Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-04-23
From the New York Rerali.
posi- OFFICE FRAUDS.
EnyestigaliOn OF the ase of False
Bfds-COrruption OF the Govern
ment Clerks.

investigation OF the { ase of Eais,
Bfds-COrruption OF the Govern.
ment Clerks.
WssHINGToH, april 13, 1875.
This morning Uni ed States Com
missioner lngersol held an examiua
ton in the case of Ja~es Van Week.
/ who Is charged with Offering or giving,
or causing to be offered or given. 800
. to Chester NJ. Colt to influence his SC
ton aud cause him - do an act IN
violation Of his lawful duties, in order
to assist VIM @. Iddiugs and Patrick
Laughlin TO procure al award OF tn
contracts for carrying the maile,
| through fraudulent BIDS. Colt was
! made Il W. tness N this case as States
! evidence. He SAID that several months
! ago Van Week came to him and told
! hlm he wanted to introduce him to
. Kettle, and desired him to give TO het-
! tie lufolmatIon of the lowest bids for
! carrying the mails on certain routes III
! Lexas, saying to him that there Wer,
i 5.O00 10 be made In the :raIsacliou;
( the witness received 800 from Kettle
and furnished IT, Kettle what iIe be
.leved to be the lowest bids, and Ket-
tie fro Il this IlfOrmstIOn pl.t III lower
Dids III the name Of Wislitm c. ID
u'Gg- and Patrick Laugh in; H.. was
not positive that l,o slipped III the
fraudulent bids, but he kuew thAS two
or three such bids we're mixed with
, tho genuine bids so 9s to b. ccusid r
ed by the Postmaster General as 60lt0
Jfdc bids; he asked k,tts for ia
'S4OO as loan, Intending to return It
some future time.
MONEY WAS SECONDARY CoHsIDEnAroGN
win tlIm 10 furnishing tue ioforlr,lsi, II
10 Kettle, ant his u..iu Object va, IT,
ob.!g4 his friend Van Eleca. WHO ia
tro'iUced HIM to kv,t'e. Van -, ca
Ii d asked Witness u he could Inc1.Sb
ceittl'! 1Dfoin at.oU t" Kettle, auu WIT.
mess told hiin It wou.u 10 thu best he
could
William D E"ttI', h.y.ng be,u
sworn, said that about IL. l0s!l G.
fthI uary he was introduced to Coit
by Nar Week; lie made arrangements
viii, Cot and &,tu t:tui 10 lake 5uui
or five wine dinners with him at p re-
taurant; 1t was after the So cOud djnn.r
that witness approached Colt ou business
Colt aEterwacd brought - iim It book
from the Post Oiiee Department. al.i
showed HIM the a4OuGts ct the iOW
est bidder Oh the margin; witress
thought from the figures THAT he
could slip III two or three bl,!-, ai:U,
therefore, ha gave Colt first 500 nad
Psid hun $3.50 afterwards; the wines
said he pat in those Texas bids III Tia.
name OF Patrick LaughIIn; he he.ltjad
them t. Channe!i, a ci-rh III the az
paItment, WHO slipped them III
AMONG THE G.>I-INE BIDS:
lie did not regard the, monay @ivtn t.
Colt As loan; 1t WAS given 10 uli1I for
furnishing inf~rnlstion; witness hal
said 10 V.n i cl thnt he would
Ike to become .st',,Iai:.ted with Co.'s,
Week II ~ 4. ked ti.as Colt NaS Il plea
ant boy; he ever authorized Van
Week 10 say there vas 50, 0UG il it;
h. mad Il rumbe OF bids in the name
OF Patrick Langhiin
District AttOro-y Fisher showed to
the witness the bids for routes III
Iexas--nine or tn in un:nber-
t.ree of VII ch tine UitueSs said were
genuine. the remainder being fraadu-
lent, and GU tigise hp obtaiBrd awards;
witness ict Van Week have $50 as a
loan, $40 of whic. he returned
VII AT COLT WASTED.
He did not say any thing about money
"a Van Week at the time he sought az
introduction to Colt; the latter wanted
5000 of HIM; he mentioned this 20 Van I!
Week. WHO laughed aud said, THAT
il rather heavy the witness could .
not see II that IS he did not think .
the advantage ht derived from Colts .
information vas worth that much
money; lie did Lot authorize Van g.
Wick 10 offer Colt 2ny specific sun.
after the Introduction BE- negotiated .
with Colt one; te tOld Van Week al
the second meeting that he found ,
Colt a pra:;y good boy, and that he
could make sOma pnlnta out of him.
DurDg the cross exa,uinatiun Kettle
SID Van Week must have known
what Posi- Office contractors are after
when they give d!nuers. The further
exaxln.>tIUn w.i6 adjourned till to-nOr- !
row.
District Attorney Fisher and Judge
Spence, S0l3"lt": fog the Post Office
ID D-Dartment. appeared for tie govern
mott. ami Coiou,i William 4. Cock
aud CGaIieo Thompson for Van Vieck-
,Aft'sc thcr caee of Van Week shall /
have been disposed If that cf Hln,ia
will be taken up fy the Commission
erS.
Frank 5. Channel, one Of the clerks !
"harged i'll criminal connection with ,
tie nail contract frauds, surrendered ;
h mself to BE Marshal to-day, and .
g ave bonds in the sum of So, Goo for Il
hearing be fore the Commissioner. /