Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-13
ANP STILL THEY COME.
ANOTHER ERREGULARITY
Vouchers stolen TO the Amount of
S35, OOO-A Screw Loose In the
Third Auditors Office.
From the Washington Patriot, Feb. 10.

From the Washington Patriot, Feb. 10.
John n. Ehle, a second-class clerk in the
Third Auditors office, was arrested yester-
day by Deputy Marshal Eckloff, on war
rant sworn out before Judge Fisher, on
charge of stealing from the files of the Third
Auditors office abstracts and evidences on
which fraudulent claims against the Govern
ment, in connection with property accounts
of quartermasters of the United States al
my to the extent of $4,000, could be sue
cessfully based. Ehle is a Wisconsin man,
and has been in the Third Auditors office
since January, 1865.
From what has been so far ascertained in
this case, it seems that one set Of vouchers
stolen by Ehle had already been used as the
basis of a number of claims of the character
referred to, and placed on file in the Third
Auditors office.
The supposed confederate of Ehle, in the
same office, was the detective employed by
the Third Auditor to develop the frauds he
was engaged in perpetrating. The teclni-
cal questions connected with this matter are
unknown outside of the official circle in
which it occurred; but it seems that there
has been for years very loose screw in the
Third Auditors office, whereby great and
almost endless frauds may have, and, in all
probability really have, been perpetrated
against the Government, growing out of the
manner in which the property returns of
quarteTmasters have been made. For in
stance, one quarteTmaster apprOpriates prop
erty Ostensibly for the use of the United
States army, and sends in an official state
ment certifying that he has seized or pur-
chased such and such an amount of forage,
or other supplies, for which he has not
paid. The holder of the certificate takes it
to another quartermaster who holds United
States funds, and who settles it, forwarding
the certificate and receipt as a voucher for
the disbursement, while the quartermasteI
who seized or bought the property for the
Government returns the item in bis report
as unpaid.
Under this system of keeping accounts,
which has been for years in operation, there
is no comparison made to show whether an
account, such as is referred to, had been
paid; and any one in possession of this
knowledge, and of the return of the quar-
termastermaster who seized or bought the
property, could use it as basis for fraud
uIent claim, and would experience no diff
Guilty in getting such an account passed and
paid. 1t is known that the vouchers stolen
represent the amount above indicated, but
there is no evidence to show what number
have been so used, or whether any large
amounts have been realized. A search
warrant was issued to search Ehle's house,
and is possible that more distracted papers
may be found.
He was taken TO the Police Court, where
bonds were required in the sum of ST. 900
for the action Of the grand jury, and at
about two O'Clock left the court, accom-
panied by Deputy Marshal Ecklof, in search
of friends to furnish the re 1uisite bail. He
succeeded in fiIding this, Gen. G. A. Gil
more becoming one of his bOndsmen, and
will have hearing before Judge Smell, at
the Police Court, to-day.
In this connection it may be interesting
to revive the Collins case, which, for the
past few days, has seemed to languish, no
new facts having come to light. 1t is,
however, ascertained, as we have stated be-
fore. that the amount defaulted will reach
fully $4,000, if no more. So here we have
two def4lcations within week, amounting
to, respectfully, $4,000 and $4,000, or, to-
tai, SIS, 600, besides those which are still
going on, awaiting development and discov-
cry. The investigation into the Collins
case is still in progress in the Third Aud
itor'S office, but proceeds very slowly, owing
to the confused and jumbled-up condition
of the accounts of Mr.. Collins. There
seems to be, as the saying is, neither "head
nor tail' to them. 1t is claimed that the
Third Auditor has inaugurated a method
by which frauds may be discovered and
checked in time, and that gentle
man rather prides himself upon having
found out and blocked Ehle's little game
so soon; but how was it, then, that Mr..
Collins accounts and statements were pass
ed for years, without suspicion or detection?
The Treasurer of the United States furn-
ishes to the Third Auditor seEi-monthly
statements, showing the amount to the
credit of the disbursing officers in the vari-
GUS United States DepOsitaries. Pension
Agents,and with them Collins, are required
to state on their monthly account currents
the amount of money on hand to their
credit in United States Depositaries, and al
so to state the amount expended by them
for other purposes than the paying of pen
sions. And, further, when a requisition for
funds is made by a pension agent, it is in
variably the duty of the Third
Auditor to examine and COM
pare the monthly account currents,
passed in by the agents, with the cores
ponding semi-mOnthly. statements of the
U. S. Treasurer, in order that he may as
certain if there exists any discrepancy be-
tween the two accounts. If this had been
done in Mr.. Collins's case, the result would
have shown the defalcation long ago. When
Mr.. Clarke was Auditor, he established it
as rule that when the account currents
sent in by pension agents showed the bal
ance on hand to be sufficient for one
months payment of pensions, the requisi-
ton fer more money would be disapprOved;
but, with the present incumbent of that
office, this wholesome rule fell into disuse.
Gen. Rutherford did not notify Mr.. Collins
of any irregularities or discrepancies in his
(Collins's) account until he refused to state
in his account current the amount on hand,
and the result was a defalcatlon to the
amount of $40 000 or TlDWardS