Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1833-05-29

under the ships provisions she being nearly ready to
sail for the United States.
1t appears by the same testimony, that when the
Iship arrived the Light House at Boston, Com
modore Patterson enquired of Lieutenant Randolph
whether the inventories of the money and property
left by Mr.. Tmberlake had been sent to the Fourth
Auditor of the Treasury, and was answered in the
Affirmative.
Nevertheless it appears by the evidence of those
who were directed to take the inventories that al
though the money was counted, inventories of the
stores were taken; and by the records and files of
the Fourth Auditors Office it also appears that no
account, either of the money stores was furnished
to that Office, by Lieutenant Randolph, any other
person.
1t further appears, that in the settlement of his
counts at the office the Fourth Auditor, Lieutenant
Randolph neither charged himself with any portion
of the money stores left by Mr. Undertake, nor
gave any imtimation that any had come into his pos
session.
1t further appears that after Lieut. Randolph had
completed the payment of the ships company on her
arrival in the United States lie had left of the public
money put into his hands for that purpose upwards of
twenty thousand dollars of which upon the settlement
of his accounts he returned into the Treasury little
more than thousand dollars applying the rest to
his USE that he refused to state in his defence
before the Court of Enquiry in what this
plus of funds had accrued.
1t further appears, that in the year 1929, having
ARRIVED in the United States in July, 1928, and his
accounts having been settled October of that year,
Lieutenant Randolph paid to Thomas Norman six
hundred dollars Of the funds remaining in his hands
on account of Purser Timberlake, proving that he
was not ignorant of the fact that all those funds had
been accounted for in his previous settlement with
the Government.
1t further appears, that the accounting officers of
the Treasury were ignorant of the money and stores
left by Mr. Timherlake until an unaccountable de-
fault exhibited in the settlement of his accounts led
to inquiry into the means by which it bad been pro
lduce and when in the of that enquiry it was
ascertained that money and stores left by him had
come INTO Lieut.. Randolphs possession, the latter,
when called on, refused to state the amount, rem
der any account of them, although he acknowledged
that he had memorandum of the amount of the
money, ndulglng In passion and threats unbecomng
an officer ofthe Navy, and not to be expected from
man of conscious integrity.
Considering these things so clearly established by
the testimony, the President cannot approve of so
much of the finding of the Court declares, at
does not appear that Lieutenant Randolph said any
thing with an intention to misead deceive the
commanding officer in relation to takin of invento-
of articles left by Mr. Timberlake, of the dis
position made of them; - can he approve of the
opinion expressed by the court, that the before
toned neglect of Lieutenant Randolph and the ire
gularties in his manner of performing the duties Of
acting Purser, and in keeping and making out his
accounts, did not proceed from any intention to de-
fraud the United States or Mr.. Tmberlake''
These conclusions, in the opinion of the President
are incompatible with Lieutenant Randoph's failure
to charge himself with the money and effects of Mr.
Undertake, with the transformation given by him
to Commodore Patterson in relation to sending the
inventories to the Fourth Auditor--wth the appro-
priation to his before the settlement of his
accounts, of ten thousand dollars of the money sent
to him at Boston to pay off the ships company show
ing that he had an accurate knowledge what would
be the result of that settement-with his payment Of
six hundred dollars to Mr.. Norman after the settle
ment of his account, which is confession of his
knowledge that he Lad retained money belonging to
the United States to Mr. Timberlake, with his
refusal to give information in relation to I've money
and property left by Mr.. Undertake, as he was bound
to do, as Purser of the Navy by law-and with the
manifestation of excitement and the violent language
used by him when called for explanations
j And, finally, instead Of coming forward and cor
recting the errors i'll his account which have been
developed by the court of enquiry and returning into
the Treasury the fourt thousand three hundred and
| three dollars and eleven cents--which that court
after literally admitting every claim advanced by
him with show of evidence fnd to be still in his
hands, unaccounted for, he has presented to the &C
IcounGng officers OF the Treasury account cur
rent, composed in great degree of items which have
notoriousy passed to his credit, unounded and
) frivolous, showing balance of about six hundred
dollars IN his own favor against the United States
thereby evincing determination not to refund any
portion of the money which he has improperly applied
4 to his use, if it be possible to avoid it.
In the opinion OF the President, the facts which
appear in this and the conduct of Lieut. Ran
dolph throughout the investigation, prove him to be
unworthy the Naval service of the Republic and al
unfit associate for those sons of chvalry integrity
and honor, who adorn our Navy. The Secretary o
1.-THE Navy is therefore directed to dismiss Lieutenant
Robert B. Randolph from the Naval service of the
United States.
And the President trusts that the most efficient
means will be resorted to by the Navy Department
prevent in future that total neglect and disregard
4 Ii - i Il L Al
form striking characteristics in this case.
(Signed) ANDREW JACKSON.
April 9th, 1883,
al F,frCp r