The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-01-04
THE GREAT NAVY FRAUDS.
ADMIRAL ROBEsON's DEPARTMENT
DISSECTED.
Frauds In the Pay Department Of the Navy
why IRE the Defanltiag Paymnsters Not
Punishedt

Why nrc the Defanitias Paymas,ers Not
Punisheds
TO The Etaor Of The sun.
SIN. Several articles have recently appeared
in your valuable paper relative to the heavy frauds
which have been discovered In tho Pay Department
Of The Navy. The public are rather curious TO know
why the naval authorities-i o., Nice-Admiral Por
lct and his trusty henchman, G.. NJ. Robeson-are
ro apathce in the matter Of bringing the delinquent
rrlcials to account No less than nine paymasters
src known NJ the Navy Department " be short IA
large amounts, As follows.
paymaster VIM. @. .fi0M9
fHynSster Forbes i0cO
raymaster y rk.....,.,.,...,............ 9OD
rsymssier ticnsrd washington 1900
layma-ter y H. lockwood s9
and two other whose names arc a. yet withheld
num tic pubic, IN about t2000J each.
Beyond the simple announcement Of these defalea.
lions, nothing seems to have been done TO recover
the money CT 10 punish the offenders
II is not known that any Of them have ever been
summoned before q court martial to explain the de
acieney which, wher we considcr Secretary Porter's
hostiiity to this class Of officers, may be regarded A.
ior upon he theory that to investigate these matters
nov would likely predjudice the interests OF the
me m ,1e ns G be- hno SS or
oicer held personally respoL ibe for the correct
ness OF all disbursements on b0rd his vessel, and
10 this end he Is required to sign certificate setting
vouchers for disbursements made while the vessel
iachet 10 the accounts Of the paynastsr.
10 sign such certificate In the cases alluded 10
would place the commanding officer In very Cdul
vocal position, viz that Of being cognizant OF the
frauds, Of having certified TO that which nc knew
20 be lse-that he had examined aud found correct,
sc.
In recent trial by courtmar,ial at the Navy Yard
In Brooklyn, this same question was BROUGHT un, and
Il then shown that commanding officers inNa-
uably sion this certificate without knowing anything
ut ali about the disbursements.
The bringing TO light Of the frauds alluded to, and
the probable discovery Of many more whose exist
rnce is strongly SUSPECTED In naval cirl'es, from
knowledge ui the per onal habits of many uey
tiers, gives rise to belief that tue corps needs
thorough ovcrhauling. Many persons crcpt into IL
during The war without that rigid scrutiny OF their
gnteccdents usually given To applicants for so i'm
pUrtant position as Paymastcr In the Navy, With
one exception all who have proved unworthy are Of
tlat class Of appoin tments and wnen we remember
that previous 10 the such thing as dcfllca-
zion was never known TO have occurred In the Navy
II would seem that the Government should examine
closely into the character OF these Gentlemen.
Many OF them arc known to lead rather fast hives
coast some months since by his lavish expenditures
h gaming houses. saloons. &c Another, year ago,
In New York, drove i've thousand dollar troting
team, and was known 10 have private bank ac-
count of $500, accumulated In an Incredibly short
space Of time. stu another was known TO have
lost large sum In Wall street. without feeling at all
disconnected In regard TO It. OF course II Is not
known that the moneys so squandercd belonged TO
the Government; hut people cannot understand why
officers capable OF making such ou'ays from pri-
waite purse should be content to remain IN the ser
tons OF rank, &C, Tor the patry sum of s25QO pei
Tear.
present In vogue and under which these heavy DIV
nlcations have been permitted to remain so long
discovered, should be promptly changed. Not only
are they permitted to lie uudisturbed for months
and even years subsequent to their receipt at the
Treasury. but when examination does finally lake
place no comparisons are ever made between the
different sets Of accounts in the different bureaus
The effect OF this is strikingy illustrated in the
Of one Of these deiinquents. When his accounts
being examined in the Auditors otlce, one OF
The clerks noticed that upon one Of the quarterly
for committed rations. As the amount unusually
large an examination was made IN the Bureau Of
Provisions, and II found that 80 ratous per day
were issued in kind during that quarter. An ex-
animation OF the records Ia the Butoau Of Equip
ment was then made, and u was found that at no
vessel. Now MS there were ~ TatOLs issued in kind,
this would leave but 10 TO be COMMITTED Yet TIE
paymaster claimed ~ have paid O rdlions, at S2I
each leaving net pront for hs pocket of $3.50 Tor
three months.
ofcourse this discovery was made by the mcres,
accident The pay master made his figure little too
aroused, ahd the Respective examinations referred
20 above followed. Had he been content with a
greH of S2GcJ INSTEAD of the larger amount the
chances are the fraud would never have been dis
covered.
Paymastors always know the amount and kind OF
scrutiny To winch their accounts subjected, ani
turesrmed,' Iney have but little difficulty IN h!din,
their petty pecUatlOus from the curious .hzc OF the
Fudiiiug officers. II seems necessary therefore that
the accounts Of these officers should be examined
mere promptly and more carefully aud their accu
racy tested h. different ways before being passed
upon by the accounting officer. 4 voucher in one
bureau should be rgidly compared with Other
other vouchers in other bureaus
they bear the least relation 10 each other
and In short no means should be spared by which
The slightest irrcgulariiy can be brought to light
Oilhe navy viii probably be of frequent occurrence
.~S H. ID. BOGART.