Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-01
HELD FOR A SHORTAGE
William F. Downs Is Accused
of Taking 100000.
ALL BALTIMORE STIRRED
Employe Of the City Registers
Office.
CHECK FOR $4,000 IS MISSING
to Jail Without Bail to
Await Further Hearing-Balti-
more Secured Against Loss.
CHECK FOR $4,000 IS MISSING


Special Dispatch to The Star.
BALTIMORE. Md. April William +.
Downs. the city hall employe who was ar
rested last night on the charge of emhez-
cling $67.1aS. was arraigned in the CEN
trail police court this morning and re-
manded to jail without bail to await
preliminary hearing this afternoon.
One hundred thousand dollars was this
morning considered a conservative esti-
mate Of the amount Of the alleged short
age in the registers office. Register
Thomas says that check for $O,oo.
which had been said to be missing. is not
included in the $67, 126 at which he places
the loss so far discovered
For some time reports as to Downs ex-
pendtures-his Indulgence In extraVa-
gances and luxuries and his utter disre-
gard of the value OF money-haVe 'oeen
well known among officials. including
States Attorney Owens. 1t Is highly prob
able that the chief prosecutor OF the city
| was the least surprised. man In town on
| the disclosure Of irregularities in Register
Thomas Office.
Like every one else said Mr.. Owens,
II have long heard comments on Downs
extravaganza. and have heard that ne
| has been spending money like water. al
though on a salary Of only $500 year.
And why did you not take some action
! In the premises?"
AS say" replied Mr. Owens. the re-
ports were only matters of common gossip
and notoriety, and l had nothing tangible
upon. which to base any action in the
| matter. Every one at all familiar with
city officials and their methods OF living
| has been we'll aware of Downs expendi-
lures has known that he INDUCED in fast
horses and other Injuries. and it is
strange that the subject was not taken
up by those more intimately connected
| Right behind this statement of Mr..
| Owens came the statement of a high pub
| lie official that Downs Is not the only
one; there are others"
| Further Disclosures Expected.
And as the investigation of the regis
ters accounts proceeds the belief grows
| stronger that the Downs ENHANCEMENT is
| only the scratching Of the surface. and
| that a great civic cancer will be disclosed
| from which the city has long been suffer-
| ing. So Intimately are several interests
| dovetailed politically, however, that JUS
tice moves with tagging steps and posi-
BILE prosecution Is undertaken with due de-
| liberation.
Balancing Of the bank books handled by
Downs showed that on February Is last
81 900 in currency was extracted from
general deposit Of $61, 1895 sent from the
i
Commerce. Only $50. 4S3.64 was actually
deposited. the figures in the bank book
being bunglingly changed to $6l 4Ss 81 MI
Thomas was unable to Identify the
| changed figures.
| March o, he sent $42.024.24 to the Ma
| tional Marine Bank. The actual deposit
was 81 .924.24. but again the figures were
| changed so that they would show de-
post of the full amount.
Widely Known In Sporting World.
Downs is. twenty-six years old and wide
| ~ known In political. social and sporting
circles. Early last spring he purchased
the mare Orphan Girl. the price being
| reported at $1,000. With Orphan Girl he
won every race except one. the mare
being acknowledged the champion mat
| inee harness racer In the state. Orphan
Gifl sprained tendon in her leg. and he
Immediately bought Reflective Stone in
Philadelphia to replace her.
AS BILLY" Downs he was one Of the
| best known sports In boxing. He was
| one of the right-hand men OF the Monu
| mental Athletic Club 1t was reported
| to several we'll known boxers. Every
| body wondered where he got all of his
money to spend.
Peculation Since 1907.
1t is the belief at the city hall that
the entertainments have been going on
since 1907. The amounts distracted from
time to time ranged from 500 to $1,000
at one clip, so far as could be ascer-
tanned last night. Never before has the
city lost such large sum Of money
through the operations of an employee.
The amount fairly staggered the mayor,
the controller and the register when the
total was disclosed. No one suspected
that the shortage would exceed 5000 or
$1,000. SO when it was shown to be
$67, 90 the officials felt that a mistake
had been surely made, and 1t was de-
cided not to make any official state
ment until after the experts could ex-
anime all the accounts.
The more they figured, however. the
more the greatness of the shortage be-
came assured. and finally 1t was agreed
that the public should have the facts,
as they were revealed, as soon as posi-
BILE, Register Thomas telling Mayor Ma
hool and Controller Hooper that he had
no objection to telling the whole story.
It is the most sensational thing that
has happened at the city hall in years,
and 1t is feared that disclosures of a
more startling character will be made,
although Register Thomas felt positive
last night that it was all the work of
one man. as the manipulations Of the
bank books were done by the same hand
and In precisely the same manner.
Eleven Bank Books Altered.
Erasures and the substitution and al
tering Of figures are shown in eleven
bank books. thus indicating that the ac-
cused operated through that many Of the
city's repositories. The city keeps its
daily balances in sixteen national banks
and two trust companies. There was
nothing wrong in the trust company
books. and five bank books appear to be
In good shape. 1t seems that the great
est discrepancy took place in the city's
account with the National Mechanics
Bank. of which Mr.. John B. Ramsay is
the president and to which City Col
lector Frank Brown sends all the money
taken in through his department.
No matter what the total sum turns
| out TO be, the city will not lose anything
for City Register Thomas is bonded In
the sum of $4,000. and must make good
| any shortage in his office. Downs was
bonded to the reciSfer direct I'm he