Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-08-26
THEFTSCAUSE WORRY
Uncle Sam Has Been Playing Long
String Of Hard Luck.
MAIL POUCH ROBBERY LATEST
Two Defalcations Recently in as
Many Subtreasuries.
RECORD THEFT FOB ONE TIME
Million Dollars Taken from the New
Orleans Subtreasury,
RECORD THEFT FoR ONE TIM
MOST INGENIOUS OF THEFTs
CoIorcd Messenger in Treasury De-
pnrtment Takes silver Dollars
aud substitute Lead of
same w

Your Uncle Samuel : IN having con-
siderable tough " - emily growing
out OF the loss Of = = which has been
taken by trusted = : of the various
departments OF Il - = rnment, the dis
appearance OF G$ registered n,dil
rouches from on train between
Denver, Colo, al I'd, Neb., and said
20 contain S25OOUv, icing the latest
peculatlon which is sorely worrying
postal officials.
only short while ago one Of the Off
cials In the Boston subtreasury relieved
Uncle Sam Of $4,000. The theft OF Sl73,.
900 In 1000 bflls. which occurred about
nve months ago in the Chicago sub
treasury, is still profound mystery to
the governments detective forces, the
chief sleuth OF the Treasury department
Colonel John wilkie, having been con-
tlnually endeavoring to ferrt out the
criminals who took the money ever since
the crime was committed And the theft
OF s62. 900 from the st. Louis subtreas-
ury. which occurred nearly a year ago,
is as much Of a mystery now, so far as
the public has any knowledge, as It was
when the theft was first discovered.
According to a statement made by an
Official Of the Treasury department the
United Stntes subtreasuries have suffered
greatly by reason Of peculations on the
part of trusted" employees. In nine
cases have the subtreasuries been robbed
Of $4,000 or more, in six Of which the
thieves have been apprehended and pun
ished and considerable of the money re-
covered.
Million Dollars Taken.
Probably the greatest theft Of govern
ment money was the whitakerMay steal
from the New Orleans subtreasury in
1867, when nearly S1.OO0,00O was taken.
When the thieves were apprehended but
a small part OF the money was recovered,
the government being still out S6SO,9Sl.h3
pn that bold robbery. Another big theft
that took place In this city was that Of
Marden and Johnson. Marden got away
with $4,000 and Johnson with $4,000.
The treasury Is out on that enterprise
$4,000.
Some thirty years ago an employe of
the Interior Department, Captain Howgate,
got away with about $4,000, not cent of
which was ever recovered. Howgate died
about a year ago in New York in extreme
poverty.
The winslow theft which was accom-
plished in 1876. was another big haul.
winsIow was an honest" employe in the
treasury, and everybody was surprised to
discover rhat he had helped himself to a
package containing 5000 intended for
shipment to western bank. Winslow got
scared out OF his wits when some one said
to him in fun, They've caught you at
last. Winslow."
That night someone rang the door bell
OF the home OF the secretary of the treas
ury A. L. Wyman, formerly a resident of
Omaha, now an employe in the depart
E,h Ia. aaA ,EF
hard that the old gentleman tumbled out
OF his bed in hurry. When he opened
the door he found a bundle containing the
stolen money, with a few hundred dollars
missing.
Ingenious COlOred Messenger.
One of the most ingenious and painstak-
Ing thefts was that of an old and trusted
coIored messenger of the Treasury depart
ment who had access to the treasury vaults
where gold and silver coin is stored. He
got away with about 800 silver dollars
taking from one 20 four at a time. Silver
dollars are stored away in the treasury
vaults In canvass sacks each sack con-
tanning 1000 silver dollars, The method
adopted by Jackson this: He pur-
chas ID n Troy weight scale and weighed a
standard silver dollar. and ascertaining its
precise weight proceeded to get guam
tity os lead In sheets and make disks OF
the lead Of the exact size and weight OF a
silver dollar
With these lead disks in his possession
from day TO day he would as opportunity
presented itself. during his hours OF duty
about the vaults OF the treasury, carefully
open sack containing silver dollars, ex.
tract two or three, replacing them with the
lead disks. This petty thievery went on
for some years and was only discovered
by the sheerest accident
When United States treasurer goes ont
of once an accounting OF the cash under
his control must be made and a balance
struck before the United States will re-.
leve his bondsmen and a clear balance
turned over 20 his successor
The millions OF silver dollars in the
vaults OF the treasury when a count Is
made necessary by a change IN United
states treasurers is not made by actually
counting by hand every piece OF money
but BY weighing the bags. Each bag con.
tanning loo pieces should weigh lust 50
much. and II short OF over the merest
fraction suspicion would I . at once aroused
and the sack opened 70 flnd out what Is
wong.
BaS Accidentally Bursts.
lhe weighing process or counting Is con-
Quoted BY a committee OF trusted clerks
appointed by the secretary OF the treas
ury' Upon the occasion OF the discovery
Of the thievery OF Messenger Jackson the
weishins of the bass OF silver dollars had
been about half completed when a sack.
miidewed and old. broke in the handlina
and rs contents rolled all about the moor
or the vault. OF course those HAVING
charge Of the count directed that the coins
Dc gathered up. and when this was done
% Their great establishment. they found
rour Lead disks In the heap. A careful
count Sas made OF the actual good stand
ard silver dollars which had escaped from
the broken sack, and il totaled ses. -four
short With four pieces OF Lead 10 make
the even thousand
There was considerable CONSERVATION l.