Newspaper Page Text
SILENCE LED TO RUIN
The Peculiar Shortage of a Postoffice Cash?
ier Explained..
WAS NOT GUILTY OF PECULATION
Tct III? Roohn Showed a Shortage ol
910,000--TI10 innocent Victim or
An Olli: .*.< V. 'in c -311? t'.: ?c l'n??vi il
Him to Falsify tlio Books to Covet
the Deficit.
(From the St. Louis Glohe-Democrat.)
In March, 1S9C, the cashier of one of
'the largest ipostofllcea of the country
discovered that his cash was short. He
had balanced his? books. Everything ap?
peared to foe straight on the face of the
figures. Cut when the contents of the
money drawer were run over the
amount was $1,000 lesa than it should
have been.
Some cashiers would have gone over
the books and the money again, and,
verifying the loss, would have reported
it Immediately. This cashier did not do
that. He had risen to his responsible po?
sition by virtue of a record of exactness
which was the admiration of all who
knew him. Postmasters had come and
.postmasters had gone. Administrations
hid changed in political complexion:
The cashier had advanced from. posi?
tion to.position, because he he.d a talent
?which was phenomenal for handling
sfhe funds and the complicated cash ac?
counts of the ollice. Long before the
civil principle went into general prac?
tice this man had made himself Indls
pensa.ble through met It. Ajad so. with?
out regard to politico or Influence, he
remained in the otlice und climbed, In?
spectors had examined his books time
and again. They had complimented hliri
as often as they visited this ollice.
The man hud come to be known in
Washington as itho model post otlice
'cashier. As Ills faule Increased, his
pride In 'the management of his ollice
grew. Ho was rigid in his system, j
Gradually his duties were extended as
his aptitude for this part of the busi?
ness manifested itself. lie was de?
pended upon to audit accounts Other,
?than those for Wkhlch he handled the
?money. SuCccs&lvc postmasters re
posod implicit confidence in him. They
relied Upon his unerring accuracy to
help make their administration of the
ollice successful. They believed he
?was the mho subordinate who, cither
?through intent or carelessness, would
never go wrong. Friends who appre?
ciated Ihe capacity and the rectitude
of She cashier told him it was only a
question of a few years until his re?
cord would carry him into the p isition
of postmaster. Before the fateful day
In March. lSflfi, they were right. As
surely as his party triumphed nit the
next general election the cashier seem?
ed destined lo reach that otTtclnl emi?
nence for which he had fitted' him?
self by his life work.
That March night 'the cashier went
home lo his wife and told her of the
missing money. Xo one eise was ta?
ken Into confidence. ' The experience
was entirely new. The cashier toid
himself that he was certain to find an
error In the bonks which would ac?
count for the loss. He believed firmly
?that the deficit was only apparent. He
would find the mistake, he argued. lie
?would correct it. and he spared the
mortification '-if admitting that, his
heretofore extraordinary accuracy had
failed one time. The next day he
searched, and the next lie went over the
boiiks page by page. Still that loss
stared him. Then he made a. fatal er?
ror, lie hid the loss so that under Or?
dinary examination and reports 11
would not show, lie said to himself
thiit some day he would find 'be miss?
ing error on the books, or. if not, that
'he would make- good the loss to the
government from Iiis salary when lie
became postmaster. Thus the cashier
aasoncd. lie convinced himself thai
tlie best thing he could do was to hiil ?
what he still believed was only an error.
Thai a crime had been committed ? >!'
which he was only the Innocent victim
never occurred 10 him. The nwney
which had disappeared was kept in the
ollice vault. The lock of that vault, was
a combination. It was nhe rule of the
Ofllce that the combination should be
used by the cashier alone No lone else,
lieft ec u the postmaster himself had au?
thority to open the vault. Btrt to guard
against the possibility of inconvenience,
the knowledge of that combination was
not limited .tu the memory of the cash?
ier. An accident might happen. The
cashier might meet sudden death or
disability. To protect '111.' interests
of the service from contingency, re?
mote though it might be, the cashier
had furnished the postmaster with the
combination. He .had ^iven a memo?
randum of the numbers, to be used
'only In I lie event that he was incapaci?
tated. This knowledge should have re?
mained sealed In an unopened envelop,
A furnier post master, with regard for
the spirit or the arrangement, placed
the combination, which had .been en?
closed In a sealed envelop, in the care
of a third party, and H was locked in a
safety deposit vault, where It remain?
ed throughout the term of otlice. Where
the knowledge of the combination was,
other than in the cashier's mind, dur?
ing the month of March, 1806, Is one of
the unsolved mvsterics of ibis very
Strange case. At the time itho cashier
gave no thought to the memorandum
of the combination held in trust,
(?rounded in Iiis own Innocence 'of -mis?
use of the public -money, the thought
never suggested itself lo him to make
Inquiries. Suspicion never entered his
mind.
