Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1876-01-29
The Alleged Deficiency of the Har-
per's Ferry Paymaster--Explana-
ton from an Armory Mechanic.
IiARPEs's FERRY, ". va,
January q, 1876.

January q, 1876.
Editors of tie Wheeling Register;
have Just seen in the MteRigencer, paper
published in your city, letter from Washing
ington, signed " Junius, Jr," which contains
some truths mixed with many iSStatements,
and with your permission, | will proceed to
correct some Of these Misrepresentation.
The writer charges that the resolution offer
ell 10y Mr. Faulkner to provide for the pay
mcut Of those mechanics employed at llarpcr'S
Ferry in the Spring Of 1861, whose wages
have remained unpaid since that time was a
mere buncombe resolution, and that it is ascer-
taind at the Ordnance Bureau that these wa
ges were at that time all paid by the govern
ment. was one Of the mechanics who was
then employed by the government at Hlrper's
Ferry, and know Of my own personal knowl-
edge that this statement is untrue. admit
that the government paid all the mechanics
who came on To Washington and declared
allegiance to the government Of the United
States; but it refused to pay wages honestly
earned hy those mechanics in March aud
April 1861, because they would not declare,
anew their allegiance to the government Of the
United States. Their honest and hard-earned
wages having been presented to the govern
ment since for payment, aud they have been
refused upon the two grounds First, that the
claimants were not loyal and second upon
the ground that the appropriation bad been
carried to the surplus fund, and was no longer
applicable to such demands. The government
has never taken the ground so falsely asserted
BY this writer, that their wages had been paid.
Mr. Faulkner has brought bill before Con-
gress to require the payment Of these wages
by the officers of the Treasury, upon the
ground that it was a debt due to these mechan-
les by the Government before the civil war
broke out. that their subsequent connection
with the southern cause dill not discharge the
Government from the debt due by it before
that time, and that it is unjust and ungcner-
onS to withhold from these poor mechanics
money which they had honestly earned before
the civil war broke out. ! am myself one Of
those mechanics, and know what am wri-
ting about.
That writer further says th,t Dennis Muir
ply, the Paymaster at Harper's Ferry took
the money intended for the mechanics and
carried it of with him into the Confederate
army; that he is now a deiauter upon the
books Of the Government, for an amount, in
GLIDING interest, of upwards Of one hundred
thousand dollars that Murphy is dead and in
solvent and that Mr.. Faulkner has been call
ed upon, as his security, to make up the de-
fcieucy.
knew Dennis Murphy well, and No one
that ever did know him could believe that he |
could ever wrong the government out Of a
cent 1t is true the books of the government |
show balance against hin Of near $50 900, !
which. with interest, would make upwards Of
s 100, 900 at this time but that balance re-
suits from the destruction Of his vouchers in /
the civil c5atlct at IIarper's Ferry If this /
be a Just balance against him. why has not the |
proceeded to collect it by suit /
against Mr. FdulkDer, who is amply solvent
md able TO pay any demand that the govern
nent has against him. Why have eleven
years been permitted to pass since the close of
he war without even an attempt to collect
his debt If | am correctly informed Mr..
Faulkner asks no favors Of the government
md bids defiance 10 their threat to hold him
esponsibe for the amount There is not a
curt or jury in the country that upon foil
of the facts, would hold Mr.
faulkner responsible for dollar
1t is not the habit of Mr.. Faulkner to offer
resolutions. He is true and fear
ess friend to the mechanic and laboring man.
nd he is not to be deferred from demanding
1stice for them by any threat of the Govern
nent to hold him responsible for the alleged
efficiency Of the former paymaster at Harpe7's
'ery. ~ AHTcRT NEcEAS g.