Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-01-04
THE ARKANSAS RING.
A Corrupt Ring at Fort Smith, Com
posed OF Marshal BrittOn, Commits
siOner Brooks, Postmaster Scott,
and Others-A New Years
EXpOsdre~
Three Reports Made TO the Department
of Justice in the Case OF Marshal
BrittOn-Glaring Frauds on the
Government in the Matter OF
FEES, Mileage, Etc.
srom the New York Tribune.l

From the New York TriOune.l
WASHINGTON, December 3O.-The
complications relating TO the question of
confirming Attorney-General Williams
have called attention to three reports
made in regard to the condition of af
fairs in the marshals office in the west
ern district of Arkansas, made to the at
torney-general in January and FebrUa-
nv and February and October of the
present year. The reports were made
bv II. c. Whitley, chief of the secret
service force, based upon the results of
an investigation made by L. B. Whit
ney, of that force, and extending from
December, 1872, to August last. The
first report. received at the department
of Justice January Goth, last, sets forth
that William A. Britton, United States
marshal, had serving under him one
hundred and forty deputy-marshals, who
derived their support from the fees they
could collect, and that as it was then
interest to make all the cases possible,
theywere allowed to roam over the coun-
trv at will, manufacturing cases; that
one-third of all the fees obtained wert
retained by the chief-msrshal, besides
ten per cent. upon all gross receipts from
fees, which Britton claimed he kept fol
a contingent fund. For the remainder
he issued checks,in the form of due-bills
which could not be cashed for more
than fifty cents Oh the dollar. The
were bought up by Postmaster Scott
and Judge Story, United States district
Judge, at a discount of fifty per cent.
Colonel Whitney attended court, and
reported that the cases were, for the
most part, of a trivial character, and
yet all were treated and charged for a.
cases before the grand jury. An alb
stract of the expenditures of the district
court named two hundred and fifty-five
persons, said to reside at Fort Smith,
and to have served from time to time as
posse cOnlitdtuS. Marshal Britton certi-
fied that he had paid these men twenty
three thousand six hundred and ten dol
lars. An investigation showed that Of
this number of persons named, only for
ty-six resided at Fort Smith; that the
others were unknown in that
section of the country, and
that of the fOrty-six only twenty
i've had served in the capacity
stated. Many of the deputies emOloyed
turned out TO be thieves and murderers,
and many opponents Of the Republican
party, and all were allowed by the mar
shal to range over the whole district and
make arrests, when and where they
pleased, without process or warrant, anO
the most trifiing Offenses were brought
to Fort Smith. When one person brought
in several prisoners, he would get other
persons to make returns on warrants
obtained from the commissioner, and
then collect separate Tlile9ge, posse fees,
and subsistence, and all these things
were allowed by Commissioner Brooks
and Marshal BrittOn. On one abstract
BrittOn makes oath that he had paid
one Fleming two hundred and seventy
one dollars. The latter testified that he
had never received it. Britton also
swOre that he had paid one Watson ont
hundred and fifty-siX dollars as posse
fees. The only Watson in the
place was q servant, who took care OF
Billions horses, and who never served.
A livery-stable keeper, named Lieth,
who boarded Britton's horses, was
charged with two hundred and forty
dollars, for services as deputy,
| though he never served. A merchant
in the place, according to Britton's oath,
received three hundred and fOTty-five
dollars as deputy, though he never
| served as such. at one term Of the
court, Britton dismissed one jury, sum
moned according to law, and made VI
one of his own selection. OF one hun.
dred and fifty confined in Jail, over hal.
were discharged when the court met
| becau there was no case against them
I The United States commissioner was il
/ the habit of issuing and dating bacE
warrants of deputy-marshals who haC
beeU to the IndIan country. a case i!
cited of an Indian woman brought from
! Chickassw county TO Fort Smith
on September 25d, and the warrant dateC
back to September I'd. The woman wa.
arrested on the statement Of a negro
that she had stolen cattle. After com
mitment one day she was discharged tht
next because there was no evidence, anC
full mileage, subsistence and posse fee
were paid. Britton said to the marsha
that ne could not allow over thirty-fivt
days in any one case, but marshals wer,
urged TO take any one against WHOM
there was the slightest charge, and brinj
him on to Fort Smith without warrants
They could get the latter when they ar
rived. When they came in with a larg
lot of prisoners, they were allowed bl
the marshal to get other deputies +
make returns for part, and thus multi
ply the fees. The commissioners wht
made out these extra papers were allowed
ten per cent on the fees for filling up tn
blanks and swearing to them. In on
case nine hundred miles were allowed
when the distance actually travelet
WAS less than two hundred. Thos
who made up these papers were pub
liely known as returning marshals. Tn
! report gives TIE i..-.v II = 70 Smith, en-
gagged in these FRI. @, IS Marshal Brit
! ton, United States Commissioner Brooks
Postmaster J. q. Scott, J. w. Donnelly
marshal's clerk, and H. A. Pierce, edi
tor Of the Patriot. The first repOr
closes by recommending that the depart
ment refuse to pay all claims of depu
: ties, marshals' accounts, and posse fee
{ until a full judicial investigation can
t: had, on the ground that not one in tel
I are entitled to one-third the amour
= charged. IN many cases whole case
! are fabTications. When the repol
! was uendiUg before the senate for cor
+ frmation, be having been reappointe
during the recess the previous summe
= at the instance of Senator Clayton. HI
name was not withdrawn, nor was an
I next month, however, the senate rejec
! ed him. On the tenth of February
/ second report reached the departmer
, of Justice from the same official sourct
: setting forth that further investigatio
g developed the fact that Judge Story wi
: fully acquainted with the general cha
acter of the frauds named in the first n
r port, and some of those in the secon
/ were given more in detail. Persons VII
! never left town were allowed and pal
c full fees Of all kinds for hunting aft
t prisoners, when those pretending
r search bad never left town, and Il
!. same persons were allowed for aires
e made at distance, when they did N
/. leave town or make any arrests. tt
e chief deputy Donnel.
o Postmaster Scott, a merchant, name
' Lauigan, formed q ring TO buy up ce
!. tificates issued by OOnnelly. Whe
q money came from Washington, Brittc
4 turned il over to Donnelly; the latt
; passed it to Scott and LanigaD, wi
, turned it into currency. They the
q allowed small drafts upon it, and the
= claimed that s. balance was due them {
I the certificates they held. In this Wa
: all but five thousand dollars or six tho
sand dollars, out of remittances of thirt,
three thousand dollars from Washin
q ton. was disposed Of at one time.
: October last a third report was sent
y the attorney-general, reviewing Il
4 facts In Britton's career, and expressiT
]. the opinion that the present marsha
SarbeT. was about as bad as the form
one. There has been no prosecution
4 Britton on bis bond, or proceeding
4 against Ssrber, and Senator Dorsey al
Is others of the Arkansas delegation a
> trying to force a settlement of Britton
q accounts.
is
a Passion makes the best Observation
- - - 4 =