Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, May 11, 1890, Page 17

THE BLAZE BUTCHERED the BUSINESS BADLY. O\IAHA SUN DAY ’\IO](I\ ING MAY ]] 1800-TWENTY PAGES, THE WINDY EGHO THEIR WAIL. NUMBER 321, BUT THE MASSES MAKE MONEY by the MASSACRE This fragrant spring air is laden with the bluster, brag and bombast I)y which our competitors vainly seck to attract the abundant and over flo\\mq patronage bestowed upon us by a discriminating public. Our Fire Sale has taken the town by storm, and set bargain hunters wild with joy. We will continue to almost GIVE AWAY THE FIRE STOCK But our prices this week will be an earthquake that will shake them all up. them. All of our fire suits that we are selling at $15.00, We will this week at In Chlmgo we have shipped here three thousand suits which on account of the dull spring trade we had on hand. They are well tailored and trimmed in a tasty and elegant manner. OO A1 FEIS $12.00, $10.00, We meant it. We said we would get rid of this stock, no matter We mean it yet. $12.00, what the price at G $__]'O_'“Oi)l $7.50, which we had to sell $7.50 and $5.00 $56.00 and $3.50 FROM OUR WHOILESALE STORIEK There is not a fibre of inferiority about them. sample prices are worth a page of cheap talk. Look the town over, then come in and see these garments. Suits that should We will sell for BROWNING, KINO & COMP wholesale for $12.00, $ 8.00, $15.00, $20.00, $7.50 $10,00. $13.50, $5.00 $5.00 "$3.50 and $4.00 and § $2.50 1216 Farnam-st. They are all new 1890 sprmq and summer styles, We sell them at one-half their value. But a few s FOR THE £ CONSCIENCE FUND, How 250,000 Stolen Dollars Have Been Re- turned to the Government. REPENTANCE BY INSTALLMENTS. \m-u of Smugglers and Importers BEE.] - de quarter of a million dollars, Evade the Tariff—The mor and Pathos of Crime Exhibited. Who H [Copyright, 159, by Frank G, Carpenter. WasHINGTON, May 7.—[Special to The conscience fund of the treasury spartment now amounts to more than & Every weekand nearly bvery day Treasurer Huston receives oue or more enyelop perssns who do not coutaining money from and of wtoso identity the notes accompanying the fclosure give no sign. The amounts sent yango all tho way from two cents to hundreds of dollars and the majority thot tho money u from it. i 80 to the disguised hand whi few give no like the follow of the notes state vightfully belongs to the nited States and has been wrongfully taken Some of the writers give anonymous Many sign themselves *Con- res affix the word “Restitution” h they writo and & whatever. Some are h was written on & guatures ience.” ignaturo ng whi Dulf page of foolscap inclosing & one-hundred dollar bill, and beaving in the middle of a sheet of paper these word: in el W from one who wishes to hereafter observe mmandment: Thou shalt not steal. was all. There was not even a dash the way of signature. Another letter en- 0sing §12.50 read as follows A troubled consclence sends #12.50 which he Mo from the government. He is sorry for fuult and will send the rest till all is puid. Another written by an illiterate man and dated Chicago, contained $14, and the sender L Please exoept this from one i pease with God aud aporoprinte it o of the government. It belongs to ie United States, RESTITUTIO! " Phe History of the Conscience Fund, fu [ th amounts recelved were small except in w war they The government began its conscience ind in 1811 and during that year $250 was overed into the treasury underit. From hat time on till the close of the war the 1850 they amounted to §,000. During the jumped rapidly upwards and at the hen time of the settlement of the accounts at the close of the war there was a large increase through conscious-stricken paymasters and sutlers 50 that in 1868 §20,000 were sent in and in 1867 §12,000, rate of thousands of dollars a year, In 1878 §23,000 were ro- and the amounts come in now at the The total to $241,000 and now in elved 3 1888 had amounted 1800 it reaches considerable over $250,000, I spent some hours today 13 seived containing conscience money, looking