The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-29

they are men of sense and taste.
Swindling in the Navy Department.
Among the pet contractors of SECOR ROBE
son were s. Z. BRowN and his son. AUSTIN
Brown, of Washington, both known at the
time to be bankrupt in credit and wholly ir-
responsible in every way, outside the Navy
Department when run by II venal and UNI
scrupulous Secretary, who wanted such in
struments for his own uses and who con-
sorted with swindling jobbers by choice,
because they would collude and commitacts
which he dare not suggest to honorable
men. They dealt in coal, lumber, claims,
contracts, and anything else that offered II
chance for speculation.
1t was notorious at Washington that Rings
were organized in the different departments
to levy blackmail on all large claims, no
matter how just they might be- and the
elder BROWN WAS commonly known as the
agent Of this gang of eXtortioners He was
the intermediary between the claimant and
| the clerks. who made or refused allowances
as they were paid or not paid, and who
stopped the regular operations Of the Treas
ury, even when claims had passed the Au-
ditor and Comptroller, TO exact their toll.
Browns methods OF doing business, and
the fraudulent practices OF the Navy De-
partment, were both made clear before Mr.
WHITrHoRNE's investigation in 1876. The
bOokkceper of these Browns, ELCHIAs WOLF.
at first declined TO answer the questions Of
| the Committee, but on second thought, and
after consultation, he concluded TO spcaN
out, as maybe seen in the following extracts
from his testimony:
Q-Now will you tell all that you know relative 20 the
| matters involved Ain lsCa 1870. aud ISL Mr.
B-pwN paid money to TWO naval clerks the amount
s2uo)ea am not positive about the amount but al
least think twas S2vD In the 90 the three
! years i-eu 1870, ami 1871 there money paid by
BRowN, part, through hands ami partly ty himself,
10 the amount OF s2.opp TO each CLERK
Q.-What were the names ot those ccrks' As Has
| EisuFs and JAMS PArttksoN
| Wa, that ; 4 BEowN or A. r BHowN' A-Both.
sou,e times Il raid by one. AMI sometime, By Tie
o,ne SAM sometimes they would leave 1t wltI NE 10
| hand o. them.
| GLOW were these pay ments generally madei Ain
grecnback,. always ~ sfronnacks
| Q-In envelopes A-Soncumes In envelopes. and
they handed me, and said " II PAT give It
10 HIM" That what they called rArransoN short
| The thing done with iiENWqrLs. sometimes
they would into the back office aud ect tens, Ives,
Q-Do You know what service they rendered tor It,
! Ayes. sir
Q-what was ~ A-They u>i /" rans sii, ,or 10, or
ra,d,r fr 0.pL After 1t was awarded to acg roai
| clIng. me Agw,s md d,ctfs N, di6,rsno,
Q-Repcat the method OF dong things. so rs to make
| 1t Ineligible to the Committee A-Nheu We wouli
send IN the hid to the department would putt IN az
such low figure that We would be certain ogetit We
would then there aterward take that schedule back,
take out another and put that contract IN These
clerks had charge OF that department OF the business
| Q-They would then substitute another hlt Am.
other schedule. put another schedule III. There Is a
schedule you had to and the schedule is really the
q What would determine tht.imt to which it should
be raiscdf AAs near ms We could 40 20 thc noAthd
Q.-You would go under the next bldi A--Ncs, sir,
| just enough under not to excite suspicion
q You did that work 10y the direction ofthc nrm' A
The firm offs =. aud A BRowS. They both cosni.
lAnt OF it
This testimony was confirmed by other
wi nesses, and it is known to be literally
true in every respect, as far as it goes, and
less than the whole truth that might have
been told. s. HENRIQUEs is the Chief Clerk
of the Bureau of Equipment and Recruit
ing, in which some of the largest contract
for the navy IRE made at homo and abroad
| His reputation as n jobbcr in the service has
long been notorious rs the confederate u a
thieving contractor ON foreign station
who has regularly swindled the Government
of large sums for years, and Is still permit
ted to carry on these nciarious practices by
the collision of impecunious officers and the
aid of rogues in the department.
After all these exposures, this liENWQUEs
still retains his Office or course StcoI
robson did not remove him, for that would
have been IA reelection ON his own admins
tratOn. The Ancient Mariner THOMPSON
accepted the situation as he found it, and IN
the broad light of day, officials are kept in
place who ought to be wearing striped
costume. And this is by no means an oX-
ceptional case. There are swarms Of black
mallcrs, swindlers, and thieves in the depart
monts, and even worse characters than
these, who arc trembling in their tracks
since the Maine election, for fear of coming
justice. And well they may tremble.