National Republican., 1877-09-21
THE SAWYER CASE.
EXAMINING PROMINENT TREASURY
OFFICIALS

Inc trill Oi tN-SGCretArN SnVycr anu htSNfS
Hainc', Brooks aud Barston, for defraudini
the Government, was continued yesterday IN
the Criminal Court. A considerable numbe,
of persons were attracted TO the courtroom
The witnesses examined were all eX-TreasurN
officials or employees. Ex-Secrctary Richard
Son. cx.Snliritor Ranfcld, and other prumi
nrnt cx.oficcrs and First Auditor MahaI
were examined. BY the testimony of Auditor
Mahnn il came out that when the papers IL
the claims ease first came to him from the Sec
rctarys office, they were indorsed ~ matter
of investigation. liaines afterwards took tn,
papers away aud returned with the indOrse
mcnt erased and intcrlncd, so that the claim
was approved. Tho intcrlincntions were II
S,wycr's handwriting. colorcd mcssergcI
in tho Office of the Commissioner of Customs
testified that he was present when the CLAIM
was paid, and to words that were used Mt tn,
time. which made 1t appear that all partic'
were anxious to keep II quiet. Counsel fol
defense In cross.examination succeeded IN
damaging tho witncsss character con
sidcrably.
THE PROCEEDINGS.
As soon a. the court was open the cxamina-
tiOn of witnesses for the prosecution proceeded
Stephen T.. Cough. n clerk In the office oi
the commissioner of customs, was the first wit.
ness called.
Mr.. Wells explained that the object Of pro-
ducing this witness and accounts was to show
that the first entry on the books of the com.
missioner of customs in the case of Brooks &
Roddv was two days after these accounts had
been paid.
Mr.. Cough in his testimony described Ger.
tain papers, which he said were laid on his desk
in February.
Considerable time was here spent in the cx.
animation Of two boxes of papers in search
after these papers.
The Court urged speed in the case. saying
that he was not going to sit there doing
nothing.
n. W. NAHoN.
Witness Is First Auditor Of the Treasury.
There was no audit of the Roddy claim ar.
count: there was simply an award made by
the Secretary of the Treasury under the law.
and witness had no duty of audit. but simply
OF calculation under it.
When the paper was first presented to wit.
ness the Endorsement had been:
Respectfully referred to the First Auditor for c,.
animation and settlement payable, &c.
But when witness spoke to ITaines in the
matter IIaincs said that the Endorsement was
wrong, and he took the papers out and when
thov were returned the word examination
was stricken out, and the word approved in
serted 50 that II read:
Respectfully approved and referred to the First
Auditor for settlement. payable frum tho apprn.
priation for rcfInlng cotton seed.
Gross examined by Gen. Jcffries: The wit.
ness said that the change whether made by
Mr.. Richardson, Mr.. Sawyer or any one else
was change from an Endorsement not in ac-
oordancc with the practice Of the Department
10 one strictly In accordance with II.
When, In these cases of abandoned property,
the Secretary referred ease to the Auditor,
he referred It only for settlement never for an
expression Of Judgment on its merits. When
the ease came before witness 1t was All al.
nlittcd debt due by the United States tho
question being whether the debt due Parkman,
Brooks & Co. was properly Endorsed on the
notes given in 1S65 by Parkman, Brooks & Co
rs part payment, or whether the debt wns
capable Of transfer TO Roddy.
Mr.. Jeffrics wish to ask you whether you
lave had any conversation with the Sccrc.
tary Of the Treasury in relation to his endorc'
ment.
Mr. Wells objected to this question and was
sustained by the Court.
The rcport of the ex-Commissoner of Gus
toms. Haines, In favor Of his claim was hcrC
read
CT BASFIELD,
Solicitor Of tho Treasury. was next examined
He recolccted the Roddy and the Parkma,
claim in 1884. The substance of his evi
dcncr was that he csncurred in the opinion o
Mr.. Burr adverse TO the claim of Roddy & Co
wN. \. RICHARDSON,
eS-Secrctary of the Treasury, was next called
and Inducements shown him. Witness
thought that the Endorsement was in his own
handwi iting, but that the interlineations were
in the handwriting Of Mr.. sawyer. Witness
could not rccollect whether thn intcrlncation'
were in the Endorsement when he signed It.
Witness does not rrrOllect that he even noticed
Mr.. Sawycrs intcrlincation until he saw the
prpcr in the grand Jury room.
After the recess the prosecution called VIM
d. Fcsscndcn, who testified that he was clerk
in the captured and abandoned property di.
vision.
One day Sawyer came to the room of wit
ness aud asked him whether he remembered
ANYTHING about the claims of ParkmAn
Brooks & Co. witness told Sawyer that thi'
claim had been allowed and the amount 0
the award indOrscd ~ credit on notes Ol
Iarkmau & 60. held hv the Government. and
that this was done with the consent of Park
man, Brooks & Go. There were two con
tcrcnces on the subject Mr.. +. d. RGldy wa
present when one of these conversations &C
Cured.
On cross. examination witness said that h
recollcctcd nothing which would lead him t.
believe that the award of the claim and tn,
Endorsement Of the amount rs credit on th
parkman notes were separate transactions
Witness did not know that the effect Of th
Endorsements on the notes was his agreement
made to pend on the result Of u suit br0ugh
by the United States on these notes
Gen j. You are not q dcinultcr TO the Gov
erLmcut, arc y"u?
Witness No, sir.
Mr.. Rnnfeld recalled Witness was shown
letter which he recognized as having hrrl
sant to him. signed by Secretary Richurl."n
with Snwycr's initials. The letter of til" Sc"
rotary requested tho return of the notes q
Tarkman, Brooks \ Co., rs invalid, but wit
ness replied, expressing n contrary opinion.
MARTIN l.. SOERR,
the next witness, was n clerk in tho AbanduGC'
Property Division. The Pnrkman Brooks
90. papers, except the notes, were in the Gus
tody Of witness. The Endorsement" on tn
olaim papers was not then "intcrlined," an,
Gid not contain the word approved
Mr. s. II. Kaufman was called, but II wa
announced he was not In the city.
GRO. W. CAsSALENE,
the next witness, is superintendent Of en-
craving IN the Treasury.
Mr.. Wells announced that he would usr thi
witness ~ an expert to show to show that tn
handwriting OF the interineation was that q
Mr.. Sawyer.
Counsel for defense admitted this, and tn
witness was not examined.
ALEN. MARSHALL,
y C0lore1 man, made press copy Of the rcp0r
of the Commissioner of Customs, directed T.