The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1871-09-07
GEORGE o. EVANS.

ERAL BREWSTER REGARDING THE AC
TIONs OF THE ALLEGED DEFAULTER-
HIS VIEWS FULLY EXPLAINED.
Being desirous of furnishing the public
with the earliest and most reliable informa.
tion regarding the case of Mr.. George o.
Evans, around which so much interest
eliminates at present, reporter of THE
INQUIRER called upon Attorney General
Brewster to obtain from him any further
developments which may have arisen, and
to ascertain if possible his views on the
subject. After courteous reception the
following facts, which will doubtless prove
interesting, were made known by the
Attorney General -
On Thursday, the 10th ult., several
days before the article relative to Mr.
Evans appeared in the "Bulletin," the
Attorney General received latter from
Governor Geary, calling his attention to
the fact that Mr.. Evans had failed to
render his account
Judge Brewster went to Harrisburg on
the l4th, and, having had an interview
with the State Treasurer, he came to the
conclusion that, il the report in the
Bulletin" Of the l4th was borne out by
facts, Mr.. Evans ought speedily to be ar
rested. The Governor instructed the
Attorney General to do what was right
and proper in the case. Having thoroughly
instructed the matter, Judge Brewster
stated to our reporter that there was not
the slightest particle of proof, nor was
there any reason to suppose that any Of
this money had gone to other parties
although possibly there might be lobby
at Washington.
Mr.. Mcclure, the Deputy Attorney
General, thought that the word 'agree
ment" referred to corrupt agreement for
a division Of the commissions between the
Executive and others. The attention o
the Secretary of State was called to it
and search was made for the document
which was found on the afternoon Of the
18th ult., when Mr.. Evans exhibited him
self to the Auditor General. 1t was then
ascertained to be very proper paper, be
cause it supplied very curious omission
in the law.
The law provided that the commission
must not exceed ten per cent, but it did
not say anything about paying over the
money, rendering an account or giving
any security. The Secretary of State
noticing these defects, reported to the
Governor, and he properly directed the
secretary to exact from the agent bono
aud agreement. This agreement, said
MIR. Brewster, the enemies ofthe Governor
grasp at as an evidence, of an agreement
to divide the commissions when it was
really an agreement to hold him to his duty
The principal point of attack against
Mr.. Evens has been funded upon the
allegation that Governor Curtin, in June
1862, secured the allowance of these
claims, and that be so reported to the
Legislature in his message, in January
1868.
Mr.. Evans asserted, at the meeting
which took place at Harrisburg, on the
afternoon Of the 18th, that Governor
Curtin was mistaken, and that he, Evans
had collected this 81, 100000, all of which
had been disallowed or suspended in 1865
The Attorney General could not credit
it that Governor Curtin, generally so &C
curate, could make mistake of that kind
and yet, as Mr.. Evans asserted that the
record at Washington would sustain him
the design of his immediate arrest was
temporarily suspended. The Auditor
General sent one of his ablest deputies
Mr.. Forter, to Washington to examine
into the matter, and his report not being
in confirmation of Governor Curtin's
message to the Legislature, Judge Brew
ster deemed it expedient to look into il
himself, and on last Tuesday he saw Mr.
McMichael, the Solicitor of the Treasury
who introduced him the First Acting
Controller, and from his Office was taken
to the Second Controller, aud from that
to the Third Auditor.
From the last mentioned place he was
taken to another Office, in which the re
cords of all the State claims appear to
have been kept. The fullest information
and freest access to all the documents was
politely accorded to him by the various
officials. The Second Controller and the
Third Auditor stated that Governor Cur
tin must have been mistaken in his mes
sage, and that he perhaps acted on the
impression, or report made to him by
some official, that the claims would be al.
lowed but the fact was that not one dol
lar had been allowed in 1862 that they
had all been disallowed or suspended some
years before Mr.. Evans had been appoin
ted, and that he (Evans) had secured
their allowance in April, 1867
Judge Brewster still clung to the belief
that some entry upon the records would
explain this contradiction, and asked per-
mission to look at the original entries,
which was freely accorded He saw up.
ON a page in large ledger the account
of the Pennsylvania war claims.
The filing of three claims, amounting
to over two millions of dollars, was noted
in one column, and nothing to indicate
that any action had been taken upon them