The Olympia Safe Heist and the Culture of Corruption

It is a matter of public notoriety that in the latter part of last summer, Mr. Leopold, a Government agent, was sent from Washington to investigate the state of the office of F. M. Lamper, Receiver and Sub-Treasurer at Olympia. The facts transpired beyond any question or doubt that the agent found a deficit of between $30,000 and $40,000 in the accounts of the Sub-Treasurer. After a delay of many days, the friends of the defaulting officer made up the amount. The agent received the money, deposited it in the safe, returned the keys to Lamper, and reported the state of the office all right, with $39,000 in the treasury to the credit of the Government. Lamper continued to discharge the duties of the office for some time after the agent had left, but before a dollar had been drawn from his custody by order of the Government, he tendered his resignation, was honorably relieved, and a successor appointed. In the meantime, the combination to the safe lock had been lost and the safe could not be opened. After Lamper had left the country, the safe was sent to San Francisco, and on being opened, rumor says not a dollar was found inside. If this be true, this $39,000 has been stolen and Government officials and agents have connived at the theft. Mr. Leopold knew that Lamper had unlawfully used this money, and yet he placed it in his custody again that he might repeat the embezzlement with greater success.