The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-03-16
The Thieves.


the comparatively minor cases only. The big
thieves like the Leets, Stockings, Murphys,
&c, that are exposed by the various investi-
eating committees of congress, are too numer-
Gus, and their theveries involve so many
qualifications and details, that nothing but
the huge dailies or the voluminous congress
sional reports can compass an adequate record
of such giant rascalities.
One of the thieves brought to the surface
during the past week is Mr.. Hulburd, comp
troller of the currency bureau at Washington.
The facts as revealed before the House Bank
| ing and Currency Committee, are about these ::
In August, 1866, Mr.. John Bull, government
National Bank Examiner, made an investiga-
ton of the Tennessee National Bank, at
Memphis, the result of the examination beng,
that the bank was in an utterly unsound con-
dition; that there was a large deficiency in
its reserve, that its resources were largely
worthless or unavailable; tina. nearly $1,000
of its assets were not in the bank, but in the
possession of the president, who was on a
pleasure trip through the north, and that an
item of S6lS25O, deposit from the state of
Tennessee, which had been secured by brib-
ing some of the state officers, had been at
once forwarded to bank at Washington to
save it from insolvency. After setting forth
this state of facts the examiner very urgently
recommended that the bank be placed in the
hands of a receiver. The only result was that
the report was suppressed, and the examiner
discharged. A short time after, the bank
failed.
The testimony before the committee showed
very clearly how this was brought about. 1t
was proved that as soon as the report was
made the president proceeded to Washington
that he paid $500 to Mr.. II. r. Huburd the
comptroller of the currency, and presented
him with double carriage and harness, and
that he gave the chief clerk of the division Of
reports $4,000.
All these facts were made known to the
President and Secretary of the Treasury at
least two years ago; yet Hulburd continues
in office to this day.
The next thief on the list is one Collins, an
other Washington City Pension Agent, There
is no department in the government more
prolific Of steals than that which relates to
pensions. The chairman of the house pension
committee estimates that tull a third of all
the money paid cut by the government in the
name pensions is sheer robbery. This Mr..
Collins had been suspected of stealing for
. some time, but it was only in regard to his
/, December payments that complaints grew SC
: loud that an investigation became necessary
i The result of the inquiry thus far shows tina,
Collins has stolen SCI 900, with year or two
e of his doings still unexplored.
! In this connection it may not be out OF
: place to notice an extremely hard case that
has come to light in connection with the sem
atorial bribery investigation in Kansas 1t
was shown very clearly, it is alleged, by the
, evidence taken before a committee Of the
: Kansas Legislature, that Mcssrs. Pomeroy and
Caldwell, the present L. S. Senators from
Kansas, obtained their election by gross brib
cry and corruption. The matter created such
a stink, that an investigation by the U. S.
Senate seemed inevitable, when Pomeroy and
Caldwell rose in that body to explain. The
, investigation in Kansas, they said, was insti-
gated by personal enemies, but had elected
t no proof whatever of their (Pomcroy and
| Caldwelps) guilt, as they would be amply
prepared to show as soon as they could get
, a copy of the evidence from Topeka. But
2 while the senators were making these virtuous
. declarations at Washington. their friends at
Y Topeka were playing deep game to prevent
the evidence from being sent to Washington
, They got one house to order it to be printed,
, and another to refuse; then one house ordered
S the evidence to be sent to Washington un-
printed, and the other house ordered it sent
) as soon as it could be printed; and ST. on
f until, between the two, and stealing from the
e records whatever resolutions actually were
, passed on the subject, it is manifest that
s while Senators Pomeroy and Caldwell are in
, agony at Washington to lay this evidence be-
fore the Senate, their friends at Topeka sre in
equal agony to keep 1t from getting there.
Such cruelty on the part of friends is most un-
accountable, and leaves room for suspicion
/ unjust Of course,) that Messrs Pomeroy and
Caldwell, while playing the role of injured
. innocensc ut Washington, have secretly in
structed their friends at Topeka by all means
to keep that evidence from getting to Wash
ington until congress sdieurns.