over the kges of lotters which have been re- I find reat pac “““many of them full of pathos and every one, if 1t could speak, could tell its story of crime. o b man Wwas §,000, he biggest amount ever received from one manilla envelopes, wrapped up in one-fourth of f @ sheet of dirty note paper, upon which was written the followiug: £ “Hon., Hugh MocCulloch: The enclosed is | woney that Fightfully belougs to the United tates, though the ‘world ‘would suy I came onestly by xv.. Teount, however, & \ cur cons It came in the cheapest of | sclence of more value than nt OF eXPress. he money sent was in treasury notes of £1,000 and under. Conscience-Stricken Some of the letters received from the army officers are interesting and they show that tho soldier's conscience is well developed. Here is one received at the close of the war: ® Enclosed find 8112 which 1 was paid for a horse lost in t; lee of the United States Dut which was lost partly through my fault. 1 have nevor felt fully satistied when H-!nlmn] of this affuir and [ ever hereafter fee! Dbetter in mind to have refunded this amount to the government. 1 find the wuy of religlon narrow and the gate stralght. Yours truly, (Signed.) RESTITUTION. Another officer writes at about the same time, stating that he was an officer in the United States army and was_entitled to two servants, but that he used only one while drawing the salary for two. ~He says this custom was known to the paymasters and it was a regular thing with thousauds of offl- cers, He incloses §190 in his letter and states that he entered the army poor and left, it poor and sick, *too poor, in fact, to get along with- out a clear conscience which he cannot have as long as he retains this extra money.” His letter is not signed. The following came from Hartford, Conn. : Med 'ullu«'ll.l. money can repre- Army Officers. ay, have nover y restitution I assure, d 10 an opportunity to was a soldier at "the ! sir. it has troubled more than a little. I still owe thirty @on whieh Tintond paying (his sum h is p d I shall feel that I have done nothing but what ought to have done. Not a soul save luuldlld myselt know that [kept the money Lam a Cathol ok i what 18 do not wish to sign my name to 10 0¢ You thus son il vor of not speaking of 1t'to any p whoreby 1t might get into the public p: Hoplng, dear sir, that you Wil ook favor ably on this, 1 remaln yours respectfully, SOLDIER, Smugglers' Letters. There are hundreds of such letters, and those received from smugglers ure quite as numerous. Ladies who have smuggled jow- elry, gloves and dresses past the customs officers at New York oy their return from Europe become conscience-stricken and en- close money to the treasurer of the United States. Hereis one containing .50, which represents the duty on the kid gloves of a New York lady whosays shois sorry to trouble the sceretary of the treasury about the matter, but she does not know where else to send it. Here are 8§40 from Chicago which represents extra tariff duties unlawfully evaded, and here is & Bal- timore hardware man who says he has cheated Uncle n out of §270 in duties and encloses the amount in d. The letter, which is unsigned, states that the writer is anxious to deal fairly with all men and wishes to be at peace with God and his country, Restitution by Installment, Not a few of these conscience-stricken peo- | plo pay back the money they have taken from the government in plecemeal. One poor man sends §14 and says ho will send more bye and bye. Auother writes ad sends the letter to | the President of the United States, He says: nelosed you will find 810. 