The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-01-18
swINDLING THE GovERNMENT.
4 Few LEAVES FROM THE REVELATIONS OF
THE VAN WICK COMMITTEES.
We are indebted to the attentions OF the


called the Van Wyck Committee-to in
vestigate frauds on the government The
document before US is but the first install
ment of these revelations, much more re
to damn at least two cabinet ministers
and ever so many army and other officials
Let US look briefly into this report The
first case treated is that of
THE STEAMER CATALINE.-This was i'm
mediately after the fall Of Sumpter, wher
the capital was threatened, and it was ne
cessary to hurry troops, supplies, &c, tc
Washington. Capt Comstock is in The
! He boards at and is doubtless personal
| friend of Mr.. Stetson, of the Astor House
Well, Stetson gets hint that "bia
thing might be made by hiring vessels to
Government. He hunts up the steamer
Cataline, owned by widow lady; gets
Freeman, ship merchant, to buy it IN
the name of Devlin, his (Stetson s. partner
forSlS, 900, Freeman advancing the money;
Devlin lets the vessel to Government
through Comstock for $4,000 month
for three months, the Government to pay
$4,000 for thdsvessel if lost Thesteamer
is loaded with private grocery establish
ment, consisting of Scotch ale, porter, cod
fish, cheese, &c. applies for clearance at
the custom house-the clearance is refused.
By false representations she gets a pass
from Gen. Wool, and starts for Annapolis,
where her strange cargo is turned over to
TIE Government She Is used by the
Government about six weeks and then
burns up, on which the owners claim 3d.
600 hire and $4,000 pay for the vessel,
the greater part of which has been paid
Better vessels, at the time, number Of
witnesses testify, could have been hired
at $4,000 per month
Mr. STARBUcK MAKES A NICE THIXG-It
was about the same time--early in April
when the "Union Defence Committee" in
New York was helping the Government,
that couple of coal hulks were needed
for the use of the Government. W. II.
Aspinwall, a member of the Committee,
gives a New York ship broker named
Starbuck $4,000 and sends him to New
Bedford to buy couple of idle whalers
Mr.. Starbuck buys of Geo F. Baker the
" Roman" for $4,000 and tho w illiam.
Badger for $500; but when he comes to
pay for them has the bill made out to Mr..
r.. I L..
to New York with his vessels and there
exhibits bill of sale from Mr. Thomas TO
himself of the ships, one at s. 400 and the
other at 81, 100; and the Government pays
him these sums on this voucher, together
with commissions, &c. The committee
sift the transaction, and finally compel
Mr.. Starbucis to disgorge Sc, lG6.
Mr. MORGAN, BRoTHEEINLAw OF SEcRE-
TAEY WELLS, MAKFs BIG Thing. The
exigencies of the Navy Department re-
quired the purchase of a large number OF
vessels in New York. There are on the
ground Commodore Breese and whole
corps of Naval officers at the Brooklyn
Navy Yard-all men of unquestioned in
tegrity, under heavy bonds to the govern
ment, and thoroughly acquainted with all
kinds of shipping, its value, &c. But if
these were not to be trusted, New York
was full of ship builders, captains masters,
thorough adopts in the trade, any one of
whom could readily have been hired to
purchase for the Government at salary
-
Wells cant trust any of these. He has
however, a brother-in-law at Albany, one
Geo. D. Morgan, a Wholesale dealer in
groceries who knew about as much about
shipping as a horse does about Greek, and
him the Secretary selects to invest $4,000
600 of Government money in the purchase
of staunch, first class vessels for the use
of the Navy. Mr. Morgan goes into the
business, and single one of his q trades
is given to illustrate his sharpness and
\ company Of New York
gentlemen own several vessels which they
are willing to sell Uncle Sam, among them
one called The Stars and Strips" The
vessel had been run but two months and
earned for its owners. .Sl5, 900 from Gov
eminent. Mr. Bushnell, president of the
negotiates with Mr.. Morgan.
Morgan "She ,eouHc cost $780, 900 to build"
says Mr.. Bushnell "Ill give you $55,-
O00," says Mr. Morgan Enough said
and the bargain is closed. The vessel had
cost but $50 ,OO0 and would have been
readily sold for $4,000 This was one of
- vessels purchased by Mr.. Morgan
But it was not the palpable incompe-
tency of the man that was the worst fea
ture of the business. The remarkable
between him and Secretary
Wells as to compensation is what gives
the affair its blacklist character. Mr.
No, gan was to receive, and did receive, %
per cent. of the purchase money paid for
each vessel-thus making it his interest
to pay big prices. as the higher he paid
the greater was his compensation His
purchases in SIX months amounted to 49,
100000, out of which, of course he peck
eted $94, 900! Pretty good pay for one
horse grocer, who, however, had the luck
to have relative in high position in the /
How large proportion of
these stealings Mr. Wells pocketed himself
has not transpired.
one OF SECRETARY CAMERoN's FRIENDS |
In April last Mr.. Secretary Cameron real !
zing that Government would need large !
and qiartermaster supplies
rom New York, takes steps to have them
rapidly purchased and forwarded Gov
eminent had an efficient commissary-
Major Eaton-in New York, and No.
2uartermaster, Col. Tompkins, who could