Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-30
WHY PENROSE
|. kept LARGE SUMS
OF CASH ON HAND
Explanation Of HIs Big Sums in
Look Boxes at Washington
and Elsewhere.
WAS CAMPAIGN COLLECTOR
Special Dispatch From Every Evening
Washington Correapondent

TeHose 10 noaTu fzI6,VOV In currency
In his safe deposit box In a Washing
ton bank. and the certainty that ne
had large sums In private boxes IN the
vaults OF other institutions, have
caused widespread discussion in the
national capital since the story be-
came known. The PENNSYLVANIA
Senator was n very wealthy man.
whose resources ran into the mill
lions. He was likewise a very shrewd
business man and that he should lose
interest, amounting in itself to a
small fortune annually, in this man
er surprised both bankers and
politicians.
| SIN addition 10 the money found in
the Penrose private box here 1t Is learn
Ell on reliable authority that n large
amount OF cash. running into six
figures. was kept In another private
box in a Philadelphia bank. Even
this Ia not believed by some OF his in
| Inmates 10 have represented all the
| boarding OF cash done by the Re-
| publican 'boss" OF sylvsnia, who
| held ONCE continuously probably
longer than any other man In Ameri-
can public life.
The S226.000 found in a box In the
vault OF tho American Security and
Trust Co. In Washington was in five
SEPARATE envelopes. containing bills Of
largo denomination. running from
81 900 notes up 10 $4,000 ones. The
amount contained in each WIS correct
~ noted on the outside OF the en-
yelope. Other than this. there was not
a mark or scrap OF paper which
threw light on the hidden treasure.
| Penrose was an eccentric man and
IN some respects an enigma TO his
closest political followers He was the
| master politician OF the Republican
party. whose power in national politics
Tnay have waned somewhat during his
long Illness OF two years. but who re-
tained complete control over his own
state until hfs death on December 81.
Few men know the power Of money
Ia political campaigns better than
Penrose. His lieutenants say he would
no more have begun a political fight
without a f1ll campaign chest than a
prudent general would wage pattle
without ammunition. There is specu.
lation In Washington whether Pen
rose regarded tho money he boarded
away as private funds or campaign
funds. He is said by those In position
70 know 20 have collected from 5000.
900 70 100000 annually. Some OF
Those ION the inside" believe the gener.
la,issimo OF the Republican forces pru-
dcntly laid aside sufficient money "a
guard against the day when campaign
| money would be hard to obtain. They
recall that the Senator made Il a
practice 10 collect personally from
some OF the largest contributors 70
The Republican war chest. He usual
r. kept list OF these and others whose
business IL was 10 get up the campaign
money we're notified not TO solicit
from those on the Penrose list
Naturally. man as high up In the
organization as the Pennsylvania
boss" was not required to make ar
accounting 20 anyone. Some of his
friends believe that the vast sums he
accumulated in cash in private boxes
he expected 10 disburse. in part, In
political contests of the future.
Fought Shy of Checks.
The boarding OF cash. with no book
keeping required, they attribute I,
his experience in connection with tn,
newspaper expose OF a $4,000 checl
contributed to him many years ag,
by John d. Archbold of the Standar,
OH Co. Penrose explained this trans
action by saying that it was purel,
a political contribution. And the in
lcident was forgotten in Pennsylvania
but, his friends say. Penrose neve
forgot it. From that day on contri
buttons were required to be in casl
and he kept no books. Whatever dis
tributions OF the funds he made wa
known only to Penrose. So implied
was the faith OF big captains OF In
dustry and political associates tina
no one ever thought OF questionini
the disposition of the huge sums O
money that passed into his hands.
For many years,( Penrose collects
his campaign funds in Pennsylvani
from the Standard Oil Co., the Penn
sylvania Railroad. the United State
Steel Corporation and the Pennsyl
vania Manufacturers Association, tn
latter embracing 1000 concerns. 10
Iseph r. Grundy Is president OF tn
Pennsylvania Manufacturers Associa
ton, and the activity of this organiza
ton In politics in the Keystone Stat
is prodigious. Grundy, it was whisp
cred about among the. politicians. wa
the only man bigger than Penrose
in the State. That Penrose deferred t,
Grundy and took orders when occa
sion required was well known and tn
huge aggregatee of the manufactur
ers associations contribution TO tn
Penrose war chest Is regarded as tn,
explanation.
Penrose never consumed his tim,
collecting from the little fellows.
1 This was done by trusted lieutenants
and much of this money went directl,
into the campaign funds in the regu
lar way.
Frequently Looked at His Cash.
That Penrose paid frequent visit.
to his strong box in Washington
wherein was secreted his mysterious
treasure Is confirmed by attaches O
the bank where the box was kept. III,
was there at frequent intervals, tn,
last visit to the vault being thre,
weeks before his death, 1t was lcarne,
today. One of his peculiarities Was III,
carrying OF large sums OF money OF
his person. Those who are familiar
with his habits in this respect sa,
that he Usually carried sums rangins
from $4,000 to $4,000 in his pocket II,
was not careless man in spendin,
money, although his last years fount
him living In more expensive quarters
than was his custom His priyate for