Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-05-29
The Great Robbery!

d
tor in the country six months ago, and
very few people, we presume, thought
that they would, in less than five months
after getting into power, surpass even the
worst accusations they made against the
! emocats. Yet such is the fact, ii We
are TO believe some of these seltsame pa
,pers.
/ We shall endeay4r 10 present Ike facts
to ourrcQlers in s'intolligenta shape as
our iimltrA space viii permit.
Our State Legislature, before the ad-
journment Of the regular session, appro-
Ipr:ated 100000 to arm and equip the
volunteers OF the State. This money all
disappeared in few days, When the
Legislature met in extra session, n resolu-
tiOn vas adopted calling upon the Cover
nor to show how The money was eXpend-
ed. 70 this lie replied in message COW
ering some Is Or 50 pages, filled with gen .
eraIities, but nothing specific. In this
message, GOV. Curtin says he had no a.
gents to purchase clothing ndsupplics for
the volunteers except the Adjutan! Gem
era', u, NJ, Bidlle; tho Quarter Master
I General, Il G. Hale and the Commls3ary
General, VIM W. Irwin, and that "0H
purchases have been made through their
, Departments"
This seemed conclusive enough, and
right bu. the editor of the Philadelphia
Inquirer, has instituted an examination into
the facts, with an astonishing result. He
takes two items, one for SS,94 to Lambert
& Higgins of Harrisburg FOR boarding and
putting up tents, to which one of the
above firm idt Secar; and also get the
certificate Of the Quarter Master General
the other item was for 50, ,6Sj 10 Z.
Frowenfcld & Bro, lor Fittshurgk,l for
uniforms &c, as follows:
2OSj uniforms at $40 S2u,ooO
3l7 pairs 81 psntaloGns at s. l,I33
go, ,j8j
This large bill the inq.rcr says, was
paid by the State authorities upon the
simple authority OF Char!eo NJ. Neal, 4
City Commissioner, as AgcHt--without an
endorsement by the Quarter Master Cen
eral, or any evidence that it was even
Scorn to Ly any body. Yet Gov. Curtin
states in his message that he had no
Agents except the officers above named. /
The Pittsburgh Dispatch, an intensely F.
Republican sheet, comes to the aid of the
Iag,ircr and after giving the substance OF
an interview with the Messrs. Frowen>
field Is Bro, proceeds as follows
"Mr. NJ Prevented, i4cmbor Of the
firm of +. Frowniold & Bros. says he was
unius;ly treated in the article of the IN
qlerer. That he himself swore to the ac
count for uniforms, &c, before Justice
.of the peace ut Harrisburg that the ac-
count was certified as correct BY c. NJ.
Neal. who was employed as 3 special agent
by icv. Curtin that it was endorsed 'appro-
ycd' by Gov Curtin, by Z. NJ. Gen. Hale,
the Auditor General, and 10y the State
Treasurer. Mr.. rrowenfeld also says that
the transaction was bona fde-that his
firm was, lie thinks, the only one in the
CITY prepared TO furnish the uniforms
within the specified time and to that he
attributes the obtaining the contract on
the terms stated. We give his statement, /
briefly, Of course.
80 fat, we got nothing for our uou-
ble but on making further inquiries. we
learned from responsible firm OF cloth>
iers that bid was offered directly to Mr..
Neal at s. 80 per pair for uniforms Of the
same quality of material and workman
ship as that in the uniforms charged TO
the Stale at 5i0per pair. This It'd was
not accepted and the contract was made
subsequently, with Frowentcld, through
Neal at Sl0 per pair. 1t is also stated to
US, on good authority, that proposals were
made by other city houses for uniforms
at from s. to SO per pair, of quality tui'
ly equal to those for which SO per pair
were paid "
The result of this infamous swlnd!e is
that our volunteers are htit-clad-are =
dis grace to the State-and ashamed to
AZ pear on parade with those Of other
States, who style them the "Illggct mi!iti1
qf Pennsylvania
If this amount of stealing can grow out
of 100000, how much are we to expect
from the three aaiforS appropriated at the
extra session ? Or how much out OF the
hundreds Of millions by the General Gov
ernment?
In due time we shall endearor TO leave
our readers know.
A IIEpo All here AM, frail man,
with a wife and children, enlisted for the
war. really to engage those Southern trai-
tors in mortal combat in twenty-iour
hours, and leaving behi d mo thousands
CT dollars of debts which my poor wido"
and children will have to collect from
I IL,