The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-04-05
DEFERRED MAFThR
a SERIOUS CHARGE,
ALLEGED FRAUDS UPON THE STATE TREA-


ALLEGED FRAUDS UPON THE STATE TREA-
SURY.
From the Richmond State of tie 26th.l
Last Saturday Mr.. William J. Bigger, as
sistant clerk of the House of Delegates, upon
comparing his accounts of the members of
the House of Delegates (as is customary just
before the close of the session. with Mr..
Frank Binford, third clerk in the auditors
office, found that the certificates issued in
favor OF Mr.. Arthur for SO days. pay had
been raised by the insertion of l before the
3 So as to read Is days. Further inyestiga-
ton disclosed the fact that certificate
''issued to Mr.. Poindextcr for days. had
undergone similar manipulation.
These matters having been brought to the
attention of Speaker Hanger, he urged that
the Committee on House Expenses be at
once convened.
ACTION OF THE COMMITTEE.
The committee met, and after a full inves-
tigation agreed on the following report,
which was presented to the House to-day:
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.
The Committee on House Expenses met at
the request Of the Auditor of Public Ac-
counts in his Office at 81 o'clock P. NJ. on
Saturday, oath instant.
The committee were informed that it is
usual FOR the clerk in the Office of the Audi
tor of Public Accounts, who keeps in that
Office the pay-book Of members of the House
of Delegates, and the clerk of the House to
compare the books in which the accounts Of
the pay of members of the House are kept in
each office.
That upon such comparison Saturday, oath
instant, it was discovered that discrepancies
existed on the books in the accounts of j.
W. PoindeXter, delegate from the county of
Louisa, and J. L. Arthur, delegate from the
county of Bedford. The committee ascer-
tanned the following facts:
The account-book of pay of members of
the House, kept in the clerks office thereof,
shows that on the Oath day OF February
last, a certificate was issued from the office
of the clerk of the House OF Delegates in
favor of J. w. Poindexter, delegate from the
county of Louisa; for three days pay.
amounting to SIS, being the full number of
days pay Including said oath day of Feb
ruary), which said J. W. Poindexter was en-
titled to draw.
1t appears from the account book of the
pay of members OF the House kept in the
clerks Office thereof, that OIL the 9th day OF
the present month a certificate was issued
from the said clerks Office in favor of J. L.
Arthur, delegate from the county of Bed
ford. for three days pay, amounting to SIS,
which was the full number Of days Gnclud-
ing said 9th day of the present month"; which
said ]. l.. Arthur was entitled to draw
Upon examination of the certificates so
issued from the office of the Auditor of Pub
lie Accounts it appears, to the entire salts
faction Of the committee. that each of said
certificates has been altered since they were
issued from the office of the clerk of the
House, as follows The figure has been in
serted before the figure 3, making the certi-
ficatc IL days, and the tiglir" ! before the
figure of the SIS has been changed to 7,
making it SIS in each case. That warrant
was drawn on the Treasury in the office of
the Auditor Of Public Accounts in favor OF
j. w. POindeXter in accordance with the
certificate SO altered, and such warrant was
receipted for on the certificate so altered, as
follows u. Ii. Cabell above the name of j.
w. Poindexter. Upon examination of the
book in the Office of the Treasurer iU was
found that a check for seventy-eight dollars
on the Richmond Banking and Insurance
Company was issued in accordance with said
warrant (the number of the warrant, 5,289,
OIL which the check was issued from the office
OF the Treasurer corresponding with the
number, $3.50, of the warrant as entered in
the warrant book in the Office of the Auditor
of Public Accounts.) Upon examination of
the certificate issued from the Office of the
clerk Of the House of Delegates in favor of J.
L. Arthur. delegate from the county of Bed
ford, for three days pay, amounting to SIS,
and altered rs aforesaid, it was found that
said certificate was signed or the back of
same as follows :. Crittenden - tina. war;
rant was issued from the office of the Au-
ditOr of Public Accounts in accordance with
said altered certificate, and upon cXalnina-
ton OF the book in the Office OF the Treasurer
it was found that check for seventy-eigi.t
dollars on the First National Bank was issued
of the warrant-5, S93-on which the check
was issued from the office of tie Treasurer
corresponding with the number of the war;
rant-5, SEAS entered in the warrant-bOOk
IN the Office of the Auditor of Public Ac-
counts.
The book in the office of the Treasurer
shows that check No. 5.2S9 in favor of J. w.
Poindexter, for SIS. was receipted for sepa-
rately as follows: &C. II. Crittenden,' and
that the check No. 1898 in favor of j. L.
Arthur, was receipted for in the aggregate of
ten checks numbered from $3.50 to $685.
both inclusive amounting to SG42 as follows |
c. L. Crittenden, P. NJ.
The committee deem it due to H. j. Cabell, |
courteous and accommodating page of the |
House of Delegates, to say that the affixing |
OF his signature on the certificate issued on
February oath, 1877. by the clerk of the
House in favor of J. w. Pondexter, delegate
from the county of Louisa, for three days
pay amounting to SIS, connects him in no
improper way with any irregularity or dis
crepancy that appears in this matter. but
such afhxing of his signature is an evidence
only that a warrant was obtained by him
from the office Of the Auditor of Public Ac-
counts in accordance with tie certificate
presented by him.
The committee, in consideration of the
facts above recited, respectfully recommend
that the following resolution be agreed to by
the House:
Resoloed, That C. II. Crittcuden, door
keeper of the House of Delegates be and is
hereby suspended, and the Committee on
House Expenses is authorized to send for
persons and papers, if they decide to further
investigate the matter.
j. L. HOWARD,
Chairman Committee on House Expenses;
H. B. KERRICK,
W. M. SIBERT,
H. E. SMITH.
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