The Washington herald., 1907-07-24

The news that Maj. Eugene Coffin, pay
master. died at Manila yesterday after
noon. as the result Of an amputation Of
his left arm, which had become poisoned
through handling infected money. was re-
ceived here with the greatest regret. Maj.
Coffin lived in Washington for many
years before his appointment in the army.
He had been chief clerk Of the old
Willard Hotel, on Pennsylvania avenue,
and he numbered friends and acquaint
ances by the hundreds among travellers
from all over the country. He was an
accomplished musician. and it was his
custom 10 write on the hotel register
every morning the notes of the opening
bars of some appropriate music, Thus.
on the Fourth of July he would write the
first line of The Star Spangled Banner"
Sometimes he would hanor some partlc-
ular guest at the hotel with aAappropri-
ate line Of music, and when bridal
couple was in the house the first line OF
Wedding Bells Are Ringing would APP
pear.
Appointed by Mckinley
During the Spanish war Mr. Coffin was
appointed a paymaster by President Nc
Kinley. He was an old friend OF the late
President, and had served with him in
the Twenty-third Ohio Infantry-McKin-
Iey's regiment He first appointed him
In the volunteer army, and. afterward,
when the war was over. gave him a com
mission as a captain in the regular estab-
lishment With the exception OF three
years in Boston, Mai. Coffin served almost
continuously in the Philippines. He was
about Gfty-nine years old, and it was his
intention. on retiring from the service,
three years hence, to give music lessons.
His wife and two sons Were with him
in Manila when he died A third son is
living in Boston. His sister-in-law, Mrs
n. D. Lewis lives in this city. The body
will be brought to Washington and in
TERED at Arlington.
Doubt Poisoning Theory.
The statement that Mai. Collins blood
poisoning was due 10 handling infected
money is distinctly doubted at the Treas
ury Department There Is in circulation
in the Philippines, besides the United
States money. the local currency based
on the financial system which was
framed for the Philippines by Charles A.
Conant. OF New York. It has the Spanish
peso for its basis.
A peso Is worth about a dollar, but not
exactly, and it was found easier 10 es-
tablish Philippine currency on the basis
OF coin whose value was familiar 10
everybody, than 10 introduce as the sole
standard the United States system, and
thus bring about the confusion that now
exists IN Cuba, where the republic has
made the United States system the official
system, and there is the consequent diff
Guilty of figuring out values in American
money from the old Spanish prices that
still prevail in all the shops.
Deny Scientists Claims.
This COnant money is printed in Wash
ington, and in order that it might never
be mistaken for United States money. !
different colors were adopted so the.
there are blue Conants and pink and
brown. Il is not believed that Mai. Coffin
could have been poisoned by the coloring
matter used in this money. nor is it be- |
lieved that he was poisoned by handling /
dirty notes, whether Conants or United /
States money
The Treasury Department has always 1
denied, with the utmost emphasis. the
charges made by eminent scientists that |
diseases could be contracted by handling /
soiled paper money. Representative |
Gaines, Of Tennessee, and other members
Of Congress have tried for many years 10 |
bring about the passage Of bill which /
will prohibit the government from ever I
issuing banknote a second time when il /
has once been returned 10 the Treasury /
thus keeping constant supply of clean |
money in the hands of the people.
Secretary Shav's Experiment.
The firmness with which the Treasury /
officials have always denied that there
lurked in soiled paper money any dan /
ger Of disease was due 10 an investiga- /
ton made two years ago by Secretary |
Shaw. A delegation OF scientists had Wis 4
tied him and had shown him some horrid |
photographs Of s0iled bank notes. photo /
graphs which, when magnified. indicated /
that the average bank note, after a 4
years use, was a perfect menagerie Of /
all kinds Of frightful bacilli and a store
house Of malignant germs.
Mr. Shaw had the record of all those /
clerks examined who count, day after
LAY, the money that is received at the \
Treasury for redemption Some of this \
money is indescribably filthy, but the
record showed that. while some Of these
clerks had been counting soiled notes for
more than q quarter OF a century. there
had never been a case OF sickness in
The division which could by aay posi-
1ility have been caused by handling a
;Oiled note.
For this reason it Is not believed at
he Treasury that the blood poisoning
which caused Mai. Coffin's death was due