The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-14
srAhDrvo no mr. ornRn1U1ED.
The Most volnminous Charges mud Spccinca-
lions of Fraud ON Record.

ii0hs Oh ffNhu ON iNtcOfds
MARE ISLAND, Cal, March - Tho
charges against Pay Inspector X. c. Spalding OF
san Francisco have at length been publicly
made at a court martial held at Mare Isl nd.
The following are the members Of the Curt
Rear Admiral John Rodg IA. President; Adj
mral stephen u. Trcnchard, Capt. Thoa. Patti
son, Capt. :. p. Carter, Capt. j. c. +. DE Kraft,
Pay Director Thos. II. LOCKER, Pay Inspector a.
II. Gilman, Pay Inspector @. f. Thornton. and
Medical Director -- iddlris Alex. II. lIlg-
ncr, ESQ., a Maryland lawyer, Is Judge Advocate.
he court formally commenced sitting on
March |, but the charges were not given 10 the
public before the 81 inst. How far Secretary
Robson is represented in the court Is not dcn-
nliely known, but the Judge Advocate Is an
old school fellow OF tho Secretary's, and the
clerk sent ont here. one Smith, Is from the ante
room Of 8 .cor Robson. lie Il a blonde, with
bald head, oiled With Off ,al dignity lie Is
sent out here to save expenses, although there
arc men here who would perform hi4 duties for
hall what IL costs To send him across the cunt-
ncnt.
The charges against spnldng arc eight In
nun ler, supplemented by over thirty spccin,-
tons. The alleged crimes, misconduct, etc"
preferred after the aDscOn ling OF his chief clerk
q. NJ. Iinncy In the fall Of last year The charges
accuse Sgllding OF representing To bankers
and others Of San francisco that certain parties
had claims against the Gov eminent vary Ing from
sGo1 Upward, Y which mcans money was %
alleged thtt no such sums were due Also with
selling government property and using the
funds Tor his own benefit. Also with enb zzling
several thousand dollals witch ne had been or
dered b, the Fourth Auditor 10 transfer to the
Assistant Treasurer Also with leaving his sign
ture on blank papers with Pinusy and the KEYS
of his Office and safe with other clerks. Also
with conspiring to defraud the Government bv
various orders. Sctween sixty and seventy IN
nlnher' and amounting In the aggregate to $l,
The above IL an enltome Of the charges read
before the court. The accused, upon being
called upon, pleaded not guilty to all tho
T.. ID. Latimer, Esq. OF San Francisco. The re-
cused seems TO take the matter cOolly, and even
J,untily. In no way does he appear TO be nf
fectod by the gravity OF the accusations His
sense OF security may arise from conscious In
nOCence, or a consciousness that W found guilty
upon all or any OF the charges his punishment
VIII be Hight The United states Government.
and particularly the navy yard portion thereof
In California, has, under the regime Of Secor
Robson. never been strong enough 20 punish
frauds and corrupton and yet there 4 not
more corrupt spot on the continent than the
island from which | now write. The heads Of
the departments, even " Inclined, seem power
less to stem the tide 81 ofiical dishonesty.
In Spalding's case there is n show made Of vim
dicsting Justice, but what Il Will amount TO 10
mains to be seen. Two or three witnesses have
been examined, but their testimony only relates
to he minor charges. The more important wit
nesses resde In san Francisco, and II IL highly
probable that the court will adjourn to that CITY
| at an carly date The charges aud specifications
| extend over nfty-two pages II reputation paper,
| the most vouminous on record Only three 81
| the mcmbcfs OF the court are stationed on this
| coast, the remainder being importations.
The officers of the court martial. us they cross
fUm Mare Island to Vallejo, can see the 30
called repairing Of the MonadnOck, under So
called contract. The repairing h the putting M
| Of "A new snip. the frame of which was first put
together at Grcenpuint, Long Island, and cost
| some thirty thousand dollars TO send 10 this
place. The contract has every appearance oi
being a bogus affair. The same officers can also
| see the ship MOnican rebuilding at this yard
and which KobesOn said In his last report
WIS almost ready for launching standing up
| like gaunt skeleton, with her ribs and
| other timbets suffering from neglect. II will
| take six months to complete her. They can also
| see more than a hundred thousand dollars worth
| Of humber going to decay, wnich was furnished
| to the Island at cxollltant prices, forced upon
| the Government By Ring politicians.
| II Secretary Robson Is not faithful over large
| things he Is over small ones, Tor he lately used
| the whole strength OF his position to give an
| order to a brick mason out here to DO The bum
| boating on Government ships, to the exclusion
! Of some men who have served this county ia
| the nayy for years. service in the navy tels
| nothing with him.
| Congressman j. X. Luttrell from this district
| promised to yentatc some Of these Mare Island
| abuses. but he il mute as nIEckerel. We
| fiuilt riy call him here " Long john" and
| many are anxious 10 know ~ he Is alive, and II
| So, whether ne mas been sCaiped by somo GOV
| Cramcut AOdoc Or has siaiply kicked aside all
| l.. LOUD promise.
| Ncsrlg every q yernnent oGicial Oh this coast.
| and raIticdltriy Those connected with the nav ,
| SHOULD be looked after VITA more than wGtchiui
| eyes.