, 1873-09-09
Rule Adopted in Assessing Stock Of
Corporations.
The Harper Defaloation---A Star
Chamber Investigation.
Hints that Part Of the Missing Money
Went to Re.eIect President
Grant.
One Thousand Dollars Reward offered
for the Apprehension Of
Harper.

| Special Dtsnatch to The Chieaoa Tribune.
| SPRINGFIELD. ILL.,, Sept. Sit is at Inst detor-
mined in tho State Doard Of Equalization that
the rule to govern them in the aasaasmont Of
capital stock OF corporations shall 10 to just
aaoertan the value OF the shares Of stock to
this add tha debts Of the corporation; from this
amount deduct tho yaluo Of tungiblo property
which has been alroady aaBesBed. The ro,nain-
der is then to be assossed as tho capital stock,
and this, too, includes the franchise, which law
requires shall aleo bo taxed. Tho tariffs for
tho roads which belong to tho caas
Of the Toledo, Wabasl1 Il Western Railroad, to
Wit: Tie Chicago, Burlington l. Quincy, Chi
cago l. Northwestern, Illinois Central, Chicago
Il Alton, Chicago, Rock Islaud !; Pacific, Ohio l.
Mississippi, St. Louis Il VandaIia and the ILL.,
/ aianapoliB Road, are nov bong prepared by tho
Railroad Commissioners, and will soon bo pub
| liBhod. Up to the distance OF the longth Of tho
! T., ". Il ". Il. r. in this State, 244 milos, they
| will all bo alike.
Gen. Sweet, Doputy= Commissioner Of Internal
o'clock, in connection with Col. Mum, Bupor-
visor, and hlaj. Bluford Wilson,. United
Btates Dist riot Attorney, no formally opened
theinyestigation Of the dedication of Collector
Harper BY excluding 1rom sho room all reporters
ceeding could be kept secret. Just what reason
there was for holding star-chanber investigation
has not tranaPized, but aomo suggestions, or
rather apeou1ations, have been naado which leads
cue 20 tho conclusion that Harper's embarrass-
mont Arst arose from tho amount Of money ho
was compelled to use last fall in order to socuro
the elsctlon Of Gen. Grant, and this fact, should
it any"herd 6o nado to appear, must 10
authority that Harper contributed $4,000 or
| $7,000 and perhaps more to the campaign fund
last fall. But whatever tho reason was for the
aecret conolave, it did not avail to deprive THE
TRIBUNE OF what really did happen within tho
aanotorum.
hlr. Sweet, being the ranking officer, took tho
ehair, and Mai. Bluford Wilson, the United
States District Attorney. called tho first Witness
clerk Of Mr. Harper during his entire nd
1ninistration: MIR. Smith said, In sub
stance, that tho first knowledge he had
Of Mr.. HRrper's accounts ,boing at all
was struck, 1eaying Hnrpor indebted to the Gov
| ern1nont 34G, 600. Mr.. Harper at once borrowed
| the money md made tho deficit good. AS soon,
however, as his accounts were approved for that
month, ho took tho moneys received to tho
| amount required to discharge his personal obi
| cations entered into to make good his deficit In
June. This process was repeated at the end OF
July and beginning Of August, at which timo,
rowod, vas from tho Go Cook "Atsm County rS gS Na.
| tiona1 Bank, whore, upon hB note indoraed
| by his fathcr, he obtained $4,000. During tie
mouth Of August he had again used money
which belonged to tho Government sufficient to
obligations. Near the close of the month, nlr.
Joseph, Treasury agent, called at tho Office to
examine Into tue accounts and thcn it was that,
ruin staring Mr. Harper in tue face. ho wrote
pectoa IN agent Of tho Treasury al
TINT time in the month, as they usually
IA m uha1 hvt1 nnr rtr
that he must collect up back taxes, or he would
bo suspended.
Mr. Harper loft his resignation and a state
ment of his defa|cation with Mr. Smith, who
took advice Of \ law firm in this city, and upon
that advice he hal repaired to Washington to
lay all the facts before tho authortias thoro.
What become Of tho money he does not know.
He Vas aware Of deficiency sqd tlaay Of the
away much money.
Mr. Smith was examined as to payments Of
money which 10 had made on account Of the pri.
Tste Indebtedness of Harper subsequent to
made with Government fnnds amounting to
about s11 900. This was done in pursuance OF
Instructions Of Harper.
The examination Of Smith lnsted nearly ali
sboo;1o. o; D'' 'A0 "An ''''S s'''''0a arc as given
Mr. Wilson called Mr. Yaryan. This geutle~
man ma ulao. haa been sont out to examine
them ii rig e tue aD pepartment aa ssp0f'in fn
his explanation as to how ho failed to detect SO
glaring deficiency as that which then existed,
ho b. SAID q he hsd examined tho books and found
tillors ut Pekin, about sufficient in amount to
make up the deficiency. He, In company with
Mr: Smith, repaired to Pekin,, prepared to dis:
trim the property Of said distillers; He called
on Mr. A. aud said: You are indebted to the
Government $4,000 back ta1os. aud you must
pay up or We will diatrain your property"
NJ: IT, !; a. promptly responded; ~ know
know, aud only asked q little time. and I'll pay
up" They called on others, and had like con-
VeFsasion5. 1t now appears, howoyer, that thoaa
men did not owe ono cent at the time, having al
counted for his obtuBeness. His examination
.was, general, relating to the condition Of the
books Which cl, sho" the 'ofacation to bo not IA.
AIr. Josophs explains how ho found tho sc.
counts at tue close Of August, which ia compro-
hended In the Htatement OF Smith. One or two
moro Of the subordlnatos wero examined, but
they knew nothing which would throw light on
Il this investigation stops short Of going back
to the beginning Of this collection district, it
will fail to develop all tho causos which led to
tho defslcation. Justice demanda that this
There is no truth In tho story Of \ woman
which my dispatch WAS basod proved,
upon examination, to be groundteas aud /
am told his domestic relations wore In all ro-
speots good. It Is inserted that, 1t Mr. Harper
had lat hia friends know Of hR embarrassment,
they would have raised tho money and paid him
out. 1ndoodt they propose yet to pay tho money
and make good tho loss to tho Government, il
tho affair eau be 80 settled.
.SupoEyisor Mum, to-day, relieved Harper from
office, aud appointed III hiH place Charles Il.
Dickinson, Deputy. Collector Of MoLean County.
Mr. D!ufosd Wllaon, in pursuance Of directions
received from Commissioner Douglass. offered i
reward OF Sl,00o for tie apprehension OF
Harper.
Inc Hon. ]. J. Castle brotter-in-law Of Har-
pos, is here to-day, aod says that ho lott init
mutton with his family or ILLS friends aB 10 tho
was going to Bpringtlcld. The only intmation
ho had ever giyeu 10 auy OF hiB family thAt lle
wns embarrassed was to hls wife, whom ho told
that tho distillors at Pekin owed him $4,000,