Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-11


It is said that most of the checks cashed
by Watson were paid at the central ma
tfonal Bank. Watson had a private &C
count there and also deposited there the
funds OF the District Cooperative Associa-
tion of which he was secretary ana Treas
urer. 1t is presumed that ne was pe.tea
known at this bank and that Is Why ne
carried on his operations there.
With regard to the Cooperative AsSocia-
ton, Mr.. Frank Loving of the auditors
committee, had a conference with Watson
while the latter was at the Police Court
yesterday Watson assured Loving that
the matter would be settled up as soon as
He said he would turn the funds over to
his brother. Mr.. George Watson. VINO Is
private secretary to DR.. Woodward. the
District health officer. and that the latter
would make the necessary settlements.
Lapham Apparently All Right.
Col Biddle, the Engineer Commissioner.
stated today with regard to Inspector w.
H. Lapham Of the engineer department,
who was said to be Watsons business
partner in a number Of his enterprises. that
as far as can be learned there Is absolutely
nothing to connect Lapham with Watson.s
District service other than the fact that
Lapham checked up the accounts OF the
plumbers who deposit. money for cuts In the
street pavement This account, as far as
the correctness Of the figures are concerned
was found to be in good shape. Lapham
admitted. to Col. Biddle that he was asso-
ctated with Watson in. the publication of
1.-The News" but denied that he was inter-
ested in the barber shop. the patent medi-
cine or other enterprises.
Public Library Fund All Right.
There was something Of stir yesterday
when 1t was stated that Watson had han
died all the funds of the new Public Libra
building Tbeca 1rox
the Carnegie Company at Pittsburg in $780,
600 lots and were deposited through the au-
ditor's office. Mr.. Mopcure Burke. secre-
tary to the Engineer Commissioner, who
was also secretary to the library building
commission. Immediately inquired into the
matter and found the accounts to be cor
rect to the penny The commission dis
bursed $343.OOO. and has balance in the
bank Of $1,000. bringing the amount up to
$35O,OOO
Former Permit Clerks Defa1cation.
An interesting fact developed today in.
connection with the plumbers fund, to the
effect thata former permit clerk Of the
District who handled the plumbers. &C
counts skipped out one moonlight might in
1885, and # was found that he had made.
away with between $500 and $500. X
This money was not lost to the District.
as 1t was found the plumbers had been.
guilty Of making the deposits in an irreg-
ular manner. and they had to make good
clerk.
I. McDevitt, and it is stated that from the
time he left the District service In 1889.
nothing has been heard of him. McDevitt
acted as permit clerk for several years
When he first took Office the regulations
required that plumbers should deposit $40
for each job where the street or sidewalk
pavement would be cut. Later this amount
was raised to $15. The matter was then
in the hands Of the permit clerk. although
the present system is handled through the
District computing engineer and the au-
ditors office. McDevitt would give the
plumbers slip stating the amount to be
deposited by them. and this they were sup
posed to take to the collector of taxes and
deposited the money there.
When row of houses was to be built
and the pavement was to be cut In sew
eral places for water and sewer connec-
tons. the amount deposited by the plumb
ers amounted to pretty high figures. 1t
was here that McDevitt is said to have got
in his heavy work. He would figure up
the amount to be deposited and then assure
the plumber that he would give him a
good discount. The plumber, thinking the
clerk was doing him a good service. would
hand the money over to McDevitt The
latter would pretend to proceed to the col
lector's office and return with the assur-
ance that everything was AL right"
IL,
to have pocketed. When rebate was de-
manded he would delay payment of it I'M
til some other depositor would come in.
He continued this successful manipula-
ton or the money several years. but the
job finally became too heavy for him and
he disappeared.
Mr.. H. M Woodward. the present efficient
permit clerk. was assigned to the office
thus surreptitously vacated, being pro-
noted from the sewer division. He discov-
cred the shortage to be between $500 and
5000 as stated. The plumbers had no case
against the District. however. as. they
should have paid the money into the hands
of the collector.
Suicide Discussed.
Tuesday morning. after Watson left his
Office in the District building and inquiries
we're being made for him. one of his per-
sonal friends called at police headquarters
and expressed anxiety concerning, his
safety
Il hope the police will find him." was the
anxious statement of the friend He may
do away with himself" the friend added.
This was followed by a report that Wat
son had discussed the question Of suicide
with a friend one day last week, when he
was probably certain that the crash was
sure to come.
According to the story in circulation Wat
son and the friend met, and the man who
realized that he was soon to have trouble
asked the friend what was the easiest way
to commit suicide. There was discussion
Of the question. and when this was finish
ed Watson Is said to have asked his friend
to use revolver and end his (Watson's)
life. This the friend refused to do, and Is
reported to have said he would not have
the murder of friend to answer for,
whereupon Watson Is said to have told
him that nobody would know about 1t, as
they were alone and he could say 1t was a
case Of suicide. The man who Is said to
have participated In the conversation could
not be found by Star reporter this after
noon. ..-
Disbursement Accounts Straight.
There has been a rumor circulated that
c. c. Rogers. the disbursing officer of the
District of Columbia. would be unable to