The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-01-29
Names.
.DsrRrcr or PERrH AABoY, April !, 1894

JAMES SEGUINE,
LUKE ROSS. his q mark.
ROULIN SOFiELD,
FRANCIS SEGUINE.
"Witness F. w. BRiSLEY.
"NEw YoRE, April !, 1888.
.S,s have the honor to enclose 10 you the deposit
on. ,akeo by me before the Mayor Of the city OF Perth
Anboy on the 30h ultImo, sustain the charges pre-
feneJ by me against the collector Of that port.
These dispositions would have been taken at an
earlier day. but the accounts deemed necessary to be
used IN the did arrive until in the early part OF
March and, being DESTROYS OF examining the Hon Mr.
Parker did not give notice till had sscertaned when
Mr. Parker. would be in Amboy. On the 18th March,
caused notice be served the deputy collector for
the 18th, and that day attended, did all the wit
ncsses who had been formally summoned; but Mr.
Reckless attending and inquiry at this office find
ing him absent Washington postponed the exam
nations until the 30th, and caused notice TO be
served on him for that day. " hen they completed
state these circumstances to account for the apparent
unnecessary delay, and because MIR Reckless repre-.
seurs in Anboy that, while at Washington, he had
settled his accounts paid his defalcaton, and received
discharge from the Treasury Department. Mr.. Reck-
less attended the examination, iriih his counsel G. ID.
Wall, ESQ, United States District Attorney for New
Jersey, aud ross-eXanined the witnesses he saw h
The boalrnen OF the boat in attendance
but not examined, IN consequence Of the admis
sion made by him that Mr. Brineys statement of the
actually paid the boatmen taken from the book
produced. is correct.
MIR Brney, at my request. prepared statement in
the form Of deposition and, when called up 10 tes
fy, offered i, TO Gen. Wall snch; and he, having
read II agreed to receive j. direct examination.
"lon viii find, attentive perusal of the evil
dence, that every part Of the charges made Is fully
proved and there is proof attempt prove, that
the money charged above what paid has been expend
ed for the of the Government
The testimony Of Mr.. Maurice and Mr. Parker
L
left nv MIR Parker, showing the Of the charges
against the schooner Pacific, and that Mr. Reckless ad
mtted 10 Mr.. Maurice that fact, and dispensed with
bull. The receipt made at the time the money
was received from Secor shows this fact also. for
It shows the sums paid, with the exception
OF Mr. Wards bill, paid in September. 1893 and
there cannot be found any excuse why the nett
ahone, was not credited to the Government in the
fourth quarter Of 1888 Mr. Brnley proves tina, he re-
pcstedly reminded hm of this sum. and that he refused
10 permit HIN TO carry 10 the credl, Of the Govern
men, III his accounts The weekly return book showed
the entry III Mr. Bruleys hand rtlng and erased he
Cannot plead, therefore, tina, 1t omitted from
lake And equally untrue Is the reason he assigns
a-@erto the charge, that he could procure the bulls
against the vessel all the evidence dlsproyes II fully
a"d completely That charge is fully sustained, and
his fraud fully made out.
As regards the second charge relative to the boat
mens wages, his answer 10 II admits he has no, paid
them he sums he obtained their receipts for and his
so's>on annexed 10 the paper, goes fully admit the
statement Of Mr.. Bnnley as 10 the sums actually pad
and actually charged and shows that in four quarters
(onr'h IN 1913 and three first in ls34) he paid Has
aud charged the Government $477, being 1892 frsudu
ien'y obtained by the production Of false vouchers,
ms charge Is also fully sustained, and shadow Of
proof to excuse either Of them.
Mr. Brincy's deposition will also show that Mr.
RECKLESS also ayaled himself of an oversight in the
oomp'roers Office to obtain 5000, having just before
received 1'ooo and hot accounting for this sum Tor
several months after 1t was received When he drew
io ooo dollars he knew he did require 600 dollars
Tor the purpose of his Office and i, was fraud draw
'or Z,ooo And when the order came to him for 600
ooars mad he been an honest he would have nm
mclatey communicated the fact TO the Department,
ana not received the money.
" Another case of fraud came Ia nv KNOWLEDGE n few
Gays since OF small amount but showing the disho-
hesV OF 'hls 'nan He has obtained credit in his
eo ~, 'he second quarter Of 1884 Of IS dollars, for
Ra'''"e 'ne revenue boat aud he only paid IL dollars.
ms VIII appear 10y the enclosed deposton Of ] B
Daniels, the painter did not exarnlne him IN Anbov
because ne lives IN this city, and because it was moi m
cluded IN either OF the chsrges) but took b,s
this morning You can, II you wish proof other than the
enclosed direct the district attorney in tins city to call
to produce the man. and will do it.
THE maxim Of law, as applied to evidence, that a
witness false fact will be entitled credit
any thing he may swear to, fully applies TO the collect
or and more especially applies, if it is true as an
informed, that he has to his accounts quarterly
all Of them are false from the first
. With these remarks, submit the case 10 you 70
the decision Of the Department. doubt III,
result This has made much noise in New Jersey
aud many persons attended the examinations of al
political parties; and The testimony is pretty general,
known
mir Reckless requested copies Of the dispositions
and have this day furnished him with them
. shall be glad to hear the decision of the Depart,
ment.
am, respectfully
Your humble obedient servant,
civilian VAN HOOK.
Hon. Lew WoopBuRy,
Secretary Of The Treasury,
PERTH AMeoY, April G. 1895.
9 SIR Testimony has been taken on the Both ul,
at tins place, on the charges made by William Van
Hook, Esq against Joseph w Reckless, collector Of
the customs at this port, IN January last
The hfst charge against the collector was the wilfu
Withholding OF credit TO the United States for TONNAGE
money received for the schooner Pacific in July 1879
The receipt Of this money Mr. Reckless acknowledges
his leuer you Of the 22d Of January but saws tba,
he withheld the credit, having held 1.-THE money! to
meet the various claims which then existed against the
vessel aud for which he had made himself liable and
when paid, the balance be brought to the credit Of
Government The charges he states to be, and 10
have been paid, as follows
Angus, z, 1893 NJ. Bruen, for wharfage S23 90
Sep, 80 1888 G d. Wall, district a,tor-
nev, for advice aud directions, Al 90
Dec, 30. 1884 b Maurice. wharfage, 90 %
The first two Cf the one Of thems proper charge J
admitted TO have been known at the time and maid
before the end OF the quarter and the question is only
on that oil MIR. Maurces sccoun, for WHARFAGE As 10
this you will iud that Mr. Maurice suears that Reck
less told him at the when the vessel was about 10
he delivered up that he (eckless had ascer,sned the
amount from documents IN the office, which doc uments