1 uded the & t this and more, but ur par- don. ' The small part of whut I would give If it lay in my power. A Boston man whose letter is signed with a dash wrote to Secretary McCulloch inclosing | 1,500 in three $300 notes. As be originally wrote the letter in ink he says he incloses ,000 and the “20" lu the luk is stricken out and the word ‘“fifteen” in pencil written above it. This letter was received in May, 1886, A few wi ter a letter in the same handwriting came to the treasury department inclosing another $1,000 and stating that the amount was the balance of the writer's in- debtedness to the internal revenue depart- ment. This letter was also signed with a dash and its envelope bore the Boston post- mark. How Revivals Affect Consclences. Some of the letters are evidently brought out by religious vevivals, and one or two urge the officers of the treasury department to re- pent and scek the Lord. Here is one from New Haven, Conn. It incloses §0 and the man writes : Secretary of the Treasury: T have the lonor to transmit to you the sumi of 0 which be- longs to the Unite ates government. I am indebted a few dollars more, but am poor and cannot send It. 1 mll doso when Tean. never Intended to keep it so long as 1 have, and privy God may forgive me for so doing. FrosM ONE WHO BE THAT GOD WILL PUNISH THOSE WHO ARE DISHONEST, The following is from New York and is directed to the “gentleman who receives con- science money.” It reads: Tnclosed find $12, heing the amount of in- come tax for 1864 with interest, This amount was withheld by me, but having lutely expe- rienced religion I wish to mave amends for my past sins to my utmost abllity, and I therefore roturn this amount duo. MY friend, are you a Christia 1t u are not Kk the lullll now, for there wiil be a Judgmnt day for all. ours, One who would be honest” sends 500 and asks the secretary of the Treasury to place the amount where it rightfully belongs, and oblige him. Won From a Paymaster at Dr In contrast to these sober c one letter which came to M he was treasu tional curre he won from & United States paymaster at drawpoker, and which, he' is con- vinced, rightfully belongs to Uncle Samuel. Tho man asks that the amount be applied to the national debt and signs himself ‘‘conscientiously yours, Probity.” Another letter written some time ago and written with a pencil, reads as follow: or of the United States, New York: losed $62 Is for Uncle Saw'from one of glocted nephows. There was no signature but at the bottom was a request that the receipt be acknowl- edged through the nowspapers, Nearly one- half of the writers are anxious that their money be receipted for in this way. Some ask that a mention of the matter be made by Washington correspondents and others en- close money to pay for the advertising of the receipt in the personal columns of the news- papers of their respective cities, Not a few of them requ that their letters be kept on file and the reason for this is doubtless that in case their sins should be found out that they may be able to show that they have made restitution, discovery rather than consc prompts the return of the money. ernment, when monoy is sent for such adver- tisements, always advertises them and the letters are always kept. Hero is one request- ing that it be preserved. It is signed — Jones, It encloses $400 which Jones says he unlawfully obtained from the government and wants the copy of his note saying that he had returned it kept on file, Some of the letters are quite laconic, paper which encloses §7. It has ouly the word “‘conscience’” and the figure ‘7" on it. And that was all that came in the envelope with the money. Here is another Treasurer of the United Btutes wpoker. tributions is kinner when cents of frao- nce which In such cases it is fearof | The gov- | Here is aslip of | Enclosed | vime, | find check for #10. Respectfully, Here is another also enclosing money : 2w YORK, October 1.