Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-06-25
NAVY DEPARTMENT..

counts If John b 7'inberiate and Robert b. Ran.
doiph
NAVY DEPARTMENT.
May 81 1880
SIN: In further comnance with the o,u len of the
House OF Representatives. Of the 18th ins'sn' have
tie homer Submit the accomnan wing reuo,t nr do,u
mert from ihs Fourth Auditor Of the Treasury in au-
sS'r,o tia, portion Of The reciu,ion whch rsIae 10
the accounts OF Jchn B. Tuihe,ske aeceased tormeI.
" purser in the Navy Of the Unied Sa,es.
have toe honor 10 be,
VerN respectfully. Sir,
Your ob,dienserv,n',
JNo. BRANCH.
The Hon ANDREW STEVENSON
Speaker cf The House Of Representatives..
TREASURY DEPARTMENT., }
Fourth auditors office
25 My. 1880
SIR: have now the honor to srbmi, to YOU AZ The
Information which aprears be required from hi. Of
bee in reply TO so much of the resounn o.. The House
OF Rrpre'ena'yes by you referred to me. as relates TO
the accounts Of John B. Timberlaks and Lieutenant
Robert b. Randoli.h late Puscr and acting Pur.er of
The Frigate Constitution.
To:ave time. have taken the liberty copy ror-
lion OF areport slr' " made you ,his subject ss-
ted 22i February. 1880, which IL follows, viz
"Johr IS I 'mhe,lase commenced HE duties ar Pur-
sero' the Frga's Constitution tie 2s,h June, 1924,
ard died at Fort h,,ion on the 81 April, 1928
Li'u'en'nt Robert b. Randuph succeeded him as
acting Purser The IL arrived Boston The IL july,
lS2S and the crew we-- raid off on tho 18Th August.
o. he 70 Sept, 1928, L'sut,pap, Randop', ,elv-
cred TO Tobias Watkins. then Fourth Auditor, the hooks,
papers accounts, OF MIR rinL-rase ,og"'h.r will,
bis own. An examination Of Mr. TmSerlak-'s papsrs
cck place. and then s.i all h- priv le,ier-
and p'pera were delivered 10 Mrs. Tim5erlsle. On
the 9th Orioher ensuing, Lieutenant RaIdolpls &C.
count Us acting Purcr, closed and ierortej bile
the pre- iou' sc'onnt OF Mr. Timberoke reinaasd ua.
torched.
| entered tb, office March IS, 1879 Mr. Timber.
i"ke's accounts w,:i in the o. Mr. EzAbis NJ &C.
dtui- ih-n at The head OF the PGr.ar's D.p4r',nspt
by whom hey given to Mr. J,m-. II. Isndy,
for settlement Mr. HIrdv progressed with the ex am
inaion OF III. account, which lie found in a mo Dc.
ranged condiop, emil submitted to Inc ierY Of the
vouchers f,r decisio,
On the 29h July iefi The CITY Tor the purr,,s Of
bringing my family from Esnn"k" RI. Ti"m,s
H. Gss, chief clerk was appointed by tie Pr7siient
N sct as Fourth Auditor in NY absence On tbs IL
A's9t he reported Mr. Timherlck~' account. ex-
htiiin. sgeinst him balance OF SI72u o. Finding
mat some eppropri.t' credits had been omitted the
lib Sepenher IL again reported the account. thih-
itns asairs' Mr. Timb"riake, bs,nce Of Sl4 373 SO
On the i2e October Presumed my duties Fourth
Audio-. few days afterwards, ION called at NY Of
nee inquired whether ther.; araong Mr.. Timb
lake papers, letters from persons showing that
tor'ncr mad made 10 the Later roui!tances o. money
rom the mediterrane'n Inquired OF AR. Handy,
and he ~. into my hani file NJ private letters rh-a
he said he had found among Mr. Tipb.rakss p.pe >,
among Which were three from ~ aior Es.on. Alter ne
rusng ihsw,i male inquiry oi Major Eaton. ralstvs
to me transaction 10 which they referred He gave me-
full detail; read an article dated, think, in 1928
s i"g the purposes for ahieh he hal become tho pur-
chaser OF he property alluded 10, sose I uie book
in which Mr.. Tuihrrl5ke had charged bin. with tho
mount OF the remiitances and given credit, s be-
eve, IN hs OWE hand and 'ad he should he xiy to
pay over The balance TO IN" Government whea II shout.
