Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-27

checks over to him, remarking at the same
time that, in my opinion. he was the only
official who should be allowed to make pay
ments in cash. He readily and kindly con-
scented to take charge of the matter. and
this ended my cash disbursements. Mr..
Rogers. having received the check, would
indorse under my signature and go In per-
son for the cash, except when unable from
the pressure of business to leave his office.
on which occasions he would sometimes
send Watson with the check and denomina-
ton slip to the bank for the money, which
involved but little risk as the bank was
near and any prolonged absence would
have called for immediate investigation.
MY action in turning the whole matter
over to the disbursing officer seemed very
diStaSteful to Watson. l did not realize
then, but in the light of recent events do
now, his yelled treachery in complaining as
he often did, of the disbursing officers delay
in paying off,. 1t excited no notice at
the time, but is significant now, that some
how it generally happened when one of my
rolls was to be paid that Watson would ar
range to send 1t to the disbursing officer
when the latter was so busy that he could
not handle 1t without great embarrassment
On these occasions he would report that
Mr.. Rogers could easily pay the men if he
wanted to do So but that he was arrogant
and sought to show his authority by post
attention to his insinuations, but continued
the plan which had been adopted by the
disbursing officer and myself.
Given Checks Only to Deposit.
my transactions, outside of payroll dis
bursements were carried on without ex-
ception, through the medium of checks. The
requisition upon which obtained the funds
from the collector was paid by a check,
which in every instance was deposited in
bank, not dollar ever having been lost or
diverted of the money thus placed in my
custody. Ny deposits, which sent Watson
to make, were invariably checks, and he
would exhibit the bank book upon his re-
turn proof that they had been properly
made. l used to indorse over my sigma
ture, For deposit to the credit Of, but he
reported one day that the bank considered
1t as restrictive in not giving a full acquit-
lance. and asked that it be discontinued.
Afterward l generally made simple indorse-
ments, but l never, orally or in writing, &C
credited him to any bank in Washington as
one with authority to obtain the cash on
these checks upon my Endorsement as audi
tor of the District of Columbia / never sent
him with one to be cashed, and in view of
the Weli-knoWn carefulness of banks in
paying out government funds, the POSSIBLE
lty or mere clerk obtaining at will large
sums OF money on checks which were clear
ly official in their character, at least with
out notice to me, never suggested itself to
my mind
Il do not see, however, that what might
be written above the Endorsement was much
protection, since in a number of instances
upon auditors checks and treasury checks
as well he crossed out the words OF direc-
ton. leaving the bare signature and COL
lected the cash. On three United States
treasury checks where I had written-one
or them In an unusually large handwriting
the words Pay to the order Of the col
lector of the District of Columbia he had
either erased them, leaving faint impress
s1ons of the legend. or had boldly drawn
pen through the words. leaving them still
in plain view. The bank took these checks,
which were miSdeposited by Watson to
cover steal and they were received and
paid at the treasury without a word of in
quiry. Had either the bank or the treas
ury asked the meaning Of the change in in
dorsement, an investigation then and-there
would have been set on foot which would
have brought to an abrupt termination III
it's outset the official career of this mos,
unconscionable criminal.
To-day, as I look back over the bitter
past, In view of the failure of every one
upon whom the duty rested of putting me
on notice, 1t Is not apparent how the gov
eminent could have been saved from his
daring schemes and ingenious machina-
tons. Possessing, as he did. NV full con-
hdence, the rest, with such a Machiavel-
liam in crime, followed as natural Sc
quence. l was as completely at his mercy
as the householder whose hat rack is raid
ed by passing sneak thief who finds an
open door with all the family at dinner.
With me the result is the same as If, in
stead of playing the sneak thief and taking
all In sight, he had essayed the role of foot
pad and with superior force held me up and
robbed me on the public highway-in either
case was the haplesS victim of an I'M
principled scoundrel
1t would require a volume to tell the
story of the extent and variety of his pecu-
lations and manipulations and l will in
stance but one other He brought trans
fer voucher to me, properly signed, fer
81, 565.S3, the check for which should have
n "a Moff
Bank. He cashed the check at the Central
National Bank and pocketed the money.
Later on, he took the same voucher, erased
the date, number and approval from tho
back thereof. then brought it to me, face
upward. thus concealing the erasures on
the back and interleaved among a num-
Der of others: In an omnibus voucher.
amount he properly deposited in the
Traders National Bank, thereby covering
the shortage caused by his original steal
of 1,565S3.
Cashing Treasury Checks.
'In the cashing of treasury checks, which
had been Endorsed over to the collector
for passage through his Office, Watson. in
my estimation, touched a lower deep Of
mean depravity than in any other act
of crime that stains his official life. He
would lie in wait, as a veritable beast Of
prey, and when 1 would call the messenger
with the request: Take this check to the
collector he would intervene with the
plea, Mr. Petty I'm going downstairs, and
1 will take it for you Then with cruel
ty born of a soul sodden with sin he would
go straight to the bank and collect the
cash over the counter.
Watson's Office Life.
"Some public censure has been visited
upon me for failing to look after Watson
in the office and keep him up to his work.
This criticism is without Justification as
his fellow clerks will bear testimony to the
with which I followed him.
Often when he was absent I would ask:
Where is Watson? The reply would come:
Checking with Lapham' noted and inves-
tigated every complaint. On one occasion.
having been informed that he was using
official time in conducting the correspon-
dence of some association, took him Sc
verely to task. With display Of injured
innocence, which I wildly recall. he pro-
tested: Why, Mr.. Petty, that isn't true.
1 don't even open my mail in official hours
with which remark he exhibited a package
containing a dozen, more or less, Of I'M
opened letters.
Watson and Lapham.
zone criticism upon which the charges
have been rung in private and official cir