Two or three weeks passed. The bal?
ance had been forced. The bonks had
been falsified. The cashier has quieted
himself with- the thought .that if thq
blunder in the accounts did not reveal
itself he would make the amount c.1
from his salary, lie came and went as
usual. He was domestic, lie had no
vices. He lived within his mentis. He
was not extravagant. There was 110
sign of wrong. In the view of the de?
partment he was still .the mod.-; cash?
ier.
One night the footings were made,
and when the money was counted there
was another shortage of a consldi rah|e
amount. The cashier was thunder?
struck. -He went over the figures. He
counted .the money. The deficit was
there again. Another $1.000 could not
be found. What was t.i be done. Pu1
yourself in his place. To do so one
must recall the long years of rigid ffe
vqt'l?n lo duty, (mo must remember
the pride which "had fed all of those
years cm a marvelous record for ac
curacy and Integrity. The ambition to
reach one more promotioa-and horn an
olllce which seemed almost within roach
must be felt. To report this latest loss
was to demand an investigation which
would bring out the falslllcatlon or the
books to bide the first. Surely here was
a sad case of a victim of circumstances.
And. the victim was an ordinary man.
A second time the books were fixed
to make an appearance of correctness.
Around the unhappy man a net seemed
to bs drawing. Perhaps n!ne.ty-ninc
men out of a hundred would have
thrown pride to the winds, forgot JJto
ambition of a spotless lifetime and cried
but': v
'".Hue Is rot ay In-re!"
The hundredth man wouldn't. He
would have done as this matt did. His
first Impulse would have been Id carry
on. the deception <>f figures. Growing
desperate with the terrible secret, he
would at last have taken Into his con?
fidence the very men from whom 'he
should have Dield Aloof, lie would
have accepted the suggestion that there
werei easy und tiulok ways of making
a thousand of dollars to rcplaco the
amount mysteriously missing. He
would have listened to .the seductive
stories of large odds won la ail after?
noon at the race track. He. would have
refused to take a dollar of U if eld Sam's
money und go to the race track, but
he might have allowed men about IvHn
la take sums of money and (try to win
enough to m ike good tho losses while
he further falsified the figures to hide
the growing deficit. And so the time
might come when without having real?
ized personal benefit from any of this
money, he would lind himself face t.>
face with a loss too large to be longer
concealed.
An Inspector stepped Into the cash?
ier's ofliee one day and took possession.
Prom Washington had been sent an in?
timation iimt -some Irregularities
seemed to exist. The Inspector worked
and worked. At length, with many
figures before him, he turned to the
cashier and said:
"No," replied the cashier. Into to the.
life-long accuracy, "the amount Is
$10,000."
And so it was. Friends more famil?
iar with tho ways of the world realized
how a good name had been lost, bow a '
life bad been wrecked, when they hear,I
the beginning >u* tho deficit. Their
vigorous comments awakened the cash?
ier to the knowledge of the trap Into
which ho had fallen. A trial Is reining.
Shrewd lawyers will endeavor to trace
the written combination. They will
show. If possible, in whose possession
it was when the two losses led the
cashier Into a false posit I >p. Written
demands have been made upon those
who are supposed to know for state?
ments In detail about the combination.
They have been asked to tell what was
I done with the combination when it
i passed Imlo their possession at the be?
ginning of the pr< sent postmaster's
term, whether others have had access
to the Information, and where the
written memorandum is now.
Officials of the Postofrlcc Department
have bestowed much consideration upen
this case. To them it. lias more than
local Interest. A double reason has
prompted them. In the llrst place, the
manner In which the deficit was con?
cealed Oil the books for a period of
months has shown the department
something new in malfeasance. In ad?
dition to this, there is sympathy for
the cashier, so long regarded as the
model. This sympathy has stimulated
i a strong desire that the complete story
of the downfall shall be told, and that
the chief guilt shall be placed where if
belongs. The trial Is looked forward to
as cne of the most important in the
j exposure and punishment of postoflleo
crime In many years. PostolTice olll
olals will furnish some of the sensa?
tional testimony. There ?s p belief at
the department that the cashier did not
realize any pecuniary benefit; In other
.words, that he did not make direct use
of the money which disappeared.
