The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-10-02

ment from the government for the articles
furnished he must present, with his &C
count, the requisition of the Postmaster
General and the estimate of the blank
agent. The agent, at the end of each quar-
ter, is required to furnish an account show
ing the quantity of blanks, wrapping pa
per and Irvine ON hand at the commence
ment ofthe quarter, the amounts received
from the contractor, the amounts distribu-
ted to post offices during the quarter and on
hand at its close, and as a proof of their
correctness, his accounts for the previous
quarter, the duplicate acquisitions or re-.
ceipts of the different postmasters, are the
evidence. aSUEE pARHIt olt
| 1t will readily be perceived from the
above mode of transacting the business that
the contractor and agents arc q mutual
check upon each other The agent must
first make an estimate of the articles need
ed before the Postmaster General will issue
his requisition to the contractor, and the
| contractor must produce, in addition, the
receipts of the agent, before his accounts
can be audited and paid. The only check
as to. the distribution by the agent is the
requisition or receipt of the postmasters,
and the only evidence that the quantities
called for by the requisition of the post
masters have been furnished by the agents
would be the books and statements Of the
Postmaster himself, in the form Of re-
ceipt. 1t would seem, therefore, that no
fraud could be committed by the contrac-
tor unless he was in collision with the
agent, and that the agent, in order to get
his account passed at the department, must
be in collision with both the contractor
and the person or persons having charge Of
the auditing and passing of these accounts
The Investigations of Mr.. Carlyle have
developed the nature. of the Post Office
frauds to be as follows Frauds, on the
part of the contractor, the presentation of
accounts falsely representing the quantities
OF Post Office blanks, wrapping paper and
Irvine furnished the Post Office Depart
ment, and obtaining money thereon by
means of other representations in the nature
of receipts fraudulently and corruptly pro-
cured. Second, as to the agents receipting
as vouchers for quantities distributed the
acquisitions of postmasters which were
either only partially or never filed
Third, as to the clerks in the department
passing or auditing the accounts after con-
tractors and agents and receiving con-
sideration therefor.
The names of the parties appearing to
have entered into the conspiracy are as fol-
lows c. f. 8. Thomas, of Buffalo, contrac-
tor for furnishing Post Office blanks, and
from 1861 to 1868 having a contract for fur
nishing paper and Irvine; E. FL. Howard
and J. M. johnson, partners ofThomas from
January 1867, and who, it is alleged, have
fenjoyed the benefits arising from the ope-
rations of Thomas w. o. [Redden, blank
agent of the First District at Washington {;
Beverly Clark, blank agent of the Second
district of New York, and Andrew T. Lee,
blank agent of the Third district at Bufa-
10, from 1860 to 1867; George w. Vining,
of Chicago, who up to October, 1867, was
confidential clerk of Thomas William
Towers of Washington, chief clerk in the
office of the Superintendent of Public
Printing in the Treasury Department at
Washington who passed the accounts of
Thomas for blank paper and blanks !;
George L. Juverner, who from 1860 to 1868
was clerk in the Auditors office of the Post
Office Department and passed the accounts
of both Thomas and blank agents. DR.
All of the above named persons have
been arrested but those residing in Wash
ington have been discharged on q habeas
corpus upon decision of United States
District Judge Wylie that the defendants
must be tried for the offence in the district
where the offence was committed. A law
passed by Congress in 1867, however, gives
Jurisdiction to this district in this matter,
in as much as all are charged with a con-
I spiracy, the overt act being committed in
this district. Those arrested at the other
places have given baltic appear for trial
i OF how ,lof 41o
Circuit Court, to be held in this city. The
indictments charge the above named per-
sons with conspiracy to defraud the United
States, by delivering at the various post
offices in the Eastern district of Michigan
amounts of wrapping paper, Irvine and post
Office blanks less in quantitythan the requi-
sitions made by the several postmasters
upon the blank agents and contractors, and
causing such acquisitions of the several
postmasters to be sent TO the Post Office
Department as evidence of the delivery by
the blank agent or contractor Of the full
/ quantity called for on the face of the re-
QUESTIONS to be presented, audited approvs
ed and paid, and the profits Of such frau
dulent transactions to be divided among the
conspirators. -----,--. -.-.....-., se
Two charges are made in the indictment
against Hudson +. Lee, one being that on
March 8, 1857 upon a requisition from the
Postmaster of Detroit for twelve reams OF
paper, he delivered but four, transmitting
, the requisition for twelve reams to Wash
/ Eington as voucher, upon which he receiv-
, ed pay; and the other charge is that he
sent, on March 8, 1867, upon requisition
for twelve reams, only eight reams, while
, he received pay for the whole amount call
ed for. $40. 'r f'f 1850 fa3
Mr.. Carlyle has sifted the matter thorough
ly and has very strong evidence against the
parties implicated; but its nature we are
not at liberty to make public at present
Most of the parties are in high standing
and some, perhaps all, mayb be able to ex-
1 plain away the suspicious circumstances
as they claim they can. If so, they may
have an opportunity in November next
when they are brought up for trial Mr.
f G. ". N. Lothrop has been engaged to assist
United States District Attorney Alfred
I Russell in the prosecution of the cases. p
VERY WELL ToLD.-The next morning
the judge of the police court sent for me
| went down and he received me cordially;
said he had heard of the wonderful things
! had accomplished by knocking down five
persons and assaulting six Others, and was
l-z<E,,