.
Southall, even when In the government en-
ploy, had no authority to issue the checks,
and was permitted to resign year ago when
the discovery was made that he had been
negotiating these time checks on condition
that satisfactory arrangements for payment of
outstanding checks be made.
Newspaper reports as to the amount of these
fraudulent checks outstanding. said Col. King,
seem to indicate that Southall has continued
his operations since leaving the government
employ on even larger scale than before.
Special to The St. Paul Globe.
WINONA, Mimi. March 23.-Postmaster
Buck. Of Winona. custodian of the government
building. has received a letter from w. R.
King, lieutenant colonel of the corps of en-
gineers. and general superintendent OF the
upper Mississippi Improvement to the effect
that he intends to transfer his St. Paul office
to Winona, the upper United States river i'm
provement district having been extended to
this city. in charge of ]. D. Du Shane, as
sistant engineer. He asks for the assign
ment of two rooms in the government build
ing here for their use as central offices. Post
master Buck has written to Washington MAX
ing known the request Of Mr.. King and ask
Ing for permission to do SO.