In the banking business there Is a
theory that long and continued handl?
ing of large amounts of cash begets In
some minds a gradual weakening of the
law of thine and mine. Hank olflcers
go along for years without the error |
of a penny In their cash accounts. |
They come to be looked upon as he
y.cnl the pah- of temptation to appro?
priate front what Is passing through
their, hands, Then, after having estab?
lished auch reputations, they sometimes
fall. They lake the money for specu?
lation, expecting to replace it, become
Inv lived and plunge deeper and deeper
until exposure ifollows. There have
I been enough lnstar.es of this kind to
! establish the theory as a principle np
I plicn'blc not to nil, but to some. When
the fact of this postofllce defalcation \
became public pi, n, rty Iiis - who had ]
i felt unlimited confidence in Ihe cashier
I ndopted this theory ns the explanation
[ of what seemed Otherwise an unac?
countable lapse. Later came the knowl
j edge communicated to a few of the
\ two shortages with which the compli?
cations began. And n?w this feeling
among ofliclnls who know most of this
unhappy affair Is that the moral re?
sponsibility will not appear bo Kia-at
when all the facts are made known.
frlCO11< M iTi IWN UNI V KI:SITY.
Notes of Interest Connected with the
Educational Institution.
Georgetown, 1>. C, Dec. IS.?(Spe?
cial.)?The last lecture of Ihe first term
of the law sehe i| was delivered by
Professor Baker last evening. Kegln-!
ning with yesterday examinations will]
beheld In the Junrar, senior and post
(graduate classes "n .the work gone
over during Ihe past three months. Th ?
Christmas recess will extend from
Thursday next until the first Monday
of 'M.
A special me,sing of the Law Sch ml
Debating society was held Thursday
evening. The ?!??: ate on 'the question,
"Re.sMlved That the Hawaiian Islands
should be annexed to the United
Slates." was decided In favor or
Messrs. Schade and Brown, the nega?
tive speakers, who had ns their op|*o
m-n-ts Messrs. fl im?? McCarthy tint!
VW. Bingh.am. A large nudl nee at?
tended Ihe exercises.
On Washington's Birthday, the 22d
of February, the annual M or rick d ?
kite will he held.
The basii) ball 'team proposes to com*
mon'cc practice as tfoOll as possible.
I The Phllonomoslnn society at Its last
I meeting discussed the recent action of
' Georgia's Legislature in prohibiting
1 ifcbiuall within ".hat Slate. .Messrs.
j Henning and puffy, and .Murphy and
Creccy were the speakers pro rind con;
respectively.
Wednesday will he ihe last day this
year on which attendance will be ro-.j
quired of the students in the various
classes.
It Is easy to ento'i eld. and Just as
easy to get rid of 1: if you cdmmetfca!
: early to use One Minute Cough Cure. It
1 cures coughs, colds1, bronchi Its. pnott
1 monln and all throat and lung troubles
I It is pleJsnnt to take, mate to u.-v and
?>ure :o eure. J. M. Trotter, Norfolk;
; K. L. Walker, Trultl & Smith, Berkley.
GIVE THANKS.
-For sweet hopes born and for sorrows
dead.
For true songs sung and for fond -Words
said. >
For ;he ready cup, for the dally bread.
Por the race that the faithful feet have
run, *'
For the bitter strife, for the battle won.
For the -brave deeds planned and for
brave deeds done,
For the truth that llveth evermore.
For mercy's graciously open door.
For the Unlit'that whines from the other
shore.?
Give thanks, give thanks, Lo, the Spirit
saU.lt,
Let everything that hath voice or breath
Give thanks Uor life.?for life and death.
?CA it LOTTA t'HUHY.
LEAD MK ARIGHT.
I do not ask, O Lord! that life may be
A pleasant road;
I do not ask that Til m wouldst take
from mo
Aught of Its load;
I do m>t ask that flowers should al?
ways spring
Beneath my feet;
I* know .too well the p rison and the
sting
Of things too sweet.
For one tiling only, Lord, dear Lord, I
plead:
Lead me aright?
Though strength should falter, and
though heart should bleed?
Through pence t-> light.
?Auict.Aim-: a. l'Koeron.
T*HE YOUNG Id A N LIED.