he ascetisiDrd that Mr. Timbsrske wa, n trsl pub
lie debtor. which he doubted. AT my REQUEST Major
h,'.o. ,ns -"''". 90 .. .--i---->i
30 submit much Of hs private letters to Mr Tiuher
lake, found in this Office. CIaviog obtained his con,.u
relaos 90 his p-enEiaty transactions with that gem
nsman. marked c, d. T.. Thsas. with a copy Of let
ter to the Secretary Of the Navy marked F. constitute
believe all The information possessed by me- relative
10 the responsibility Of sny person persons for ibs
balances reported TO be due from John b. Tmherlak-
do not, TO t',is honr, know who his securities in
hi- official bond. Such papers lodged in your De-
parnsn and ss it 10 part Of my duty to take steps
fsr the recovery Of balances due TO the Government
either from principals securities. bsve had no in
ducemtn TO inquire who Mr.. Timter,skes securities
were.
In others Of the nrivale letters delivered TO me,
there evidence. Of considerable of proper
ty owned by Mr.. Timberlake in The United S,aes, at
the time Of their date. The Information may he us.iul
lit shall become necessary to take steps for he r.rove
~ Of the balances reported be du.; ana it will not
be concealed by me.
deem il NV peculiar duty to see that all settlements
made IN my Office are fair and honest. The confidence
with which the family o. Mr.. Timherake asserted
hat there rn.t he fraud in tho settlement of
his account, induced INTO Give il a full inv
At the first step found hat he had creci, for dol
Tar leit OF board at the time Of his death Deening il
improbable that purssr Of large ship should die
in distant sea entirely money less. applied for nfpr-
naon IN Commodore Patterson one of the present Ma.
w Bo,ri, who commanded tho ship. He informed me
that MIR. limb rake had left large sum Of money
and other property al the time Of his sth; that he d
r4cted inventories to be taken Of the wos and he
pressed much surprise that credits had been given
ard that the inventories not i'm NV office. 'ew
days Afterwards, he put into my bands -tter from
Lieutenant f. A. +. Valieue, whom he had directed
TO cause inventories to he taken dated Nov I6 1920
Of which the following IL an extract.
Your order 20 10 have inventories taken OF all on
public account, and amount Of cash in the purssrs a.
rsrimcnt at The d-ath of Mr.. Tmbetlake wa. strictly
complied ~iih. Mr.. Psine aud Lord. and Mr.. Nor.
man attended TO that duty leaving copy in the
chest box. &C. contaiaing the articles and furnishing
Mr.. Randolph with another.'
No inventory TO &c found in lis ofIice and N
oittks rhO had settled RanIoIph's and Timber.
BIKES sccauns, assured me, that thew hal nrvers,en
nor heard OF any. Mr.. Handy brought me Mr.. Tim
beraks's ieiter-book, from 1eh had been cut NOR
Ian twenty lfavcs, with conceivable motive but
20 suppress evidence cOnnao'e with his account; and
he told me that it was in that condition eh'n he first
sswit
| communicated these f.c,s to Lieut. Randolph lie
declared that he war ignaAOt Of the existence OF any
Inventory; hut admitted that hr. limb, rlske left SUN
81 money, which he alleged he had expended IN pay.
ing rs public debts in TIE Mediterranean Hs did
no, state the afncup OF money nor specify any On,
debt which he paid; but sad, that Mr.. Thomas Nor
man. Of New York. who had attended 10 his business
eoald explain the whos matter; end promised pro.
cure his Attendance. -
| Not having seen Lieut.. Randolph for about a month,
aud hearing nothing from Mr.. Norman, wrote 10 YOU
On the % Jaa. las, requesting you TO order It, Ran
doph, 1t, Vslette, aud others, who were supposed TO
know something OF the money aud pronery left by Mr.
IimberlAke, 20 repair to this city. Lieut. Randolph
soon ef er reported himself 10 YOU, and inform
Ell me, admitted, that The money left by Mr.. Timber
AXE exceeded ten thousand dollars. Lieut.. Valette,
shortly alter, informed nis that LieH Randolph recent.
| ~ told lin It exc esded eleven thousand.
Not wishing to act singly D sHsir delicate and
inp0isn, and pregufonk that the Second Comptroller