New-York tribune., 1906-07-17
TREASURY CASH SHORT
OFFICIALS PUZZLED.
mead Mans accounts Audited and
Found Correct -SSI 900 Missing.
rFrom Tae Tribune Bureau

vvsshingtor. July 16-A discovery of q. star
.u,g character has recently been made in the
---soSlry Department. shortage of unknown
-,ount aggregating not less than sSI. .OOO tech
,,ary attributable TO an official under the I'M
ziate supervision Of the Secretary OF the
.,.,s,lry. has been unearthed. despite the fact
.,sf this Official has been dead for 1--WE months
.,s that his accounts had been subjected to sew
-, auditings and declared correct The off,
.ls charged with investigating this situation
=. still in the dark TO the real culprit. The
-, that such a defalcation could occur in the
--,,ed states Treasury and remain undetected
~ this length of time gives rise to anxiety and
. ceiling Of insecurity.
Technically. the defalcation is chargeable to
.rs Iate Major George Ansel Bartlett, for twen-
Ave years chief disbursing officer Of the
r,aasury who became incapacitated by illness
hout two years ago. and died from erysipelas
,n February - Of this year So large were the
sums intrusted to Major Bartlett that. contrary
so the usual custom. his accounts were audited
szsyy month instead of every quarter, and this
vrss kept up during his illness. while immedi-
o,ely following his death the customary audit
ras made. and everything was pronounced cor
vset. Even now the officials maintain that the
scoounts of Major Bartlett were correct at the
,ime of his death. but they are unable thus far
70 account for the existing shortage, or az least
Che larger part OF It. The post mortem audit was
eornpIeted April 20. and all accounts OF Mr..
Bartlett were approved and closed. Within the
last three weeks. however in some manner not
explained. traces OF the shortage were discov-
sred new audit was ordered and the shortage
now acknowledged was disclosed
Those responsible for this situation are at a
Toss TO explain how such condition OF affairs
could have continued over a moro or less con-
siderable period without discovery, and. while
there Is a disposition TO deprecate the sugses-
tiOn that there may be further and graver short
ages revealed the result OF more thorough
ana less technical auditing a feeling OF inse-
CurIty has undoubtedly been produced. Unques-
tionably, most searching investigation will be
made.
The officials say that Of the shortage so far
revealed $4,000 only is chargeable technically
20 the accounts of Major Bartlett, having been
oOcasioned. probably. by the defalcation alleged
70 have been committed by James w. Boyd
clerk in the Marine Hospital Service who was
arrested last September by Secret Service men
acting under the direction OF Chief Wilkie The
Department OF Justice is now in charge OF the
criminal prosecution OF Boyd, and Is also at
tempting by civil suit to recover from bank
ghe amount OF his defalcation on the claim that
ihe bank paid checks forged by Boyd.
The Treasury officials have informed the FL
deity and Deposit Company, OF Baltimore, that
q viii be held responsible for any shortage
which finally may be charged to Major Bart
let. that company having been his surety, and
APPARENTLY this viii be done Irrespective OF che
fact that Major Bartlett may have had no
knowledge OF the shortage or defalcation. The
bond furnished by Major Bartlett had no time
limit and the Treasury officials claim that the
bondsmen's responsibility is without limit No
settlement OF the shortage with the bonding
company has been made.
The fact that Major Bartlett was chief Of the
largest and most important disbursing Office in
the government, and that it has charge of the
Investigation of the accounts OF all other dis
bursing Offices only adds TO the gravity Of the
situation.
Major Bartlett, who had been in the govern
ment service almost continuously since 1866
was native Of New Hampshire, but moved to
Massachusetts, shortly before the Civil War and
served through 1t with the 18th Massachusetts
Infantry. He member of numerous vet
eran organizations and was a thirty-second de-