The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-08-31
Tae Evans nluddIc.

From few vague hiuts, this matter has
ripened into full blown development, SO
far the acts of George 0. Evans are con-
cerned. When the report first reached the
public ear in scraps of iintellgence from
Washing, ,on, it was secuted sensational
rumor, something to be paradec in bloated
head lines for a single day, and then sink
below the surface. 1t was not dignified with
more importance. Certain papers in this
State were extremely reticent upon the mat
ter. They did not even allude to it as mat
ter of passing news. and such waits as floats
ed to them by telegraph were pushed to sea
again. to be engulphed in the sea of forget
fuIness. But The foul spirit would not
down" at the bidding of those whose "eve-
balls it scared" Each day the rumor as
sumed more palpable shape. until. during
this week, it came forth clothed in the arrnor
of figures, which cannot be pierced by mere
shallow denials. Briefly. the matter stands
thus upon the record. Under Joint resolu-
tion of the Legislature of Pennsylvania, ap-i
| proved March %. 1867, Governor Geary ap-.
! pointed George o. Evans. of Philadelphia, a
| special agent to collect the fdisallowed and
suspended claims" of this State against the
! United States. The agents compensation
| was not to exceed ten per cent. on the
amounts collected The claims collected by
N mt 10 this time, amount to 81 ,30S POI .6l.
OF this sum, three government warrants,
amounting to 1921 .O144 A, have never been
paid into the Treasury of the State of Penn
sylvania. One of the warrants, dated May
l, 1867, for $78 SIG 89 drawn in favor of
Governor Geary, was paid to @. o. Evans
on the first of May of the same year, within
less than month of the appointment Of the
| agent. More than four years have elapsed
and the Treasury has no account of the
money. The second unpaid warrant is for
S1O5 ,651 .46. Is dated October 20, 1868, and
is drawn in favor of Governor Geary The
third, dated August 81 1870 is for S137 :
$4,000. OF these sums there is no account
in the State Treasury. Mr.. Evans claims be
is entitled to certain sums for commissions,
which he has deducted. But the account
ing officers of the State reply, "Pay up what
you have colected, and then we will settle
the commission question:" No payment has
been made, and in that shape the mat>
ter is presented to the public. The duty of
Mr.. Evans was to collect the claims pay the
money TO the State Treasurer promptly, and
thus keep the record clean. This he did not
do. Over three hundred thousand dollars
have been withheld from the State, and. to
cover this, Mr.. Evans has given a bond Of
ten thousand dollars. The condition of that
bond is, be shall faithfully perform his Off
ciai duties, under the joint resolution of the
Legislature, and under an agreement enter
ed into by him the 23d day of March, 1862
What the agreement, mentioned is, no one
knows. What Mr.. Evans covenanted to
do under that bond, no one knows. All the
public know is, that Mr. Evans is a debtor
to the State, and should be made to disgorge
the whole amount at the erliest momeut.-
Ihls whole matter was job put up by a
few men, and is on a par with the Ga ant
San Domingo matter, the Boutwell, paper
contracts, and the Cresswell mail contracts.
This rcaa Evans is bat the blind to hide
bigger men and more desperate ones, when
money is concerned. These men engineered
the resolution through the Legislature had
Mr.. Evans appointed used him as their
supple tool, and it is said touched the cash
that fingered between Washington and the
J State Treasury at Harrisburg There was
no need of n Special Agent to collect the
claims covered by the resolution. They
could have been collected through the law
officer of the Commonwealth, without the
least difficulty and at but trifling cost
But the men who engineered this matter
saw an opportunity to make pull at the
Treasury, and hence the machinery which
Mr.. Evans worked. What the public
wish to know is. who are the men behind
Mr.. Evans That he is but the Agent of
Others is certain. The leaders of the Radi-
cal party in this State, the men who are on
the Grant platform. whose hands are soiled
with innumerable dirty jobs during the war,
are not the men to allow Mr.. Evans to pocket
all the gains under the claim collecting swim
die. If they peril their souls, they must
pocket the ducats. While therefore, it is
proper that Mr.. Evans should be called up
to the Captains Office to settle, at the same
time let the public see the real offenders in
this case. Let the exposition be so plain
that even Ah SIN will understand what it
means.-Age. .s