Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-07-03
''Prceep, teaches, bu, era'epte moves"
LEONIDAS

Oar Washington C0rrespondent.--we invite the
particular attention OF readers letter in our pa
per Of to-day, from cur Core sponent at Washing
The facts which he states, undisputei and ndispu
table they have been found be true by the Gram
Jury. upon their oaths. and have not been denied by
tyatkins, but have been admitted. or the conduct
the Grand Jury and the Court, the public can form
their own opinion We give hem he Gucts, and chal
lenge contradiction of them. Indeed the Coal,onis,s
themselves far rs Watkins character is c,ncsrnc
give him M, and shrug their shoulders when il is men
uoned Their object is to screen him from punish.
mcnt, and the late Cabinet from censure but in the
letter which publish to-day and the one we publish
Friday, facts are disclosed which fastcn upon Mr.
Southard decree ct nsg,genee which il i, does not
high time he was removed, and Reform" introduced
Bah. Rep.
FROM our coKREsPoNDEur
LETTER H.
IVashington, June a5,h. 1920.
SIR,-l shall now proceed TO detail to you the fraud
Committed on the United States by Tobias Watkins,
through the Navy Agent in New York.
The first step in this process a letter, Of which
Che following is copy:
"TREAsUny DEPARTMENT.
4th Auditors Office, 9th Julv 1927.
SIR,-You will receive by the mail of 20 morrow or
next day, the Trcasurcr's draft s5s0-vc hundred
meet my order on you OF this date for that sum Tha,
time might be given tor the remittance OF the draft nv
order made payable at three days sight will DO
charged when pai to " arrcarages II is i'm favor OF
s. s. NJ. Allen, s. co.
lam, Sir, very respectfully, your obedlent .erv',,
T. WATKINS"
TX Paulding, Esq Navy Agent, York
On the 9th July, DR.. Watkins procured requisition
on the Treasury TO be issued by the Secretary the
Navy in favor Of ). PAulding. Tor $1,000, cha.gea.
he 10 the appropriation for arrearages Tor to IS27'
for which $4,000 had been appropriated at the Prev
Gus session OF Congress BY what means Mr. SoutlAri
was induced to issue this paper, there is evidence
existing in the Navy Department or Fourth Auditors
Office.
DR.. Watkins next wrote the following letter:
"TREAsURv DEPARrMExT,
th Auditors o 'ice, 9th July. 1927
SfR-Insiead oil The remittance of $500 mentioned
TO you in my letter OF the 9th inst you will receive so
the requisi,ion pass through the forms OF
office, thousand dollars under the appropriation for
che Paymen; OF arrcarages," Of the receipt OF which
please to advise me.
49, - r Watkins"
z K.Pauding, Esq Navy Agent, NJ York .
The next piece Of evidence exhibited, is the follow.
ing letter:
"TREAsURr DEPARTMEvT,
9Th Auditors Office, 25th July, 1927
SIn,-I have this day drawn on you in favor OF c S
Fowler for $500, which you will please charge to
arrearages."
am, Sir very respectfully, your obedient servant
J. X PauIiing Esq, Navy Agent, N York.
AS advised in these letters Mr. Pauliing received
the remittance OF $1,000, and paid the FIRST on the
alih and the second on the 3oth JuIy when he for
wared 10 DR.. Watkins his accounts for the quarter end
ing S0ih September, 1927, lac incosed the original
drafts, as hi vouchers, tO enable him 10 obtain cPed
for the $1,000 in the settlement of his account The
acroBnts placed by DR.. Watkins in the hands OF
Mr. Henry Forrest. an examining clerk WheI, he
came 10 the two charges of S50l each, for money paid
% these drafts, he could not find the vouchers H.
took them 10 DR.. Watkins and enquired what he should
do with those items' The Doctor took up his pen and
ran II through the entres aad told Mr. Forrest
pend them, ohserv. : that he or the Secretary OF
ihs Navy was 10 settle then
the account was settled and statement rasde out sor
MIR. Pauldng, in which bis attention was called to :bis
suspension. That statement and Others afters ir!s
made out, though recorded in the +h Auditors Office
with aieer purpcTting 20 have accompanied them
never received by Mr. PAu!dng, and he never in
formed OF these suspicious until after the present Sh
Auditor came into Office
Not one Of the letters, copies Of which have hero
gwen, though all purporting be Official recorded
IN the 4h Auditors Ofice, trace OF the trans
action there 20 he found except the rye against
HauidlnS oil $1,000 on account Of "arrearages aud the
eraZed amount.
Upon the submission OF these facts to the Grand Jury
they found the following presentnent:
DisTTIeE CoLuMBA Co. OF wasHsaros MAY Tnnu 1879
The Jurors o; the United States for the body of the
County Aforesaid, their oaths aud affirmation presen
That Tobias Watkins in his capacity of 4th Auditor
oil the Treasury OF the United States os;ensbIy for the
public service but falsely and without authority did on
or about the 9th day of July 1927, procure from the
United States Navy Department. directions TO the Unit
ca otates treasury Department, TO place in the hands
OF X Pauldng, Navy Agent, at New York, the sum
OF one thousand dollars, which of thousand dol
lars, the said Tobias Watkins, by letters of advice in
his official capacity, and by his drafts ON said Pauldns
sold TO Charles s. Fowler did for his own pri
yate use, viz Eve hundred dollars about the 9Th
Gay oil July, 1927, and the further Of five hundred
dollars on or about he 18th day Of said month ana wear
ANDW, WAY, Foreman"
There never YVES palmer OF fraud made ou
hat Dr. Watkins procured the acquisitions to be issu
ed, by which the money drawn from the Treasu
Fy that he drew drafts and sold them 10 : broker in
Washington; that by his letters Of advice he aTtfuy
induced Pauldng to pay them, under the conviction
that he was doing that which had beforehand the
ton OF the Secretary of the Navy and the 4th Auditors
That the drafts paid and returned with the accounts
as vouchers; tina, lac w hheld them from he examining
clerk chat he erazed the entries In the account; aud
That he withheld the Official and recorded correspon
denee OF the Office 10 keep Pulling in entire ignorance
OF the condition oil his accounts; made plain by
te whole train OF facts and circumstances that Their
was not one in the jury alhough four Gths or il
we're his POLITICAL and OF them his PERSONAL friends
who could hesitate for a moment In their presenmept
Ihoy were u1GuiDiOHs
In pursuance Of thu presenlment, the Grand Jury
iound an indictment upon this common law
nc counsel for The prisoner demurred IL, chiefly on
'he ground, that an indictment for fraud committed
against the United States he sustained at com.
Hon law. The court decided that the indictment was
naintanable at common Lazy; but quashed that which
we jury had found because, fully understand their
ScIto reasoning IL did not set forth what sort OF
tdle 1t was that he told 10 the Secretary Of the Ma.
W % induce him to issue the requisition That he
od procure TO be Issued, there doubts that his
ihienon was to put the public money into his own
pocket, could not be questioned; that he succeed.
cd tue evidence fully estsbshed but because the
PeeVc JaiSciood by which h. accomplished all
tns was not set forth, he IL to escape with mpuni-
~ a he jury would not End L6i setting forth the
spechc falsehoJd. because it was not proved before
Them Indeed, il ia very doubtful whether Mr. South
n. nF anu oh