An umnslng incident occurred a few
days ago .it Broad Street Station, saya
tile Philadelphia Record. An old geh
tlenian while p?festng through the watt?
ing room stooped and picked up a ten
dollar note from the floor and quickly
put it in his trousers pocket. A young
man hear by, noticing this, at once
claimed the incne.v as his. but the old
gentleman's oplnl 'ii oil that point was
somewhat different, and a heated argu?
ment ensue.!. The matter was explain?
ed to a ticket agent at the window,
who referred the two disputants to the
head age in to si ttle the- question of
ownership. Tie y were ushi r 1 into the
private oflli.f the arbiter. After a
lively discussion, tin- old gentleman
finally became Indignant, and. draw-'
ing Iiis hand from hi.-- pocket, he threw
the note on the deski exclaiming:
"Jlere. lake the old $10." As the agent
was unfolding the note a largo smile
overspread his features, an,] he showed
theni it ivtts not a l?n-dOllar note at
all, but a clever advertisement >?( a
leading house In this city. The young
man's fan- Unshed scarlet, and neither
looking right nor left, he unceremon?
iously rushed from the olllcei through
the depot, and disappeared.
COURT HOUSE TO BE SOLO FOB
DEBT.
(From the s: Louis ?'?' be-Democrat.)
Not long ago the county of Henry. Ky.
lost o suit in the Court of Appeals and
wns required to pay Ihe ? lasts', l'ar: of
these costs was a fee id the elerk Of the
Court of Appeals, who sent his claim
with the papers npi ? ssary for a prompt,
ami, if necessary, forci i collection '?(
tie- same. Tili sheriff of Henry county,
after s ?nie delay wr ite back to Frank?
fort to-thi* clerk of the Court of Appeals
that lie had been put off by the proper
county officials; the.; in- bad Informed
them that he would wait no longer, and
that lie had levied 1-n the county court
house and advertised :t for sale to satis?
fy the debt. Ex-Chief Justice Pryor, of
Co- Court of Appeals, it is thought, will
be one of the bidders ou the property
when it is put-up.
? ff?ic?m?
Will Cure RHEUMATISM.
?FRIC?M?
Will Cure SCROFULA.
?FRIO?M?
Will Cure OLD SORES.
?FHIC?M?
Will Cure SYPHILIS.
Will Cure CONSTIPATION.
?FRIC?N K
Will Cure EXZEiTiA. CA?
TARRH and all BLOOD and
SKIN DISEASES.
?FHIC?M?
NEVER FAILS.
II is Ihe (rue Remedy for all
BLOOD DISEASES.
Sold by your DRUGGIST.
F!ek riradacho ami rollovoall tlio troubled (nel
fl?nt to aliilloua atatonf tlio ayttoiu, aucli as
PizzlneMj Naum ., UrowstuoM, Pixtrcss after
ealliie, 1-alu in i:..> SliU?. tea. Wliilo' Uiplr most
rcoaarkablokuceuanliiuj IwenShowii liiciuiut*
I T?>\ii1ie!ic. jrol C-irtor's T.ltllc Tier Pills .to
: equally valuable.In ?onstlpatli n. ciniojfiuid pro
v ii-.-i!-: tliliinnii. >iiH(ooii)p1ii'iii.->! He tlinyaliio
1 r inn !tall<ltaor?U-ri(<>nlioaiomai Mllmulata Ilia
i.\ i and regn?tn llieb?'wol?. Ercu toayouly
'' mm ?
Aelif-t! er irdnldlio almost prtcfileanto tlioio v ,io
rnii'i i- fromihin,;, i, btinitfmiiplaliil; but fort a.
aafttytKrlrnMHlii- -il-vo.-. imt, in! tn-ro.atiil II- ? o
trlioonci try llioni w ill I'm.I tin Ilttli pills \ .' i
sblpiti imanywi vi tluittliey ?il! no; !>?? ->if
lioglod? Kitboultbi lit. But after allaick hi id
mm
lathe onrie ef en :. ny bvei ilnt hr'-.i in tvjirro
wi)n:nV ,-i.rr ?ivul 1> :;? t. Our pillHi-u-.nit v\li la
otbera do ti >t,
Carli r'n i iillo Liver Pills are very ?mall and
very oa#y t-> take, linu er two pill* mnknn dose.
Xhuy are at riot ly 'vegetable aiidrio hot Rrlpa r
pin-pe, Imt by lli?lrfientloarllon pleanoall who
iiseiliaiu. InvialaatSSeonts; ilvoforjl- i;?ld
bydrug?lat? ovcrywlioro, orsoutby mall;
CAIUCR MEDICINE CO., New York.
M PJL M hi M\ Sfe
JOHN OILWEE, M. D.
Dr. Gilwec is one of St. Louis' most
eminent physicians; and is quick to
acknowledge the great benefits fo l;c
derived froni t'ie administration of
Terra! inc.
