The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-21
The Wrstchsd Memory and Queer Book
keeping Of The Gattsll.
No Proof That RoDeson Shared
in the Plumber.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE
Frauds in the New Orleans
Custom House.
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, May 20, 1876.
OUTLINE OF THE EVIDENCE DEyoEE THE NAVAL
coMMITTEE-REFLEcrIoN on THE REPUTA-
TON OF SECRETARY RoBEsoN--TEsTIMoNy OF
+. c. cATTELL AS TO HOW HE BECAME RICH
QUEER BooKKEEpINo-NAvAL CONTRACTS AND
THEIR MANIPULATION.
Tho evidence which has been developed by the Naval
Committee and which is JUST printed Is OF nature TO
very sravey Secretary Robesons reputation, and
should make his position the Cabinet untcnabe II
IS already known that Matthews. naval contractor,
paid to the irn OF a. G. Caltc Co., Mr. Robcson's
intimate friends, very large sum OF moncy--about
sl40,0o0-as their perccntageof his olts contracts
win the Navy Department
l.. G. Catte in his evidence, says that he was doing
but lito business when Mr. Robson became Secretary
Of tho Navy tho Of the firm 10 show
that he had little capital Ho undertook imme-
datey 20 INTO the business OF naval contracts aod
made Two small contracts III low apparently
to Brighten the regular contractors any 1t had
this effect, for they appear TO have At
CattelI agreed with Matthew'S that no should receive
i've per cent OF all Matthew'S profits naval contracts
Catlcl agreeing his influence with the Navy DO
partmcnt get on he appears to have
got $l40 900 But this ALL He nadc
similar arrangements with many other contractors and
urnshcrs, and though hts memory was a wretched
state, no able to remember that he received
S25. 600 from Swift OF New Bedford on live oak con.
tracts; g. 900 or $4,000 a. wire rope contract;
$4,000 from Biglcr 4 Co.. lumber Dealers besides
from various persons. Noblitt Co. ;Ioste,
Knowlton, Hnmmett 4 Neal; Clark Co., Of Brooklyn;
Rcsngue 4 Co., Of Brooklyn; Goodwin, OF New York,
49,
that remembered all lie confessed having made
IN this way about s225, 900, ana bong nskcd
whether prior Mr. Robeson's becoming Secretary Of
she Navy, his firm had been 10 the business
Of furnishing goods for the Navy Department was
obliged answer, .No" That is to say, Catie used
his own brothers. intimacy with Robson to blackma
tho naval contractors
hooks SAY
When Cattell's books were examined Il appeared
that no kept his receipts this business on slips
Ia the book Keepers drawer OF A. q. Catte Co. and
that therefore account existed. had over been
rc,irly kcp by which either the receipts or his dis
burscmens OF them could be sscctancd but there
IS singular difference between tho gross sum
OF $4,000, which he turned finally into
The books OF A. G. Catell Co., tho larger sum OF
s2.5 900, which he confesses to have received. The
bookkeeping OF tho firm and his were, however,
done with exlromc Skill and the firm was from the
first rigidy determined TO know nothing about the
business OF either A. g. or G. Catcl II is admitted,
however. that while T. G. Cattcl put into the nrm's
various large sums Senator Cattell drew
coincdenty in ali over s70 600 US his share OF the
capital OF the firm
SECRETARY RoBEsoS's INVESTMENTS.
Meantime they confess that Secretary Robson bad
various dealings with them. Ho them now
sls,ooO for his Long Branch cottage He has specu-
-
they gave him So 900 TOR political purposes
that Robson borrowed money from +. g. Cattc that
Catteil carried loans without interest from Robson to
tho amount OF $1,000 IN one sum- that IN the vir-
ginius affair CatcIl made handsome sum OF money.
That there accounts between Senator Caticn
and Robson Of which z. Q. Cattell does not
know the particulars. Finally Nr. Robcson's account
with tho Camden Bank examined, and there
found number Of notes TO his credit Endorsed by A
G. Cattell n Co.; checks Of the Corn Exchange Bank
Of Philadelphia which OF the principal places
where Cattcll kept his money, aud checks Of Catte
Co. amounting In all to between $4,000 and $50, 900
in three years. r. @. Catten sworc, his cxamina-
non. that far as he knew. Mr. Robson is not a
OF wealth and never has been--.l dont think no
has much money"
In all this thcre positive proof that Mr. Robe
has been tho partners OF his fvortes that he
has shared in their plumber.
cArTELL's noowKEEpIxo.
Tho system Of bookkeeping invented by
+. q. Cattell admirably calculated TO make
proof OF any kind difficulty and combined
with his wretched memory, and tho remarkable ig
Of tho junior members OF the Caite firm, the
whole was admirably planned 10 hide the traces OF
wrong, II any DONE fthc Cattcls had been dong
an honest business had had transactions con-
cea 1t is not possible that T. g. Cat,ell would have
kept the record OF accounts covering more
than $500 600 and perhaps $500, 600 and several
years. slips in the drawer OF his booxkcepcr which
slips destroyed whcn finally, as no and the
bookkecrer testified, he closed up that business and
lump OF $3.50 900 into tho books OF A. G.
Catteli & Co.
WHAT THINKS
Some OF Mr. tobesons friends here have bcen ASSERT
ing that no thinks himself outraged by the committee
because that did not long ago allow him 10 oil
the testimony go that he might show his innocence.
lie win have opportunity now and 1t is said that he
viii deny that he knew suspected that the Cattes
making percentages from the navy contracts and
that no IS tho innocent victim Of designing and
trenchcrous friends