—Render unto Cmsar the things that are Cesar’s and unto God the things that ure God's.” Yours penitently, CONSCIENCE STICKEN. This probably came from a Washington clerk. It is dated Georgetown: cretary of the Treasury: Having taken artleles from the governmant which did not belong to me, and which weré wor 1 &, Lenclose it. Yours, ' And this: M. Secrotary of tho Treasdry: belongs to the United States, M is is in & woman's handwriting, but the She No matter how obtained. Sir—This 850 J. D, —. does not state her lowest figure, ! Dear Sir—Tn one senso I owk the government #10 and in unother I do not, Hut, inasmuch as I prize i clear consclence motehii $10, I enclose you that amoung for the tr ury. ¥ Some years ago a large amount of corre- spondence was received from all partsof the country containing smallamounts contributed by citizens unanimously to the payment of the national debt. Those contributions were called out by the following letter: The National Debt a Two-Cent Affair. Bautitons, Oct, 15, 1807 ~Hon, Hugl M Cullough, of Troasugy, U, 8., Wash- ington, D. C ft stated Wa newspaper interest for 2,000 years tional debt. It is not stated Thave not the timo to enter Into a calculation to test the truth or falsity of the assertion, even if tho rate per cent were given, nor can I wait to nurse such an investment, but taking it for granted that the statement 1s correct 1 will not begrudge the fmount and so euolase It to bo appiied to- cording to_ your bost judgment. W i Bavo dono this how 1dle Will ba il the talk af repudiation and the world will rn after all that the national debtis_buta 2-cent affal Yours truly, BALTMORE WOMA P BroT dd mot wish you to put this contribi- tion to the conselence fund, but to upply it to the payment of the national debt, During the latter years of Andrew John- son’s administration a number of conscience letters contained @ criticism of the president's policy. One letter enclosing 5 cents reads as follows: FRANKLIN, Pa., Hugh MeOulloch—My Dear ' Schoolmate: i send you enclosed a 5-cent plece. Please ap- ply it to wipiug out the national debt. This 1y not conseience money. My conscience 18 in- solvent. Sond my love to Andy, Mrs. Andy and the little Andies. In order that you ma accept this I will state that I endorsé the pol- icy of Andrew Johnson and ln factevery sneak up our way endorses him. Yours‘truly. ADAXM GOODSELL, A great many of these lotters relate to tho unpaid income taxes, Somo enclose counter- feit money and a good many of the contribu- tions are sent through tho'Catholic priests, In these cases the letters ave signed by tho priestand a receipt is sent to them for the money whenever they requestit. One man signs himself “War Demograt,” and states that he returns $400 whish belongs to Uncle Sam. Another encloses $20 and asks that it be credited to the union défenders and that if possible the amount be applied to the im- peachment of Andrew Johnson. A letter in pencil written on a slip of thrn writing paper encloses $980 and bears simply these words: “Two hundred dollars for debts.” Another reads as follows: “Secrebary Boutwell: close find 50 cents for debt)t No signature. A printed lettor encloses BI70 and says iti the theft of @ former compfeoller, and a yel- Yours with respect. December 23, 1867.—Hon. | low envelope post-markedf Chicago brings | $500 with only these words penned in blue ink on & short strip of papers ““The enclosed belongs to the tredstwy department.” Audsoit is throughout'these thousands of letters. Each ene represdutsa greater or less wount of money stolen from the gover n meut, aud each is the indef of the story of & Faaxk G Cany uxren, THOUGHTS 1IN LIGHTER VEIN, Straws Gleaned from the World's Harvest of Wit and Humor. TO DRIVE DULL OARE AWAY, Merry Quips and Sharp Thrusts from the Jolly Philosophers Whose Motto is “While We Live Let Us Laugh.'" Chicago Times: Citizen—How do you know that Colonel Seekum will be a candidate at the coming election? Politician—How do T know? He emphat- ically declares that he cannot under any umstances be induced to run. Then he in- vites us all to tuke a drink. Fully Explained. Terre Haute Express: First Citizen—There goes a successful man, He s a credit to the community. They tell me that fiftecn years ago he cametfo this town without a dollar, and that now he is worth §75,000. Second Citizen—Yes, I romember it well; he was my bookkeeper for a while and afte ward my partner. You sce I struck this town years ago with §15,000 and now I haven't ‘got @ cent. Merely a coincidence, just a coineidence—I suppose. A Measure of Economy. Munsey’s Weekly: Constituent (to his Congressman)—We