I have used Terraline in my
practice with the finest results*
I predict a great future for it
and a great benefit to suffering
humanity through its use*
JOHN GILV/EE, M. D?
3125 Mcrrlmac Si,, St Louis, Mo?
i 1,1 H
o
iieiiinaoinia
Tlio fact 1 lint tin- most renowned physician* In thu city pri*
ncrllM TURK ALI NE In tliclr private, practli u speaks morn highly
Mau words of tilt* irrhnd merits ul Uli* hcaltli-rentorlHg discovery,
a pure product of Petroleum;
Wnrutha fact IfCucrnHy known that TERKAMNK Is r>r utmost
iioiiulltIn IHu diseaserooiitfsuitlnilil prevalent In tliin climate?
iniciiiiioiila- llausa would lio tin; means 61 saving many lives
an ntially.
't Im consumptive Is ecrrd, or, II that ii: iin; n;.'.!Mc, vxcntly rc
llcycdbytlic useof THt<l<Al.lNU. TtiRRALINB Is p!ca?rcnt to
t ike .'.nil Is absolutely freotrum eny of toe objectie nublc lent urcs
?if c?d liver all, every merit of v. hielt it possesses.
Porclilblren ami irr.iwiii^ !??>>?< .-out iii'b; T1.RKAL1NK Is tin
enualrd ns aMren fihotter ami llcsli maker. Children Ilkis K.
Write lor " ??liyMctaiu,' Testimony," f nfh.
Letters relating to special cases <>.- Inquiries rt-^ardinj; Tcr
rtii.ic will lie Answered by a physician.
Of DrVgpl its In Hie it, s. .,.,] Europe. The Ter'rallnb Company? Washington, I). c.
mang9& Rheumatic- Reeie
I cm Inking the tblril bottle of Diirnng'a Rheumatic Remedy, which ? <s riven n-.c er,-- " relief' In !-ct ciy "alaj have nil left, and I wish to return thnnkr, for your matchless med
leine. If any person wisher to knowthe vsIuj of IhtJ remedy lev th.-ai write tn r.i-j to nbovi ;..',J.-i-r.-'-. "
Sold by ?II Druggist*. Ohe pallor,
C. ?. CORBIN,
Schachtlcokc, N. Y.
/
Jl Ii
tor. y:n
asszssn
BB3BEE3
Boanaa
?saan*?
?.-?vve?i
BBB&BO
I .p^ Stands for KERN'S, and KERB'S >%OTE
I ??. stands for cheapest and best
S Fiiraiitare ',/
Cur sale will continue
i
lone more weeK, Begin- & /""<W Ay uwu flvJ5V "u
1 ning Monday, Deceni- ^ iL? are stocked With
/>? lliU f?tJot c?lFduIlVU
j'/ ^uh[u anci
<j>r see how we!
1 goods must be ^
1 sold. Everyar- ,#
1 tide to go '^jVSP
I as adver- // j^Sk> p
^ Holiday Novelties ever
^ shown in Morfolk.
I CD ^
BE 111 TPJEIi -ill !
Prices slaughtered. ; Profits
^.sacrificed. Goods virtually do*
nated.
Rugs, 25c.
I Chiffoniers,$3.8
I Bedsteads, $1
I Woven Wire Springs
I $1*29. Larjies' Se\
1 ing Rocker, 68c.
I Extension Tables, $1.98, X
I ft full line of Upholstered
I Goods..
Fancy Odd Pieces.
I Everything in the house a \
I useful
Solid \VV\ loupes
VP
Couches,
Etc.
(lil?lSTPiaSDlPEH
js frequently spoiled byi
poor k la vortun o and season
in-;, not so with our spices
.\:ci> flavorings as they are
rilU PUREST and RICHEST. a
dinner SEASONED with them
is kasha* DIGESTED and does
not MAKE one regret having
yikled TO the temptation.
13at van!la ext. . lemon and
ALMOND and SPICES op all
kin us.
our jelly wines at $1.00, $1.50
.v gallon passes a banquet
equalled only by the very
expensive one.
Patent Medicines at Cost:
iii. in 11
236 MAIN STREET,
Goods delivered free Ports?
mouth, Berkley, Brambletpu
and Atlantic Gity.
& & es? & BRIDES ?.* & \fi
^SILVER^
.jfi -?> GOLD ja & jfi
^GEMS \S<<*
S. Kirk & Son Go*y
)0j e. baltimore STREET,
baltimore, md.
