Year: 1873

Having heard as well as read about deficit OF
ten millions in the gold account of the Treasury
Department., which nobody believes in Washington,
your correspondent called on Secretary Richardson
this morning to ascertain upon what foundation
| such reports were based To my inquiry
"What can you tell me about the deficit, Mr..
Secretary, in the gold account OF the Treasury
Department ~


Secretary Richardson said :-"There is not the
shadow OF foundation for that statement or any
other aIecting the integrity Of the accounts of the
Treasury Department., and not only authorize
you to say, but would be pleased to have the
HERALD publish, the fact that
DENY ABSOLUTELY AND ENTIRELY
that any errors exist in the accounts of this De-
partment, that there is q dollar OF gold missing
| or unaccOunted for. If the public knew the admit
rable system of checks in in the Treasury De-
partment In the transaction Of business between
the different offices, invented by my distinguished
predecessors, it would plainly appear tnat any dis
crepancy could not exis, without immediate detec
| tiOn. Do you suppose that could cheeriuly sit
| here day after day with such story going the
| rounds OF the newspapers II there were the scin-
tilla of truth in it 1t is ridtculously absurd and
emphatically an utter impossbillty Tor such thing
to 1t is true the idea may exist that there
Is deficit, but only in the imagination of parties
who write sensational articles on detective ac-
counts and imperfect figures"
CORREspONDENT-But upon what do the authors
OF these articles base their statements9
Mr. RICHARDsoN-You go to General Spinner
and let him explain He is the custodian of the
coin and will give you his views.
CONSEQUENTLY know it has been charged
that the Syndicate had the coin, and are using it
In their business transactions
Mr.. RICHARDSON--Wcll, sir
THE SYNDICATE NEVER HAD A SINGLE DOLLAR
belonging to the Treasury and never will have so
long as ! am at the head OF this Department.
The transactions of the Syndicate have been con-
Quoted strict business principles, aud the
entire $5000o,OOO under the first cali has
been paid for aud the account closed long ago. The
second call for s2O,OO0,6o0 was made by the
Treasury Depar artment entirely independent of the
| Syndicate and with which they have nothing to do
| The last call issued on Saturday for fifteen millions
| was made by the Syndicate and the transaction
| will not be closed until the middle Of November


CoRREsPoNDENT-What do you think will be the
future course OF gold


Mr. RICHARDSON know no more about that
subject than anybody else. l have nothing to do
with the gold market, so that any opinion eX-
pressed by me would be merely an opinion OF no
| Importance to anybody.


| Interview with Treasurer spinner.


Ifany one should be interested in the story cir
culated OF a deficit in the gold account of the
| Treasury Department that man is General
! Spinner, the United States Treasurer. He is a
bonded oficer, giving heavy security for the sale
custody OF every dollar belonging to the United
states He is known the watch dog OF the
Treasury, sleeps in the room adjoining his offce,
makes the grand rounds before he retres,
OF every room in his bureau, tries the
doors OF all the safes and vaults and
goes TO rest without a trouble weighing upon his
mind Tha ia nf
tions and decidedly emphatic assertions. He is
calm IN repose and seldom gets indignant at
porter or correspondent, and is always willing to
tell what he knows about finance.
found the United states Treasurer inscrbing
his name on sundry checks and certificates. There
was not a wrinkle on his forehead or respondent
look in his lace, such as might be supposed would
! appear


If TEN MILLIONS OF nu GOLD HAD BEEN SUDDENLY
out of custody. asked him If he had seen the
statement to the effect That the gold account was
ten millions short.


Mr.. SPINNER-Have | seen it9 Yes, and heard
nothing else for the last two weeks.
CoRREsPoNDENT-How do you account for the
reportS


Mr.. SPINNER-Some clerk in my bureau told
clerk in another bureau, who has friend boarding
in house where gentleman takes his meals that
knows a newspaper correspondent, that there
a deficit IN the gold account amounting to ten
millions or more.


CoRREsPoNDENT-But what started the storys


Mr.. SPINNER-God only knows. What starts


GOOD MANY NEWSPAPER LIEs9


How long is 1t since was charged with stealing fifty
millions from the government. and the numbers of
the warrants given the date OF the transaction and
the account to which the warrants were to be
placedY What started that storyS The warrants
were not payable to my order and had nothing to
DO with drawing them. Yet 1t was industrously
circulated had pocketed that amount.


CoRREsPoNDENT-But do not your reports some.
times show an apparent discrepancy when none
really exists


MIR. SPINNER-There has not been a time, nor
never will be time in the history OF the United
States Treasury, when some fool might not, by the
publication OF figures taken from reports, make 1t
appear there was something wrong in the manage
ment OF my ofrce. Let me give you


AN ILLUSTRATION.


A few weeks ago number OF gentlemen were
sent from the Department to San Francisco with
national currency, and returning brought back two
millions In gold. The Assistant Treasurer ia San
Francisco, the day he delivered the gold
to the party for transfer 10 New York;
charged me with the amount. Now for,
eigat days there was for all stock gambling pur.
poses deficit Of two millions in the coin account.
The Assistant Treasurer there no longer had IL in
his custody, and, as 1t had not reached me, did
not charge myself with the amount until it came
into my possession; yet the gold was not In the
possession of either OF Us, but en- route ,or New
York. There, you see, by comparison of the re-
port during that time it would seem to appear two
millions in coin had suddenly passed out OF the
hands OF the Treasury.


ANOTHER ILLUSTRATION