want an appropriation of £500,000 for a public building at Dugout Ci Congressman—Why, there are ounly two houses and & blacksmith shop there! Con- stituent—I know that; but sce how cheap a site can be had now. Wait a few years and the government will have to vay for ground to buildon. I¥'s & measure of economy to do it now. Great Nerve, New York Sun: ‘‘He has a terrible nerve,” **Who, Chumpleight? “Yes." Why, that fellow was managing a traveling ‘Hamlet’ troupe out in Kansas once, and, when the audience called for the author at the close of the play, Chumpleigh went be- fore the curtain and bowed.” Ought to Know. Arkansas Traveler: A justice of the peace who had just married a couple turned to a man and said 1 don’t beli and obey him." S don't know,” some one replicd, “sho seems to be a very amiable woman.” I don't think she is,” the justice replied. “Why so" “Because sho used to be m; ve the woman will love, serve wife. Guess Again, ew York Sun: “Wha,was it said ‘The is mightier than the sword{ ' T don't know, Hogg or Bacon, I guess.” Sudden Change of Terms. \icago Tribune: *Snukes an embezzlert What was the extent of his operations " July about §20." SR Y *he miserable thiet.” (e nuld Recon nd it roit Free Press: Customer—I beliey a bottle of your hair vigor. Will I be running any risk if I use it on my hair?” Barber—Ob, don't let that troublé you; it will come out all right.” o Room for Doubt. roit Free Press: “I am afraid you got when you bought this pace. ~ You'll sver get me to belleve your front yard con- tains an acre.” “Yes, it does ; “What with ¢ My lawn mower.” 1 weasured it.” A L'urrt'l t Answer, New York Ledger; Civil Service Examine L good stift julep—plenty (to applicant for position fn the postofiice de- | partment)—Now, suppose you wanted to send a letter from New York to Shanghai, what way would it go? il, How He Camo 1 Detroit Free Press: Friend lot of agricultural implements. you get them{ Kansas Man A, a relative to you, eh i “No, no; a cyclone did the work.” A Panacea. Chicago Tribune, Talk not to me of anodynes For aching bones or brain's, There is nothing like a hail-siorm To rid you of y Nicely Oaught. Lewiston Journal: A wealthy citizen of Dover, Me., was mortified the othicr duy. He had just been making a_clean breast of his deplorable financial condition to tho as and going to a grocery store soon fl was appalled to find th talcen his statemont so literally as 0 order & of flour, a codfish and Some other arti- cles sent to him_at tho town’s expense! At st accounts thio wealthy trying to explain that he was not quite a pa and several have noticed the unusually expression on tho face of tho assessor, A Dire Disease and Desperate to Cur: Puck: Major Culpepper—Doctor, I Kknocked out; am foeling very poorly this morning. Dr. Wyse—Take a pill, and follow it up with qlllmm- Major—O, T never could endure blue mass. Dbetor—Well, a dosc of castor oll, then, Major—Ugh! Tmpossible! Doctor—Hum! I don't kuow—take a—take of mint and hem. -You have a Where did Phey fell to me. of yours died and left them whisky, Major—Anything you say, doctor; thing you say'! (Rings the bell.) Why He Was Sad. Washington Post: It was on the rear plat- form of a horse-car. A young man was vigor- ously pufiing (‘1!)\!(]‘4 of smoke, to the evident annoyance of & German who stood near by, “You don’t like this cigar, said the youth, o1t Tsu't oxeckly that | dgn'd Lig dor clgar, Aberid maigs me sorrowful dot T dink of der wisto of good sauergroud ot it rebbres- ends. any- Te Philadelphia Tim nma, Tknow the entleman’s name that called to see Aunt Ellio lust night and nohody told me, either,’ “Well, then, whrt is it, Bobbiet” “Why, rd her say George donw't in the parior four or five times hand running. That’s what bis name is.” A Strange Garment. ow York Ledgor: Lawyer—Now, sir what did deceased wear the last time you saw him} Witnoss—T dunno jes' wot 1t was, but he tol me dat he wuz wrapped in doubt. War, Detroit Free Pr heah, Linkum, ¢ seo yo' shinnin’ poles—mind dpt Limkum (aged 10) de ha'mi Mammy Jule—Ha'm, dar