The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-06-08
IOFFICIAL INQUIRIES.
SHOWING THE CORRUPTION OF TINE
LATE STATE OFFICIALS.


william Pitt--liich Communications.
The joint committee TO investigate the Audi
tors and Treasures Offices met yesterday, sena'
cor Steven presiding.
DR.. Bruins was called and testified - TO ex-Au
ditor Johnson's illness when the first man
damus wss issued from Judge Houstons court
MIR. Dubuclet, cashier in the Office OF the State
Treasurer, was called and testified In regard tc
the Wills warrants. That warrants 447 TO Asa
for $500 EACH and one for $3.50 81, were presented
by en.Tax Collector John W. Fairfax, in settle
snent Of his accounts at The State Treasurer
office, and thai they were rejected by the Treas.
urer, Don't know that
FAIRFAX RETURNED THE WARRANTS
TO Gov. Kellogg; they were presented in settle
ment in January, 1876; think they we're Of The
series Of 1874. Have been cashier OF the State
Treasurer since October, 1885, first trouble oc-
CURED with MIR. WickliHs and the Treasurer
there Was none between Graham and the Treas
ursr; was trouble all the time between Mfr. Clin-
ton and ths Treasurer; frat In the matter Of The
purchase Of warrants at auction, then in his
orders to the tax collectors; had correspondence
with The Attorney General about LII in 1873 re-
fused to receive checks from the tax collectors;
he had received money from the tax collectors in
settlement with him prior TO that time. That was
CROOKED WAY or SETTLEMENT,
In that case the Attorney General was applied
TO for protection. Have the letters. The com.
mittee OF experts, Gardner, Phelps and Cock
burn, were appointed TO examine the Office. In
1879 Capt. Merritt was appointed. and before
that Mr.. Harrison. Their reports were published
In pamphlet form.
Mr.. Fulton, tar collector Of The First District,
has made no settlement recently. Cannot re-
member the last settlement. Will refer to the
books. Mr.. Joubert has settled al1prdered by
the Auditor. Ia making his last seyElement to-
day.
! CANT recolect when the late Assistant Attor-
ney General made his last settlement. The late
Attorney General Field had no collection OF taxes
to settle for.
You will see special report of the Treasurer,
published in pamphlet form several years ego.
Will furnish statement Of Mr.. Fulton's settle
ments, and also warrants for Mr.. Wills salary %
clerk in the Auditors Office and the Governors
Office
AT THE SAME TIME.
Some OF the tax collectors kept money In their
hands sometimes weeks and months after they
had settled with the Auditor. Mr.. Joubert was
most prompt In bis settlements. Some Of the
other city collectors postponed their settlements
FOR weeks. Have records Of compromise SETTLE
Inents with Mr.. Thos. q. Anderson for the parish
of 1T. Landry. Have D private memorandum
book containing all such settlements They are
set down In detail, the class Of warrants etc. /
keep the letters from the Auditor showing the
amounts In cash and warrants paid In. These
were notices from the Auditor. CANT say
whether the law was obeyed or not The Office
was barricaded on the night OF January 8. The
Treasurer asked MIR. Packard to
HAVE THEM REMOVED,
Iv,t In raf,uad The Trao a,,enr ,.~,tn.tna ~,
the 9th the public were admitted. After that the
Metropolitan Police had control of the Office, No
papers were removed 80 far ~ we know, but
every armor, drawer, and desk was broken open
while the police were there. The armoir con-
tanned paid warrants, and VIC don't know yet
whether any are gone. All the books In the
safe were found intact This was done while the
police had charge Some OF the old books that
were outside had leaves torn out, and some were
defaced.
Between the 9Th OF January and April lat, say
in the latter part OF January, visited the Auditors
Office.
ALL THE CLERKS WERE THERE,
as was the police. The clerks complained that
paper, pens, etc., were taken away.
To MIR. keetng- Impossible FOR the Treasurer
to tell what tax collectors have settled In full or
not. Some few have settled with the Treasurer
for certain amounts due since December. The
parish OF Oaddo has made a late settlement.
Cannot tell whether II is complete or not. Mr.
Carr, Of DeSoto, has been here twice to SETTLE
but on account OF the books In the Auditors OF.
foe being missing he could not settle. The same
trouble prevented settlement In the Caddo
case. No settlements were offered and none
were made
DURING THE BARBIcApE.
Many applied 10 me, but replied that they
could only settle when the barricade was re-
TO Mr.. wheeler--The Treasurer demanded OF
MIR. Packard that the barricades be removed. Mr..
PACKARD WAS IN THE OFFICE
himself: he said he would remove them for few
minutes to let the tax collectors make settlement
but the Treasurer refused, unless they were re.
moved to admit the public.
Prior to 1874, the Auditor, or his clerks, paid
In the compromise orders. Since then the Or
ders were handed In by the tax collector, or his
deputy. During 1876 there was no arrangement
between the Auditor and Treasurer. whereby the
tax collector would make settlement with an
Auditors clerk present with the orders.
Know OF no arrangement whereby broker
could make tax collectors settlements with
profit to himself. tax collector could not
PAT IN CONSTITUTIONAL WARRANTS
in settlement with cash.
To Mr.. Aldige-Some collectors demanded OF
me on the street, during the barricade. 20 know
when the Office would be open. Mr. Crozier, OF
Lafourche, was one and the collector OF Caddo |
another.
Allen Jumel sworn-Took possession OF the |
Auditors office on the 2sth, after the State |
u
guard In the Office, but remained ct Odd Fellows
Hall until the 2sth. Everything was locked. |
The vault was opened In the presence Of Mr.. No |
tary Graham, who took an inventory Of every |
thing. It took Ave days to open the vault. None |
OF the 1874, 1878 or 1876 appropriation books |
were found, and In fact, nothing that needed |
to carry on the Office
Mr.. Aldige presented letter from Mrs. Field,
AZ follows:
New ORLEANS, June 6, 1877.
Hon. Mr.. Aldige President Of Audtorial Investi-
eating Committee:
Sir-l have the honor to enclose copies of let
ters In my possession which may refresh the
futile memory OF Mr.. Kellogg or Judge Braughn.
Also, copies OF indictments or informations
against Auditor Clinton and others. amounting
70 near Slo0, 000 These are ternei by Mr.. Kel-
iogg 90 "trihing and of no consequence, founded
IN malice, ana prosecuted from spirit of perse-
cution." Certainly no light charge did it ema-
nate from any other source against the late At.
torney General, accredited by all with having
been diligent, competent official, faithfully at.
tempting to protect the interests OF the state.