Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1872-04-10
That is rather nice, and reads well
but here is what the Dispatch, another
loraI ornnn snrs of Gnorna


II is satisfaction TO record the fact
that another committee of tho lcgisla.
turc has done its duty to the public,
irrespective Of parties or persons
Just before tho adjournment Thurs.
day, a report was presented by the
joint committee of the House and
Senate, appointed to investigate the
Evans frauds, involving the greater
part of s29l 900, paid TO Evans by the
United States, and withheld from the
State Treasury by him on the pretencc
that that enormous sum was due to him
as Commission" ubder his appoint
ment by Governor Geary to "collect"
the Stalcs war claims from the United
States. The report is n clear, straight,
overwhelming exposure OF most
shameless robbery Of tho State, and is
complete except upon the one point
concerning the division of the money
among those in the conspiracy. AS to
this, the committee say they "cannot
give crcdence TO the statement OF Mr..
Evans" that he used the money to pay
his "dobts of honor,"] and they are
Impressed with tho belief that the
whole truth on this subject has not
been reached"
The report shows that Of $780,
74l.33 involved in this account, which
Evans falsely claimed that he "collect-
cd" and for which false claim he re.
tained out of other moneys belonging
to the State sl9l,074.13, he never
"collected' single dollar. lie did
"collect," as far back as 1867 and 1868,
under the bill got through the legisla-
ture by the conspirators, 1854, l6s.35,
and he kept every dollar of it for him
self and his confedoratcs, although no
was entitled at that time TO no more
than s1S,4l6.S3l, at the very outside,
according to bis own wild notion Of
commissions" Under another ap.
pointmcnt by the Governor Evans
having shown himself to be a most
"faithful agent",, and armed with a
letter from tho Governor, in March,
1870, he got from the Auditor Gencr.
ais Office another batch of vouchers
for State claims, amounting TO 81 ,055,-
79S.7S. AS to these there is not now,
and never has been shadow of pre-.
tcnce for his claim of ten per cent.
commissions on tho contrary there
was clear express agreement with tho
Auditor General that he (Evans) was
TO have only such equitable compen-
sation" as the Auditor General should
allow The committee, therefore, do.
nounce his ten per cent claim as tut
terIy unfoundcd." Upon this last
batch of vouchers Evans collected,
August 20, 1870, s136,s4609, and no
pocketed the whole of this also for
himself and his confcdcratcs. Not q
syllable concerning any Of these trans
actions was over reported to the State
Treasury or TO the Auditor General,
although, as tho report shows, the
governor was fully cognizant Of them.
The conspirators now had in their
possession 1921 ,014.14 of moneys real.
lied upon drafts drawn by tho Treas.
ury Of the United States TO the order
of John W. Gcary, Governor OF Penn.
sylvania. They got the first Of it May
2, 1s67--s7S, ,5l6.S0--thc next October
27, lS6S-slO5, ,65l .46-and tho last
August 26, 1s70-sl3, $4,000. They
kept the whole Of it till July 81, 1871
moro than four years after tho first
paymcnt--and then they disgorgcd
S20, ,067 IS, ono week after tho damn
ing facts first began to reach tho pub.
lie through the newspaper press. II
was at this time that tho patched up
fraudulent claim first appeared for the
other s29l ,5i659, to pay their "com.
missions" Of this enormous sum
Evans may possibly have been cntitl.
cd to s1s,4l6.S3 upon his collections"
on one set Of vouchers and to about
$4,000 for his collections upon the
other sct--in all say $1,000. And
this would DO straining libcrality to
the utmost point. But be and bis con.
fcdcratcs have pockcted and still with
hold s20l, ,416.S3.
There is one aspect of the report
which IL is painful TO contemplate
We refer TO the passages all through
tho document which show the knowl.
edge and privity Of the Governor Of
the State Of Pennsylvania to the trans.
actions Of Evans, so far as the with.
holding OF 1921 900 of State money
from tho Treasury is conccrncd.-
whatcvcr conclusions may DO como to