The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-11-04
AMERICANS, LOOK AT THIS /!

Grant Orders the Secretary of tie Treasury
i to pay n Monthly Salary to Alexander H.
| Shepards Mistress from the Funds of the
bureau of Engraving and Printing. though
! She Rendered no Service Whatevsl.
Social corruption is rampant II Washing.
ton as well as political corruption, and the
two often go hand IN hand, One of the most
remarkable illustrations Of this fom of Grant,
ism is exhibited by the following facts
Alexander r. Shepherd, commonly known
as Boss Shepherd, like some othe, rich men,
does not observe all Of the tencommand.
ments. lie Is intimate with very handsome
woman here, n widow named Mrs. II. F..
Morsell, and, with the aid of President
Grant, he has had her put on thepay roll OF
the Bureau of Engraving, IN The Treasury
Department; though she never rendered u
days service there.
Mrs. Morsell received her frs pay from
Thomas J. Hobbs, discussing cerk of the
Treasury department, IN April, 1872, when
she drew $19. In May she received SSl, and
in June $1j. She drew no pay tDr July, but
for August and September she received $162
and for October S75 and for Noeember $751;
For December she was paid 1856. During 1913
she drew 1899, an average OF $685. per
month. During 1874 she recelv.d $1O2, not
drawing anything tor April, Ma!, and June,
but received for July SlJ6. DuHng 1919 she
received 1892 For March of this year, 1915,
she received $3.50, and drew nc pay during
July and September For Janu,ry and Feb
ruary, 1876, she received, respectively, 1913
and $50. The iurlouGhing of oil the en-
ployecs Of the Bureau OF Engraving and
printing then followed, and meantime Geo.
b. McCartee resigned, and Mr.. Jewell was
appointed Superintendent of the Bureau.
When, finally, IN appropriation was OBJ
tanned from Congress, and work was recon-
menced Mr. Jewell, in rcOrganIzing the bu-
reau, determined that Mrs. Musell should
not be paid any longer unless she came to
the Treasury department and worked like
the rest Ct the lady employees. Accordingly
he wrote her a note, in which he informed
her of his decision. Shortly after this tie
President precautionary Ordercd Mdt Mrs. Nor
sell should be paid as heretofore and thus,
through Mr. Morrill, of Maine, Secretary of
the Treasury, she is now receiving regularly
every month from SO to TSl.
That this woman is in no Iced is as notO-
rious as is the fact that she is recognized to
be one of the bestdressed females IN this
city She lives in one OF Shepherds houses
IN the First Ward-or West End of Washing.
ton--and keeps up style that people or
moderate wealth cannot afford.
The regulations of the Bureau Of Engraving
and Printing are thus described by Thomas
j. Hobbs, disbdrsing clerk OF the Treasury
Department, in his testimony before the Com
mittec on Expenditures in that department at
the last session of Congress:
o. will ask you to state if the time Of those
those who paid upol the pay roll is not kept
by some person; If memorandum OF their
time Is not reported to some officer who re-
cords it or makes out a pay roll? Explain
the process, please.
Al understand that to be the universal
custom here, of having time book in each
division. and marking down each Cay the
service performed; and mt the end of the
month they count il up like any payroll or
time book of a laborer. 1t is then uttered
upon the pay roll, so many days or parts of
days for that month, the rates given, and the
amount extended upon the pay roll.
Q.-The pay rolls are then made out and
submitted TO you?
A.-The pay rolls are made out, approved,
and sent to me for payment.
Q-And upon them you pay?
A.-Upon them the payments are male.
OIL will ask you to state If it is not
against the rules of the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing to take any work outof the
building TO be done outside?
Al would not be informed of any rules
that they might adopt, US my correction
with the bureau would be simply 10 my the
expenses of the bureau as they cameto me
certified by the head of the bureau
.Q-That Is your duty; but | ask you as a
matter of information whether you are not in
formed that il is against the rules of the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing IN take
out any work-the counting Of money, or
the posting of books for instance?
Any understanding is that the rule is
universal in the Treasury Department.
! Q.-It applies to all of the division?
l A-Yes, sir Whether an exception could
be made to the rule by person in authority
would he a matter that | would not lie able
! to decide.
! o. only ask you as TO the rule.
A-That Is as | understand the rule--that
everything pertaining 10 the department
must be done in the department.
4 OIL will ask you If you do not know as a
matter of fact that II Is one OF the rules that
the doorkeepers shall prevent any of the en-
Il ployees of the department from takisg out
bundles or anything without inspection?
! Al understand that there is an inspection
of bundles and everything ofthe sort BY some
person in charge. | suppose that that duty
lis performed by the head of the room in
! which the party would be employed and
4 that after he had made an examination, he
would write hts name on the bundle and that
would be permit to the dOorkeeper to take
that bundle out
| O,-Is il NO, your understanding that nc
! bundles, excep; that they are something of q
lprivate character, and not connected with the
department, are permitted TO SO out:
A-0h, yes, that is so.
\ Q-Thsi precaution is observed IN thai
way. They do not permit anything to go ou
That belongs 10 the lepartmentg