The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-07-24

Bluford Wilson, at Cincinnati, to help
capture the Convention for Bristow.
A system of theft, which had gone on
for years, was detected at Norfolk in
1877 by Maj. Moore, special agent. In.
stead of turning into the Treasury duties
collected from merchants on goods, the
Collector of Customs and other officials
stole the money and omitted to enter II
on the books. While Moore was engag.
ed in exposing these frauds he was sud
denly dismissed from the service, and
the matter was put into the hands Of
Aver and Chamberlain, the special
agents whose neglect to examine the
books had made these frauds easy.
A habit of smuggling wines, etc., by
the officers of naval vessels returning to
this country has long existed.
In 1876 while the Sixth Auditor was
confined to his bed by illness, whole
sale removal was made of the more ex-
perienced clerks, and raw hands were
substituted. The Appointment Clerk of
the Treasury explained it by saying that
the Secretary had promised appoint
ments for political purposes, and must
have vacancies to fill.
L. E. Cannon Of the Supervising Ar
chitect's Office was detected in criminal
dealings with contractors, whose &C.
counts he examined and passed on. He
admitted his guilt, but was neither pun
ished nor dismissed. After some time
he resigned and was given two months
leave of absence with pay. He has since
been allowed to practice before the ar
chitects Office where he committed these
wrongs, SIS claim agent and representa-
tiyes of contractors.
When the page of the Sundry Civil
Appropriation bill containing the Hot
Springs appropriation disappeared from
the bill last year, Chief James ]. Brooks
of the Secret Service employed Thomas
a. Britt to obtain proof that the missing
sheet was stolen by Senator Conover of
Florida, out of spite TO ex-Gov.
Stearns, one of the Hot Springs Commits
sioners, whose pay depended on the ap-
preparation. Assistant Chief Simon B.
Benson soon took direction of the inqui-
ry, aud purpose was revealed to make
up case against Conover that would
either force him to vote to seat D. T.
Corbin in place of Senator Butler of
South Carolina, or remove him from the
Senate by prosecution and conviction in
time to prevent his voting. Britt pick
ed up in drinking saloon two fellows,
named William G. Coleman and T. H.
s. Boyd, to whom he proposed that they
make afidavits duplicating Conover.
They hesitated, whereon Benson gave
Britt note to be shown to them, prom
Using reward. To this note he attached
the initials of his superior officer, Hon.
Kenneth Rayner, Solicitor of the Treas
ury, without Mr.. Rayner's knowledge or
authority. The note is as follows:
I understand you to say that reliable
gentleman has some knowledge of the
transaction between certain parties on
the last night of Congress, tending to
show that certain parties in some mys-
terious manner had some knowledge, or
were in some way cognizant of the loss of
certain items in the Sundry Civil bill which
had been agreed to by the Committee of
Conference of both houses. 1t is q
fact and truth that such legislation has
disappeared, and its loss cannot be ac-
counted for. 1t certainly was not neg
ligence that caused the loss, but is be-
lieved to be the work of designing par
ties. To detect and bring to the front
the guilty parties is an object greatly to
be desired and proved; to fasten the
guilt of this great outrage upon the. pub
lie greatly to be desired, and the person
or persons who would aid the officers in
Congress and the Government would
be rewarded in proportion to the result
produced, and he would be entitled
to the commendation of all good citi-
zens. K. K.
To VIM. G. Berrett, Washington D. c.,
July IS, 1878.
Please let the gentleman (your infor-
mant) reduce his statement to writing,
and bring it to me and will then arrange
for meeting with him. K. R.
"William G. Berrett" was the alias of
Britt in obtaining witnesses. When they
saw this note the reluctant witnesses con-
sented to make the desired afidavits which
they took to Benson, who caused them to
be altered so as to make afiants say that
they made these afidavits without any
inducement or promise of reward"
Benson in conversation told Coleman
what he wanted him to swear to, and
that he and Britt "would be taken care
Of" Benson took no steps to inform
himself of the method of enrolling bills,
so as to test the probability of the truth
of Coleman, Holt and Boyd's statements.
(Walter Holt had been taken to Alexan-
dria by Britt andssthere induced to make
like affidavit. Benson, before the
Glover Committee, admitted that he did
not know whether the stolen proviso Or
iginated in the Senate or House, or to
which house the manuscript bill was sent
from the conference committee. He
took no steps to learn the character of
Britt or of the witnesses used by him.
The afidavits themselves were found by
the committee to afford convincing proof
of the utter improbability of their state
ments. Britt told Sherman Conant,
United States Marshal of the Northern
District of Florida, that he had sum-
mer's Job, and that was all he wanted.
Benson tried to induce q clerk in the
Treasury to get Senator Conover drunk
and obtain confession from him. So.
licitor Rayner testified that both he and
Chief Brooks said Benson had no case
against Conover.
Chief Brooks, becoming disgusted with
Britt, dismissed him but in Brooks alb
sence Benson, acting Chief, re-employed
him 10 get testimony in another case.
Benson publicly denounced Solicitor
Rayner for Sfusing to send worthless
charges to.th9Grand Jury, and carried
this so far that Judge Rayner felt oblig-
ed to suspend personal intercourse with
him and to ask Secretary Sherman to
dismiss him.
Solicitor Rayner being resolved to ex-
ercise his power as the head of the Sc
| orot Sarvina and IN make honest 'rul-