Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-07-07

ing Of the draft the writing the letter. SC &C. are
all acts which he might innoceny do, and, therefore
although notorious tina. by those acts, he
tho Treasury out OF $500, they not sufficient TO au
thorize an Inference OF fraud This is law within tho
District OF Columbia! This is tho tribunal whose du-
~ is to punish depredaions upon the peoples Trea
sury
The last of fraud committed By Watkins through
Mr. Pauiding, was ushered in by the following letter
"IREAsvRY DEPARTMENT.,
4,h Auditors Office, Jan 10th, 1923
SIM have this day drawn you for $3.50 in fay or
nttance will be made you by the Treasurer of the
United States, the regustion pass hro'
the forms Of office, under the head of arrearages pr
or 1871, OF the like and to this head you will
be pleased to charge tho draft when paid. The draft is
made at one days sight, that time may be allowed for
the remittance 70 reach you in due season. but should
any thing occur to prevent this YOU will be pleased to
pay 1t out OF any funds in your hands, and make the
draft.
am. Sir, very respectfully, your obediont scrv't.
T. WATKINS"
II SO happened, that the very day this letter was
written, Mr. Pauding wrote TO the Secretary, request
log remances to be made to him for various purposes
amounting in all to Sl2139 l2On examination of tle
authority upon which the $3.50 was ren,i,ted this letter
was found on file in the War Department. with these
words interlined in pencil below the last item, bu,
above the footing, viz:
Arrearages, prior to 1927. per order 9Th Auditor
$780,"
requisition was consequently for 81 $50 H.
being just $3.50 more than the Agent had called for
The following letter written to Mr. Pau!ing which
ne produced before the Grand Jury
NAVY DEPARTMENTS,
10th January, 1928. {
SIR have complied with your req1isition of the
10Th inst and have added $50 under pri-
or to 1927, at the request Of the 4th Auditor.
Very respectfully, SC.
SAMI. J.. SOUTHARD.
Thus was the money RENTED to meet DIR. Watkins
draft, which had been sold 10 MIR. Fowler, was for
wsrjed and paid The original draft with an abstract
referring TO il, Forwarded to the 4h Auditor. of
Ece with Paudings accounts; but it yer cache, the
has ner vat aap
found. There was the ntercepting of correspon-
dence management and concealment in this in
the two preceding; the amount suspended in the
settlement of Mr. Pauling's account OF which he ne.
yer was informed until the accession of the present
d.or.
This case differs from the others only in the existence
OF positive proof that the Secretary of the Navy trans
United the money to meet Dr. Watkins draft at his re
guest. Ii does follow as matter of course that he
knew for what object this request made But was
iteno his business to know? How dared he transmit
hundreds aud thousands of public money to govern
ment agents at the simple request of an Auditor with
oN knowing that the public service required it! Did
he suppose there were any arrearages be paid off in
New York; If he did. it only shews how ignorant he
was OF the business Of his Department. Neither the
Agent at New York or Boston ever paid dollar under
that head, except the drafts of DR. Watkins.
There is another fact whic makes the remittance of
this money the more surprising IL is said that Mr.
Southland has decided that all the which the
$2oo appropriated by Congress designed to meet,
should be settled and paid at Washingon and that in
fact not dollar of the appropriation forward
60 to any agent except for the purpose of meeting Dr.
Watkins fraudulent drafts! Why did the Secretary dis.
pense with his regulation in these cases! Would
not his determination not to remit any Of this money
have made him the more careful to enquire into the
reasons why remittance necessary! l do not
maintain that Mr.. Southland was an acocmplice of Dr.
Watkins; but the circumstances of this are such
that he owes il TO his character TO make public
explanation. The country will wish TO know what mo-
tive argument could have Induced him TO ransnit
considerable sums OF public money without any other
authority than the request Of whose only object
appropriate it to his use. Did the Secrea.
ry know OF the for which il was intended. II not
why did he transmit il,
One OF the first indictments found by the Grand Ju-
ry was upon this case; but the Court in their wisdom
decided that the false preences' were not set forth
with sufficient certainty, and quashed it, After he
ing Mr. southards testimony yesterday the Jury found
Another Indictment this case. which think it will
defy the ingenuity Of the Court to over,urn.
The amount procured by Watkins from the Treasury
through Dir. Pauldng, is az follows
Requisition Of July 9th 1927 $1,000
Nov. 9th do 300
.. Jan. 18th 1923 $50
Total 1850
IN my next, will set forth the frauds committed by
him through Richard ID. Harris Navy Agent at Bos-