The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-16
The Corruption Under Robson.

| The Corruption Under Robson.
In spie Of fragrant perjury before the
committee which is investigating thenaval
| frauds, contracts, and jobs, three facts
stand out in the testimony and point the
| way TO q conclusion which leaves no moral
doubt that a regular system was organized
TO plumber the appropriations. First, there
was collision between the Ring and the
department. Secondly, the books of the
Ring were purposely kept to conceal the
division OF spoils. and often mutilated;
and thirdly, there was perfect under
standing between the contractors aud their
confederates, and the paymasters and the
clerks in the Treasury who had to pass
upon the accounts.
When IL was discovered that RoBEsoN
was growing rich rapidly, and that the
| CATTELI.s were running the department for
their joint interest, paymasters and other
subordinates fell into similar practices,
and insisted upon having a share of the
plumber. Pay Director BRADFoRD, who is
now on his way 10 the United states, ap-
| pears TO have done the largest business in
| this line. He was the medium through
whom WILLIAM MATTHEWS, the great con-
| tractor here, and T.. G. CATrELL were
brought together. The committee request
ed Robson 10 order BRADFoRD home
more than two months ago to appear as n
witness. but he took no notice of that re-
quest until 1t was recently repeated in
way that compelled prompt action.
Tho books OF CArTELL show 100000 TO the
credit Of BRADFoRD. claimed to be n
"loan." and an equal sum is to be found
on those OF MATTHEWS. BRADFoRD has
been acting rs the confidential agent of
RuBEsoS IN London for the settlement Of
the large advances Of money to JAY
| COOKE, McCULLocu & co. after their fail
ure in lsij. In order to give tclGt 10 that
| mission, robson ordered BRADFoRD's son,
lieutenant in the Marine Corps, 10 Lon
don. away from all his duties aud on full
| pay. so that, between the Secretary and
the contractors, BRADFORD Is well taken
care OF. He wIs the connecting link be-
tween them.
The testimony taken in Philadelphia
proved beyond all dispute that the books
Of T.. G.. CArTELL were made up so as to
conceal the names of the contractors upon
whom he levied toll through his influence
with ROBEsoN, aud those OF the parties win
whom be practisrd Addition, Division aud
silence. Instead Of entering the cash as IL
came in, he kept the receipts on a loose
memorandum, which could be spirited
away AT any moment, and then AT the end
of two years aud four months he posted
the whole in lump without reference or
a remark to trace the items in any way.
His wearing was consistent with this mode
of bookkeeping.
| DILL NoBLIT, Jr., President Of the Corn
Exchange Bank, aud member OF four
business firms trading under his name was
a Ring contractor on a vast scale. When
driven into corner he was compelled to
swear that ha altered his books, made new
and false entries, erased names aud substi-
tuted Others, things that could only have
been done for purposes Of rascality.
These practices among honorable mer-
chants" as they call themselves, seem 10
have extended through the body of con
tractors who were in favor at the depart
ment, and enjoyed all the chief monopo-
hes. In the examination of WILLIAM
MATTHEWS of "a Catharine street, New
York, who has been one of the most ex-
tensive and successful OF the contracting
tribe, and who appears to have kept in his
service paymasters, clerks, accounting
officers, and patronage brokers, TO say
nothing of others of higher degree, it
came out that some OF his books had suf-
fered from the prevailing epidemic. ON
the 9th OF May heswas on the stand al
Brooklyn, and the following passages are
taken from his testimony:
"o:-I cs'i YOUR attention to Your letter book Psg'
"Q'-Do you krow where or how that cut out, oil
Sea PSrH9' y se d % mot mot letter book aha
out DO you kn9y why, Or how or for What PURPOSE
90 19' fI aG Il he 'H ss Gu copy get
20 932 ana ~ are ato Urn Sai' you do not know
20 The date on tne two psgc. to watch your M,en
on aSs Seee called ne s appears to be Jan 1873
, "Q,-There Is no date Jan. ~ A.Eo. sir. We do no
20 notice here, on psse css, that the letter. oil
pa dupes SsS q s hall
sa sb . Wa an a So G sp5 o, a, s AT any
sooul IL loi coarse htrTnE~s was snoIant aooa
nOthings
= These sharpers had other devices fol
/ keeping their business secret, especially
/ when there was danger from competition
> or detection. Here is one Of them. us de
scrbed by MATTHEWS:
"o.-Do you know gentleman named BArxsp A
BUY al auction. sometimes nndsT thar name. BATE
S.s NY mothers name and for aubreyiaIloa use ha
ng down, where You as,ea ong name like 81 ArTnEws
lof ramp Cd sole claims bid, anu gets al advsn
| tag,
! % MI BATES went 70 the Inspector, and made
n dcp9sit ~ money bsfors ne sIs commenced A o.
~. IN l", c,sts may nave zone that out IN
INSPECTOR gentfuy had pretty good deposit mine
Y | sale 49, ~
The investigation is by no means fin
z ished. RoBEsoS has sworn himself to b,
pure patriot, and he called up a lot o
{ bureau officers appointed by himself e
testify that he did not Influence their &C
t ton. so, according to this showing, tier,
, was nobody to blame, while millions wer,
/, stolen. We shall see, when RoBEsoN i
: made to tell where he got the monev 1,