The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-30
CORRUPTION In THE NAVY.
ROBESON's EXAMPLE FOLLOWED
BY MS SUBORDINATES,
An Old Outlawcd Clnim that Isniah Hans.
com Put Through and Raised from
$4,000 TO 32,OOO-rrohtnble brokerage

An Old Outlawed Claim that Isniah IIans.
com Put Through and Raised from
$4,000 TO 932O0O-rrohtnblc BroLeraae
WASHINGTON, March at seems that
general brokerage claim agency business has
been done In the Navy Department. A short
time aRo one Wolf, a clerk in the offlce Of 8. p.
Brown Co.. testified that he had paid consid.
cradle sums Of money ~ clerks In the Navy De-
partment to secure contracts for supplies and
favorable action on claims pending there. 1t
has since been ascertained that Isaiah Hons
com, chief OF the Bureau OF Construction, has
been acting as a claim agent. The proof Is clear
that he was instrumental in putting an old out
lawed and adjusted claim through the Navy De-
partment In the summer Of 1874 which equals
any Of secor Robeson's operations In that line
The history Of the claIm is as follows:
Tilton h wheelwriRht, q pair OF Massa-
chuse,ts contractors, had q contract for Furnish
Ing certain supplies to he Navy Department at
the beginning OF the war. The price Of every
thing went up enormously In q short time, and
oil the contractors were subjected to heavy
losses thereby. There was an army OF them az
washington clamorne for relief and wanted
the secretary of the Navy to do something for
them nut Secretary Wellea was careful and
exact man, who adhered close to tho letter OF
the law, aud he could not and would not allow
tnem single cent above the contract price.
Renee they had to go ~ Congress for relief, and
accordingly the act Of March 3, 1868, was passed
which authorized the adjustment OF slaims Of
this Kind. IL provided that where contractors for
navy supplies had not furnished over one hundred
per cent. IN quantity In excess OF the amount
contracted for, they should be settled with for
the excess Of the market value over and above
the contract price, provided the claims were
MEL within six months after the passage OF the
act They we're to be referred to the chief Of tho
bureau, for whose branch Of the service the sup
plies were furnished, and he was to associate
with him another chief Of a bureau, and between
them they wcrc to determine the allowance to
be made the contractors; but tneir report was
10 be subject to the lnal examination and rev,s-
ION OF the Secretary OF the Navy himself. The
case Of Tilton X Wheelwright was one of those
named In the act ana II was one OF the first
passed upon and adjusted by the Navy Depart
msnt after the passage OF the act OF March 3,
1861. They were not allowed the full amount OF
their claim, but $500 was rejected.
The case stood In this way until the summer
OF 1874, when one Finley, creditor Of Hilton
y Wheelwright. turned up IN Washington TO
their old claim. out Of which he could realize
something. IL seems that he first put the thing
In motion, but the claimants afterwsrd took
hold themselves, and Hanscom was their par
ticular friend. He introduced them to a clerk in
the department. and had their case M ade spe-
oial. THIS clerk. a Mr.. Handley, was before the
Committee on Expenditures In tho Navy Depart
was put through under Hanscom's direc-
ton. II was the general understanding
about the department, he said, that Hans-
S9m got 1900 for biz interest IN the Job.
claim was swelled from 5000 under Hdnscoms
manipulation to S32 0Oo, tho amount that was
allowed Iilton & wneelwriRht. Finley, the
creditor, who had put the case on its feet, did
pot get any Of tue proceeds Of this Job, and he
nrst put the committee on the track OF the
fraud. Thus u appears that the example Of
Robson has demoralzed the entire Navy De-
silence is the only one pracuss ID there, from tho
head down to fourth-cass clerks.