en tech one ob dem wiahs when its full ol 'lectrisitism en yo'll come walkin’ home daid—dar’s whar dé ha'm is, my son. A Prudent Boy, Texas Siftings: Mr. Jones —Tommy, when your aunt comes you must kiss her and bo polite. ommy. to kiss he Mr. Jones 1. Mammy Jule—Looky an't ye nebber ag'in lem me up one ob —~Why, mammy, whar's boy! Yo' climb up No, pa, you just bet I ain't going Why notl Tommy ( ed twelve) —Great Scott! Don't you ever read the papers! Half the divorce Buits and shooting scrapes come from men kissing other men’s wives Could t Agree. Arkausaw Traveler: Tom Dabbs wud Mort Spillers, two colored gentlemen, r.numd a con partnership to doa general | ng busie ness, One morning, the second after are ticles of agreement Had been drawn up, Dabbs seized an ax handle and knocked Spillers down and beat him unmercifully. Spillers got up, rubbed his head, and - taruiug to a white man that stood near, said “Dis proves one thing, sho’, 1f it keeps on dis way me an’ dis man kaiu't agree.” He Didn't Do It nt Traveler: They are still tellin apolitical story of the last campaign,-and o! the experience of a Chicago orator who went out into the country to help a friend, and who spoke in wtown whore his friend wisn’t pops ular, The orator failed to charm the playfol audience, and was rotten-cgged off the plat- form. Upon his return the friend, after heare ing of the egg adventure, asked him commis- erately: “Did you succumb, Bill?? uck em? Bet your sweet lifo T didn suck 'em! T clum out of the back window P* Not John J.'s Fault. Harper's Weekly : The little son of General Crittenden was dovoted to his father's war horse that was named for the illustrious John J. Crittenden of Kentucky, the child’s grand- father. He asked his fathér to tell him of @ retreat he made during the war, but ata_cer- tain point said: ‘Father, wero you on John 3.1 "Beinganswerod afimativel, tho younge ster slid down from the paternal kiee and w toddling off us fast as his little legs could carry him, when his father said: *“Where are you going, my son¥’ “Father,” he suid,turn- ing and showing u face full of rcproach, SJohn J. never would hawe retracted if you hadu't turned him around.” Mer He Was but Human, : zer—Ladics and gentlemen, Herriar, the great magician, who wil rm the 'miraculous feat of discov while blindfolded the smallest art may be hidden by any one in the audience, is unavoidably detained, but will appear on the stage in a very few minutes, (Seventeen seconds later,) —Now, Mr. Herria a boy out for a collar button, the one you dropped. stand this long, The Spring Way. Detroit Free Pre “Well, ma'am,” sal the landlord, after taking an hour to show he over the house, “what do you think " * I rather like it WYos. “If yowll take out the furnace and put in steam, change the front stairs, put in plate glass, Tun the bay window up, reduce th nt from $60 to &30 per month, and move tl house over on Woodward avenue, I think we'll tako it for a year.! Only Three Hy Lewiston Journal: he following yarn : townspeopl 1t you Thé aud! ndred Remained cal story tellers id that a par clubbed together and visite New York city, Onc evening during a r ble upon the street a member of the pirty b eparated from the others. After 4n tual search ho bethought himself of the theater as belng the most 1kely to attract his bucolic fellows, He chose the” most pre- tentious edifice, paid his monoy and went in. At the first opportunity betweéen the acts he arose and inquired in a loud voice: Is thero a man in this hall by the name of Jones? 1f 80, will he please stand up.”” Ono thousand people, us the searcher after ward related it, immediately rose to theis feet, “I mean Me.” Only 800 men were loft standing, ~ Free Advice ¥ HSt. Louis Globe-Democrat: woman writes to one of the local pupers asking how she can cure the habit of exs cessive blushin Her best plan, we should say, would be to leave the town. Mr. Jones of South Dashvllle, New Coates House, Kan, City. Absolutely fire proof. Finest and largest hotel in Kansas City, Unexcelled in its ap pointments,