Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-10-24
THE BINCKLEY INvESrIGATION

Ane report OF Sollcltor OF Internal Revenue
John NJ BinckIey to the President has come to
light 1t is dated September 2Oth, and starts
out with the letter addressed 10 him by the
President, as follows:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON August
%. lees.-Sir- You will AT once proceed to the
city of New y ork and examine certain evidenc ce
sald 70 De- IN the possession OF Assessor We'll
wood, and report whether, in your opinioo.
the same substantially implIcates, III violations
of law, any officer OF the Internal revenue
service Respectfully yours,
ANDREW JOHNSON
JOHN NJ. EINCKLEY, Esq, Solicitor Iaternal
Revenue. Wash ngton. u e..
Mt Blnckley gives a long narrative or his
operations, boasts OF discovering the most start
ling iTauos by rev nue. otticers, charges them
WITH CCmpicIJy with the whIshy IIuE. pitches
INTO District Attorney Courtney as beln : IN the
interests OF The ring, and charges Secretary
MCCuLOch with CeseTtiHS him IL the hour OF
tNlIeIllIy- by making him play second
ncdle 70 Mr.. COuTtrev. Hrs wkois story Is n
recaptuiatiOr OF The CiificuiriPs lie encountered
ID carrying out the instructions of the PresI-
Gent, ana " lnuS up with t'nGsrIng his res gua-
non; As he was appom-ec by Secretary
McCuIocA. OF course this tender TO the Presi-
dent amounted . nothing.
D-sIlCt Attorney Courtney addras sd reply
20 tie President. under date of October /
ansW erlng B.nCkleys accusations AGAINST
hiI-l, giving fun history OF BiHckiey-s op-
eIa'iOTs III New NO-k, and CLaTa te-izIng 2
nan as an arrogant, ignorant. coneei,rd- in
PIetcn- with no more knowledya of how
an lHNeStigauOn should be conducted than
a enid. He gives his version Of the inyps-
ll-aton, 10 show. as ne saws, how stupldly
BiHckley blundered Throughout The whole
a-'alf, LayiLE not paft's.e o: evidence 70
sustain tie charges Ee preferred against C1n-
shArr Rollins and otEe- internal revenue
Cfncers.
Among the other papers which ha vecome TO
E2hU Is = letter from Con n isSlCnAr Rollins 10
tue Secretary Of the Treas NV, dated September
I'd. v Licb the CoinmissIJBer. afr revie W.
ing MI BlLSAley's course up TO thar time, con-
Cluces a follows ..MT. BinckIey's conduct is
censurable: First, because he Is absent from
the CflCe III neglect OF his duties and withou;
my permission. Second, because Ee has as
sImtd GutleS which are exclusively deyolyed
by Law upon the United States District At
tOIney Cf New YORK; and third, because be- mas
been guilty Of official miscOndUct in references
10 myself, bis SUP eEICr ollOer, v nieh demands
GENERALIZATION. Conscious OF absolute integrity
IN the dIScharre OF all ny puzzle duties, 1
know that 9Ir. Binckley. IN making the sffida-
VII referred 10, bas b-en guilty o. w.lfUl per-
jury, or is so capable Of bei E, IMP Nsed upon by
corrupt and mdilCIOUs men that be Is entirely
uLfitted fer the duties OF MS position. L. needs
no argument 10 convince ycu that his services
IN THIS ONCE cal b. no longer valuable, or with
propT.ety continued. 1 GnhesitatInGly request.
Therefore, his immediate dismissal"
The proceedings in the ease Of Fitch, in New
York, befCre Judge IuCrlhan, rela:ing 70
finekley's operation in that city, excites con-
siderable Interest. TIE deponent (FHch)
swears 'sJhat John NJ. Bincki-y, Solicitor OF
lnteIHa Revenue, made the statements upon
max the statement hereto annexed, and 10 de-
liver the same 20 the President OF the United
States, with view OF having SAID COuItne
suspended from once tlat said BinckIsy IN
fOTIaed oepon@nt thai the charges Were true,
and that he knew they We're, and that said
Courtney must be got rIG OF, 50 that T. A. R1l-
Inns, Commissioner Of Internal Revenue, snou Id
be got rid Of also, by the Investigation then
gong on IN the city OF New York; that said
Courtney was an obs tacie ia the way OF getting
Rollins out Of Office, words TO that effect.
And deponent further says thai Mrs. Ann =.
Stephens, The authoress, AT the civ OF Wash
Ington. NJ the time said libel hereto annexed
was made and drawn, also urged deponent 20
make said charges against Courtney, stating,
among other things, 10 deponent- that she was
ANXIOUS TO have said charges made against Mr.
Courtney, so as 20 have him suspended at once,
and she stated, he Courtney must be re-
moved at once. He must bs got ont OF the way
that this thing may go through meaning the
removal Of Rollins, ard the appoin Iment OF
Gen. Burbridge al irteTim, " hose appointment
Mrs Stephens was advocating and urging"
Mrs. Ann =. Stephens says in reference 10
this that the statement George A. Fitch, in
the Courtney libel case, so far relates TO her,
self, - false, directly and indirectly. The lady
asserts she has never known a shadow of
wrong against Mr.. Courtney, nor had a feeling
regarding HIM which was not kind She states
that the only know ledge she has of Fitch
thai of seeing him casually in friends room,
and that Lie persisted in intruding himself into
her presence, and was requested net 10 repeat
the N warrantable liberty.