The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-04
ANOTHER ROTTEN BUREAU.
COTTON CLAIMS PdID THAT WE'RE
COYERED WITH FRAUD.
How Ono Claim was Adjudicated- $4,000
Paid TO Men WHO had no Title to the
Money-Gctiina Rich on $1,000 n Year.


Paid to Men who had no title to the
Money-Gcuing Rich on $1,000 n Year.
WAsIIISGToN May 3.-The Sub-Commit-
tee Of Expenditures in the Treasury Depart
ment. which Is investigating the Cotton Bureau,
has about completed It's examination of the
Parkman Brooks cotton claim, aud will he
ready to report thereon In n short time. The in
quiry has been thorough one, and leaves
doubt on the minds Of any member OF the COM
mittee IA to tho character OF the claim. 1t Is
covered with fraud from the beginning to the
end, and Roddy and Brooks had no tito what
ever to the money paid them, some seventy odd
thousand dollars. They were already Indebted
to the Government for more than that amount,
and their notes to secure the same were In the
possession OF the Treasury officials. II the
award had even been an honest one, the amount
should have been put to the credit Of the Gov
eminent, and endorsed on the claimants notes.
The Investigation leaves no doubt as to the
Influences which were brought 10 bear to have
the money paid over to Roddy aud Brooks. The
Solicitors office reported squarely against the
claimants, and then tho case was taken out Of
that office and passed upon by another division
having no authority in law whatever 70 adjudi-
cate IT, W lille II wus In the Solicitors office Roddv
went to the clerk having charge Of it and told
him thnt he had an order from the President
directing the claim to DO allowed. The clerk
| Mr.. Joseph }. Bufr, In reply to this said that
| the case would have To stand on its merits so
| far ~ he was concerned, 40 matter who ordered
| II i'd. He. however expressed u DOUBT about
| the President having ordered II to be allowed,
| whereu2on Roddy produced slip Of paper on
| which WAS written in substance the following {:
have known Gen. p. d. dly for a number OF
| Any statement ma 9 b. him can he relied on.
| THIS, Burr says, was written on a half sheet Of
note pater, aud was signed " U. ). Grant" As
far az hts recollection goes. there was no date to
| It. He did not regard II as an order. and II
| would not have inf 4enced him n It had been.
| His impression was that Roddy was making use
| OF a general endorsement when he mad OBJ
| tanned from the President Tor an entirely differ
Burr gave Rnddy to understand in a very
| pointed manner That his report would he against
his claim, and shortly after this the papers were
| Withdrawn from the solicitors office, the claim
| was ordered to be p4id. and the account went
to the First Auditor. After the papers had gone
there hey were Withdrawn and again sent back.
| with an order to tie First Auditor to simply
state the account From there the @ SO went to
| the First Com'troller, who decided that the
claim IN Offset with the notes Of Pmkman,
| Brooks x Co. That there was great haste tn get
the Sc through - shown by the fact that Cha.
| +. COnant, now Assistant Secretary, but til n
| head % the Wtrrant Division Of the treasury
department, had drawn the warrant for the
amount.
Two days before the claim was finally passed,
after Secretary Bristow came into once, he
the developments made. Roddy Brooks, Haines
(WnO was COmtiS -tuner II Customs at the tim },
and Barstow. u clerk in the Cotton bureau, were
Indicted. hen Koddys friends went to Dis
tiict Attorney Wells and showed him the note
| that Grant had gwen koddy. After that Wells
" slow ABOUT pushing tho cases To trial, and
| this slOwness has nev r been accounted Tor on
any proper legal grounds.
The committee has also been inquiriuQ gen.
orally into the administration OF the Cotton
Bureau irom rs establishment no - few
months ago. This turelu mas been without any
war; M of law part Of the customs division.
Secretary BristOw, II seems. investigated the
matter, and infing that there was no authority
for the bureau, ordered the whole tang to be
turned over to the First Comptr )ller, whore II
properly belonged. Practically few clerks
have had. ever since the seizure OF cotton IN the
late reoeliious states. entire control u the I'm
purtant interests involved IN the adjudicati0n
Of cotton ses. he loose manner IN which
the business II this bureau VS. conducted as
tOusnes even the Republican members OF the
committee.
For example, It was long the habit to allow
son y one clerk In this bureau to have the dis
bursenle Of large sums OF money without tn r.
plOyed 10 defend the interests OF the Govern
| ment IN any cotton cases, or " any other ex-
| peuses Of whatsoever KIND were incurred, the
| money was paid through a CLERK, and ne simply
rendere an account OF such disbursements. and
frequently without any vouchers TO substantiate
IT,.
| terest In the Ercn.ng Star of this city, one
| or the clerk, VINO disOursed large amounts OF
| money Ia fhs way. The money was given tt
| him sometimes upon the verbal order OF Secre-
| ttry AcCullOch. aud sometimes upon written
| orders, IN amounts varying from Sl0D 10 $+O.u0
| lie rendered no account Of his Disbursements
until long afterwdrd, and then SIMPLY made
81 itemenL OF his expenditures. Kaufman wal
a hrsl-class clerk at a salary OF $l2uO year
After three years service In the Cotton DureIu
his salary was increased by McCulloch to $bOO
q year, sud tie order ante dated so be TO cove
| the time during which he had been paid 81 IN
When Kaufman WIS finally forced to resign h
soon afterward blossomed out "a u capitalist
aud - to-day the owner Of property worth owe
tlDU,UUU.