New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-08-12
Auditor.

the claim. Furthermore, the duplicate il
lacking, existence of which IS expressly
stipulated in the receipt.
The fact Of the matter is. that :his voucbe,
was made, as all such documents usually
are, by clerk. II was approved by the
head weigher in the pro torma manner. and
before the instrument could be properly
completed it was distracted by designine
individual, who thought. doubtless, that
much capital could be made of it. The
piece of paper was in itself worthless: i!
was worse than incomplete. for Immediately
afterward complete vouchers were issued to
supply the place Of tho theft.
Here is a copy OF the proper voucher, as
issued and paid by the department.. The
amount claimed by Mr.. Comesky was SIG
This was the sum Of money due him. and
this the amount he received:
Collsctol's Accouni-No. g.
James F. Casey, Esq, collector Of customs
for the district Of New Orleans. Louis.
lana, March @, 1872.
To John COmeskv. DR..
To drayage. SIG
FREDERICK W. ElCHoLz.
Weigher.
Approved:
A. JAY SMITH,
Special Deputy Surveyor.
Received from James f. Casey. ESQ. co l.
lect0r of the customs for the district OF New
Orleans. Louisiana, on the twenty third day
OF March, 1872, the sum Of sixteen dollars
IN full OF the above aeco unit, having signed
duplicate receipts.
Approved:
CHARLES II. MERRITT. Auditor.
The explanation Of the entire affair is
simple in the extreme. Mr.. Eicholz return.
ing to his desk and finding the unfinished
voucher for Comesky's drayase missirs {;
filled up new blanks and the claim of SIG
was paid. Shortly attervard one Jacobs,
an employe Of the surveyors department,
was discharged from service. About one
year ago Jacobs brought the, missing, in.
complete document to Special Agent Kin.
sella. Mr.. kinselia at once took the docu-
ment to Mr.. P. +. Herwig, deputy collector
of customs, and investigated the matter.
1t was apparent that this drayage bill had
never been approved by tho surveyor or
the auditor and had no signature to the re.
ceipt. Besides. it was but single COPY,
and the regulations impesativeiy require
duplicate forms. Even had the holder Of
such voucher attempted to collect the
rightful amount due the drayman. he would
have been arrested and
brought before a commissioner of the
United States. STILL less was it possible for
any one IN the customs department to util-
izo or materia.ize this worthless piece of
paper. Government Offices have
been often rldiculed for their system Of red
tape. but in this instance, at least. the
were so invulne rable that very
adroit accusation has failed by the absence
Of due formality in the papers presenting a
claim. Should even the books have been
falsifed, the completely Of the recipient of
wages, as also the surveyor and auditor,
would have been p1ereouired. Apart from
the fact that the iusignifcance of the
amount renders the whole affair ridiculous,
people will bear in mind that no one of the
parties attacked could benefit at all by any
moiety of the paltry sixteen dollars. That
Mr.. Comesky earns ais wages "a in no man
ner gainsayed. The attempt is made to show
that vouchers to draymen ara issued in
blank, and that head officials collect sums
ito any amount" tbs assertion next
comes that, when the day of investigation
arrives. Mr.. Kinsella attacks family and
acts as bulwarls rather than sword of
ustice. Whom Jacobs handed the unsigned,
stolen voucher, to Nj. Kineela, about
\ year ago. he was told 70 call on
Mr.. Herwig. Jacobs la. never called.
Why he has not done so hs himself, per.
,aps, can tell, but . discerning public can
'eadily imagine. The REPUBLICAN, has long
,een silent in regard to these attacks upon
frauds in the customs depart.
nent of this port. These sings were re-
.arded as belonging to the efforts of ihs
outs to control Offices. But statement
which assails the integrity Of Republican
'ficial and the honesty Of q supervisor
'hallen ges at least passing notice.
The absurdity of the charge almost pre-.
ludes reply, but it is understood that in
his community every Republican officer is
leld as fair game. Hence this explanation
. given. a full account is given how
'oucher for SIG, hard earned wages due an
lonest drayman, was stolen from the Office
f the weigher; how the $l6 was afterward
aid to the drayman, and two years after
ward the stolen voucher is reproduced by q
nan who had been discharged from the
ervice. No amount of logic can disprove
hese facts. Both vouchers. the stolen one
nd the duplicate one. can be seen at the
flee Of the collector of this port.
Mr.. Kinsella has addressed the following
to the Times OF this sub
sct:
CSITED STATES SPECIAL TI.zAsURY AesrcV,
he~ Orleans, August Ii, 1875.
In this Mornings issue of the Times you
9 communication signed "Anti- |
ling in which your correspondent states |
g follows:
II gave Mr.. Kinsella voucher, opprored
a blank, which requested him to inves-
igate, but he tells me he let Felix Herwig
ave it, and that he can no. tell what be-
anne Of it."
Over one year ago Mr.. Ben Jacobs
landed me . blank voucher for drayaye.
igned by the chief customs we,gher. |
old him l would investigate the matter,
nd did 90 Immediately. I found that it
~ impossible that this voucher could be