The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-30
Robson and CatteII,


Amid the mass OF testimony taken by
Che Committee OH Naval Affairs, exposing
the jobbery, frauds, stealing. corruption,
aud collusive rascality practised in that
department ever since GEORGE NJ. ROBE
BON became Secretary, none is more as
founding than that of T.. g. CATTELL, one
of the chief brokers in patronage and black
mailers OF contracts. With his brother,
A. G. CArTELI- formerly Republican Sena-
Cor from New Jersey this man formed
the firm Of A. G. CATrELL & Co. In the
grain aud -four commission business.
In 1869 this business devolved mainly
upon +. q. CATTELL- owing to the illness
of the brother, and ut that time he was
debtor TO the firm to the extent of 81 80.
A. G. CATrELL had n capital to his credit
In the concern of Sl05 639. ~, but there was
M agreement between the brothers that
IL should be gradually drawn out, and il
was so drawn. In 1872 the firm was modi-
fed by the admission of J. Z. WAR;, clerk
and bookkeeper, and A. G. CATTEIL, Jr.,
the son of f. c. CATTELL, as conditional
partners, who were TO receive $500 each
per annum, profits or no profits The cap
ital of this new firm under the old name
$4,000. L. G. CATrELL $4,000, j. p. WAR;,
5000, aud 4. &. CATrELL Jr., 5000 There
were no profits in 1875.
Soon after RoBEsoN was made Secretary.
i. G.. CATTELL commenced the operations
which have enriched him and dsginced
The public service. Before that time he had
no business connections of any kind with
the Navy Department, aud was wholly
unfamiliar with it's needs or its methods.
il was not long before he became initiated,
ana levied high toll on the contracts for
coal, stores, live oak. provisions. clothing,
lumber, supplies, and almost everything
else required for the naval service. His
FIRST great victim was WM. MATTHEWS of
New York, one of the oldest and most sue
cessful contractors for the navy from
whom he has already received nearly
$lJ0,OOO with large sum still due from
thc first of January, and held back on ac-
count of the investigation. Yet he did not
invest "a dollar of capital or furnish an ar
ticle OF merchandise.
CArTEII.s books were so kept as to con-
zeal the sources Of the immense rev.
enue derived from this jobbery. Although
J.. G. CATTELL was really the firm of A.
&. CATTELL x co., and the others only
figure heads, three accounts were kept;
first, \. G. CATTELL x Co.; second, f..
G.. CATTELL No. / aud third, l.. q. CATTELL
MOI. Instead Of keeping regular accounts
10 show the nature of the transactions, the
Heceipts We're entered on loose slips of
paper, which could be destroy cd at any
moment if necessary, and were held in
that way for two years and five months,
when an aggregate sum OF sleO,OOO was
bumped III single entry in the account OF
L. G.. CATTELL No. l, without n reference
or trace of the items composing it. So,
too, S224, 600 was entered in No. 2.
Besides these great sums, the &C mmittee
found $4,000 on II memorandum not
charged up, and large credits in the bank
books which did not appear in the cash nj
all. The stubs Of the check book and the
checks returned from the banks were all
recently destroyed; so that between the
cooked books and the destruction of this
evidence, there was no means of discover
ing from whom money was received or Ia
whom il was paid. The system running
Through these matters shows system
attic intention TO hide the truth. But il
g. significant that the account Of f.. G.
CATTELI. Nc, . covering nearly a quarter
yOf million, was closed up almost concur
lrently with that of GEORGE NJ RoBEsoN.
While f.. G.. CATTEII. was thus using the
Navy Department at one end of the line
his brother, A. G.. CATTELL. WIS using il at
thc other Through the influence of
RoBEsoN, he was sent out rs q Treasury
agent when the Government bonds were
put upon the British market, and Ii,
figured for robson IN the arrangement
with JAY COOKE MCCULLoCH 4 CO.., il
.Tegard 10 the advance of "A million and 1
hall of the public money after the failure
Az S'picmbDr l-,3 lie was concerned
with RonEsoN m real estate speculation
al Washington, and M Long Branch II
various schcm's which have been bu
partially disclosed. A hOod of light /
thrown on thu whole business by tn
Niortod confession, Of T.. G. CArTELI
J. ns take some Of the extracts of Iii
t-'imony at Philadelphia:
~ il,.you not hurt on has not thc nrm " A. G
- ~ GOO lh lt t hNu-r nui pad i,i fhr fIttrls
" IT. li"nt-Nh 100 Tine Long ranch properly A.
t'tN an tl !. a Too. hfte puoi uil thf. dHd
to~ Mr. kk"ttnNr account settled or unscttlc
AtN. W p mot the cuih" b lr,hase Of a. a.. { ArTEt
.t1'N ""1L7oA VI Tat IIotsIiy ali fui. a.sul,d