Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-06-19
A BIG STEAL.
The Government SwindIed Out of
Nearly q Million DOllars-The
New Chicago CustOmh0use
the Medium of the
Fraud.

st. Louis Republican, 18th: The report of
| Assistant Secretary French upon the charges
of fraud preferred against the parties having
charge of the construction of the new Chi
cago customhouse, and the Endorsement of
Secretary Sherman thereon, published In the
Washington dispatches a few days since, con-
firm the impression which has existed for
some time that the treasury department at
Washington was not averse to covering up
the iobbery as deeply as possible. Mr.. French
lays the whole blame for the outrageous cost
of the work thus far done, not upon the su-
perintendents, architects, contractors, and
others in authority, whose bondsmen are
within reach of the government, but upon
several hundred laborers and me-keepers,
whom. Mr.. French remarks, it would hardly
be expedient or practicable to indict
and prosecute. The Chicago Times,
which ought to know something about the
matter, says: Concerning the customhouse
frauds it was clearly shown that enormous
steals had been Systematically carried on, and
the amount of money of which the govern
ment is believed to have been defrauded is
more than half a million of dollars. the
evidence showing the nature and description
of these frauds was taken in detail, under
oath, and reported, with singular mildness
and fairness, by Assistant District Attorney
Thomson. Collector Smith, in approving
Mr.. Thomson's report, was much more Sc
we're than the latter in his characterization
and condemnation of the frauds and the Of
icials undeniably responsible for them The
reports of these two officers were forwarded
to Washington. Access to them was denied
to the Chicago press, and to Its representa-
tives in the national capital; but copies were
furnished promptly to as many members of
the 'rirg" as sought them. Supervising
Architect Hill! made his defense. He ad-
mitted nearly everything charged, but placed
the responsibility for the improper contract
upon his predecessors; and for the stealage
upon his subordinates In Chicago. Superln-
tendent Burllng made his defense. He prac-
tically admitted everything, but placed the
Prussing, below him. Acknowledgements
tendent Prusslng made his defense. He ad
mitted everything in substance, but insisted
that he resigned because he did not wish to
be held responsible for the enormous cost of
the structure-a statement which Hill pro-
nounced falsehood, and in connection with
which he furnished transcript of Prussing's
discharge. Mueller made his defense, writ
ten by Mills, who was formerly chief clerk in
the Office of the supervising architect at
Washington, and of whom Burling said that,
owing to his influence In that Office, there
was no use reporting the frauds. The de-
lenses of these parties appear to have been
taken by Mr.. French, assistant secretary of
the treasury, as the sole basis of his report
"
Every line of his report reads like the inspi-
ration and expression of the hired attorney of
these parties. He assumes at the outset and
maintains till the end an attitude of hostility
and censure toward Collector Smith and As
Attorney Thompson. The
only rational deduction, after reading his
document, is that he consciously constituted
himself the champion of Hill, Mueller, Mills,
Burling and Prussing against the govern
ment, and against its representatives In Chi |
cago He says of Mueller that there is
no evidence of fraud on his part, |
that neither Hill, Bur- |
ling nor Prussing denies that enormous |
frauds have been carried on. He lets Bur- |
ling and Prussing go whitewashed from head |
to foot, and places the blame of the frauds |
in the upper story of the building upon the |
time-keepers and laborers, Notwithstanding |
that Burling and Prussing were paid large sala- |
rles for the sole purpose OF seeing that the |
and laborers did their work hon. |
astly and faithfully, and notwithstanding that |
Burling and Prussing certified to the correct |
ness of the pay-rolls by which the successive |
steals were carried on. He dismlsses the |
fraudulent disposition of the contract with |
this amazing blandness: GAS to the frauds
IN the inception of the contract, all CONT acts
with Mueller, according to the practice in the
department. with regard to large contracts,
we're personally examined and approved by
,he secretaries In Office at the time of their
execution; and for such matter as the alleged
departure from the advertisement In one of
me contracts and the fifteen per cent. ele-
nent, which now appears so unfortunate, the
secretaries who approved them, as well as the
supervising architect, are responsible, and
here can be no good object in prosecuting
In investigation for the purpose of
,asting censure upon those gentle
men who have been so long out of Office"
so unfortunate is all this protector of the
interests of the people of the United States
las to say about frauds which have cost the
government nearly million dollars. No
rood can be accomplished by prosecuting
ause they have been long time out of Office
J pom the deductive criminality of Burling
nd Prussing with Mueller, French makes a
orry admission: "As to the bad quality of
he stone, all the commissioners agree that |
he Buena Vista stone, which the department
ad determined to use, proved almost unfit
Or use in such building. Whether the
uarry could furnish better than that deliv-
red and accepted does not appear. If the
tone is not of as good quality as could be
expected from the quarry which
ad been selected, then the contractor, super
ltendent and his assistants, and especially
ne inspector who accepted such stone for the
overnment, are in fault, but a criminal
ombination to defraud could hardly be
1ferred from tEis fact in the absence
any express evidence of motive for |
1ch combination" 1t is impossible for French
imagine what motive bad men may have !
| combining together, explicitly or tacitly, to I
eal. The common motive Is understood to
desire to make money. French has no
oubt, however, that while all the officers 7
ere sanity In their conduct, the laborers
nd tlme-keepers were villains. He cannot
naglne any motive for conspiracy between :
hr1f hn Oh ~ L.. - l.