New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-07-04

was deemed and found incorruptibe.
8. The point to which public attention mas
been chiefly attracted is the charge OF immoral
ity among the employees of the Treasury De-
! partmeM. The Hon. James Brooks OF Nj
Y. took upon himself to allege in the House OF
Representatives that the Treasury of the United
States had been converted into house for
bacchanalian orgies-a speech well recollected.
The origin and history of that charge are briefly
as follows:
Col L. G.. Baker, detective officer of the
War Department, was employed to investigate
certain suspected irregularities in the Treasury.
He caused the arrest of DR.. Gwynne, then en-
gagged in the manufacture of q peculiar kind Of
paper, intended to guard against counterfeting.
Dr. Gwynne was committed to the Old Capitol
Prison, and Col Baker seized bis private papers.
Three months later, Col. Baker made a report
on the case, consisting mainly of objections to
DR.. GwyNne's scheme of manufacturing paper,
and to the dry plate printing of Spencer N.
Clark, but failing wholly TO produce any evil
dence of criminality on tho part of either.
DR.. Gwynne was thereupon released, and short
ly after commenced suits against Col. Baker
for false imprisonment, trespass, and libel.
Col. Baker demanded that the Treasury De-
partment should assume the responsibility of
his actions, and upon the refusal Of MIR. Chase
to sustain or justify him further than the facts
warranted, undertook 10 secure his own defense
by general assault upon the Treasury Depart
ment, and especially upon Mr.. Spencer NJ.
Clark Ho seems to have assumed that it would
be found necessary to buy his evidence by pro-
tecting him from DIR. Gwynne's suits, and it was
upon the information furnished by Col. Baker
that the resolution of the Hon. James Brooks
was founded. How the case was manage
shall be told in the words of the Committee.
He ICo Bake secured a conhdant In his undertaking
female sche Of Of the thesers in town who lodged in
III. building where two Of the female employees Of the
Treasury Depart resided In her absence the detective
entered their room rauascd their dposi'ores
priv, papers DIARIES letters and notes carefully
collected tho history Of whatever indisere,ons they
could discover and when 81 the girls re
turned arrested her told her that her mate had
made full confession Of various inrgues and mmorstes
and that nothing let for her but TO make similar
son be the Old Capitol Prison. The sces', play
role OF special female friend advised her to make an
uu.evsd confession and then having her none with the de-
teclve and the prospective horrors OF the Old Capitol she
lsisned a statement written BY the detective. When
asr room mate returned tho measures were used
md similar result stisined These statements, written by
,s sane hand sngusy eoncordant Both concluded
with the statement that the dis made Voluntarily
without fear duress Fee these statements that
h. Hon Mr. Brooks founded hs charges against the Supcrn
terten female employees Of the Printing Division Of
Treasury Department, and these were to b. placed on
record a. evidence"
1t can scarcely be necessary TO follow in.
detail the course of an investigation based on
such scandalous proceeding as this. 1t is suf-
ficient to say that the Committee give ct some
length the history Of each charge and Of the
Evidence upon it. and in each come to the con-
cluson that there was no basis on which cal
unny could rest. We extract one more passage
from this report, which Of itself is more than
sufficient to expose the animus Of the charges.
COL Baier very acve during tho whole invest, CATION
In s.nt Nj Brooks 10 end testimony. Nearly every wit
Prove III. alleged nmorsli'i~s In the
T..lry previously manipulated by him. and In several
written abstract made by hm Of What the e'
mo would be- In ia'iasee 9th ba'bGrsiy rorsy arr
pasV1 n ar,asd Jyne,oi pro>suon took from ne eaa
1N eyr. Of young isdy late espoye, in ne TeS'r'V
Dy eSa,irS MAJ -. LsJ ded in IN Gtfenpf 70 pro-
abortion ne rasis Of i@oraiic' in ns T,d.sy
Department The case examined by Ju.is1 OF ,hi.
city and post examination held which resulted In
decision thu, the young lady died of pulmonary consumption
Tho ph!s!cins reported that tho poo, moem eSsmn.on
afforded ineonsao- evidence Of the uHsued virtue Of tho
dseessed.
Let Is hasten 10 close the case by one other
quotation from the report of the Committee:
Reviewing the whole case, tho Committee
are fully persuaded that these charges were in
part tho result Of an effort on the part of some
to break up the plan Of printing in the
Treasury Department, and partly the result OF
conspiracy on the part of Col. Baker and
the female prostitutes associated with him
TO destroy the reputation Of Mr.. Clark, and by
the odium thus raised against tho Treasu-
ry Department shield himself and Justify the
unauthorized arrest of one of the officers in the
Printing Bureau. The injury thus wantonly
inflicted, and the publicity thus given to these
shameful and unfounded charges, appear in a
still stronger light when contrasted with the
exceedingly weak and inadequate evidence adj
duced to sustain them. The charges are exceed
ingly unjust and cruel from the fact that they
have 10 SOHO extent compromised the reputation
of the three hundred females employed in
the printing division. a majority of them are
wives or sisters OF soldiers who have iallen4
in the field. The Committee feel that in no
community in the country will there be found
larger proportion Of noble and respectable