The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-05-20
b. II. Campbell Testifies.

WAsAINGToS, May 19-B. II. Camp
bell, United States marshal for the north
ern district Of Illinois, testified before the
Civil Service Committee to-day. His
testimony was almost precisely similar to
the matter contaised in his letter to Miss
Sweet BIakely was honestly indebted
to him in the sum of $1,000, and notified
him that Miss Sweet would pay the in
debtedness. She did pay him 81 100, but
he had not the slightest knowledge or in.
timation that it had anything to do with
her appointment as pension agent. He
only learned this during the past few
weeks, and hi pad the entire amount
bs ok to Miss Sweet.
InvesIisntion OF Freedman's Bank.
The House Committee invetlgating the
affairs OF Freedmen's Bank made re-
port to day, in which they say that the
institution 'degenerated into monstrous
swinde and was almost from the start
merely scheme of selfshness under the
guise of philanthrophy and to its conid-
ing victims Incorporated body OF false
pretenses. In addition to the speculat-
ing rings the District of Colum.
bia Government came in
to hasten and profit by the work of
spoilation. Its treasury was wholly un-
equal to the task of sustaining the mag
nifcent expenditures of the Board of
Public Works, presided over by II. ID.
Cooke, and controlled by A K. Shepherd.
Some exchequer must be found to ad
vance the deprecated bonds and worth
less auditors certificates of deposit or the
contracts must fail, and the speculations
of Rose and OF Shepherd and his friends
in out of the way and unimproved town
lots, come to grief The actual profit ot
the improper conduct on the part OF the
officers and agents Of the bank, shown
in the testimony Of Washington Cabal,
consisting OF the President, ID. l..
Eaton, the actuary; III. ID. Cooke,
chairman of the Fi.snce Commit
tee; William ). Huntington,
a henchman of Cook and OF the same com
mite; o. o. Howard, honorary trustee
Ian office and position unknown 10 the
chartcr); Lewis Clephane, OF the Finance
Committe, and b .ew more, enough tocon-
stitute quorum Of nine. and Il majority
of that five held high carnival over the
freedman's hard earned and sweat-stained
earnings, which in an evil hour they had
been csjoled into trusting them
with for safe keeping and profitable in.
vestment. The freedmen were swindled
out of their money for the benefit of
strangers, while the canting hypocrts
who had deceived them under professions
of regard for their race, and who have
undoubtedly directly or indirectly shared
III the plumber, go unwhipped OF justice.
Proof of actual fraud and dishonesty
is not wanting in the following instances
j. W. Vandenburg was n pet of the Dis
trict government rs Il sort of protege and
favorte contractor for grand public im-
provements, planned and put into eXecu-
ttion by the Board of Public Works.
The report says that the securities on
which Vanden5urg borrowed money
from the bank were not worth four cents
a bishel as sslesble securities or as evil
dence of the debt The sctuary of the
bank himself d. l.. Eaton, was persuad-
ed to accept as gratuity from Vanden-
burg half interest in 100000 con-
tract Tor sewer pipes. Eaton put in no
money of his own and incurred no risk
or responsibility, and had no trouble
about it except TO sign receipts for, his
share of the profits, but he
used the influence OF his position
to pass vandenburg's paper AT
the bank counter, and the money thus
obtained was used to carry out the con.
tract in which he was interested as ben
eficiary. This may not be steal, but rs
still owes to the bank, ac-
cording to the exhibit made by the hooks
Of this concern, Sl44,l64, which, how.
ever, he disputes on the ground that
some $4,000 or $4,000 OF his sureties
had been disposed Of and no credit
given him, the rest being hardly worth n
contest about The Freedmen depos-
itors have the consoIation of knowing
thew have been heeced by an
irregularity, to use a polite and exculPa-
tory phrase employed by the commission
ers when compelled to alude to the ras-
cslities Of their predecessors in the man
sqement and control of the bank. But
the committee say the Nandenburg-
Eaton irregularity is a small matter in
actual criminsli,y, compared with the
Seneca Sandstone swindle. This bubble
WAS q fancy stock gamble, got up 10y ii.
ID. Cook, John L. Kidwell and II. ii.
Dodge, by which $4,000 of the freed
mems money were drawn out On worth.
less securities. Every one OF the survi-
yors of this great fraud and con-
splracy, namely, Henry ID Cook, Lewis
Clsphsne, Hallett Kilbourne and
]. d. Evans should be indicted. tried and
to the extent Of the law, while
those who are pecuniarily responsible
should be sued for the recovery OF the
money or good securities, consisting in
part of $40 1000 in first msrtgage bonds OF
the Maryland Freestene Mining and
Company, Of which the
bank was robbed by the conspira;or u.
w. Stickney, the assistant Actuary, and
others. Eaton, the Actusry, is shown to
have been not only privy to these crooked
transactions, but the principal actor IN
others. of which fraudulent conversion
pf funds TO his own private use is one, and
for which he merits and should receive
punishment
Highway Robbertes.