The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-07-24
CHIN agent and representative Of con-

soon took direction of the inquiry
and purpose was revealed TO max
up case against Conover that wonl,
either force him to vote TO seat d. I
Corbin in place of. Senator Butler, o
South Carolina, or remove him iron
the Senate by prosecutions and convic
ZION in time TO prevent his voting.
The report states, hat the secret ser
vice appears to have been used largel.
for blackmailing purposes aud perse
cution of private individuals. and tina
men are employed in it without an!
test of qualification, provided the!
have what seems to be information
against persons; and that persons o
character and reputation who hav'
felt the force Of its methods have as I
rule declined to put their grievances
before the committee, preferring rath
er to suffer in silence than to encoun
ter the plots they felt sure would fol
low their complaints. Solicitor Ray
nor testified: Within eight MONTH
I know of eight of ten private gentle.
men. who have violated no law, whose
names have been entered there, ant
they have been reported ON in tn,
most terrible way. 'g}-sa
wHoLEsALE ROBBERY. 20
In 1862 Congress provided for treas.
ury special agents collecting captured
and abandoned property at the South,
and for turning into the treasury the
proceeds of such property, to be re.
turned to the owners on proof b efore
the court of claims Of ownership and
freedom from completely with the re,
bellion. Under this act It's 600 bales
of cotton were collected and sold, the
proceeds being, as nearly as could be
ascertained, $50, ,500.O 600. Of this sum
So. BIO, ,787 were eaten up in ''expenses'
leaving over $27, ,00O.O OF this. 3d.
$40, 600 have been returned to owners
under Judgment of the court of claims,
81, ,623, 900 by the secretary of the treas
ury, 1922 600 under the special act of
Congress and $lSS, 600 under the act
of May Is, 1872-in all, S11, Gas, 900.
This should leave on hand over $15,-
100000, but the report ofthe secretary
of the treasury shows but about $9,-
OOO, 600 on hand. What has become of
the other six and half millions the
could not learn.
This great raid and seizure of 49,
600 bales of cotton, however. was not
the whole spoilation. Contrary to
law, thousands aud thousands of bales
were seized by quartermasters and
other army officers and sold, the pro-
ceeds never reaching the treasury. In
one year-May 1868 to May 1S64-the
chief quartermaster at New Orleans,
Col. S. B. Holabaid, received 2,799
bales. worth at least $4,000, 600, yet he
only acknowledged 1884, eco net pro-
ceeds, and states that this sum was
spent for army purposes by order o.
Gen. Banks.
COTTON FRAUDS.
From Aug. 25, 1865. to May 5, 1874,
the treasury paid to attorneys. agents
and informers more than $1.OOO,OOO
from the money which belonged to
owners of cotton. One Charles Eamos
and various partners were paid within
ten months of 1866 and 1867 $42O,OOO
by order of Secretary Mccullough,
sl5S0O0 being shared by Eames with
ohm A. Logan, then Representative
and now Senator from Illinois. In
about eighteen months of those years
Mccullough caused TO be paid to 8. ii.
Kaufman, fret chief Of the ootton bn-
rcau, Ss2 coo; aud Kaufman aoon
up as q partner with Boss
Shepherd and Geo. w. Adams, cor.
of the New York World,
in ownership and management of the
Washington Star. which has been con.
spicnouous In defending the District
Of Columbia ring and belieine the Glo-
yer Investigations. Robert S. Hale of
New York, was employed az special
of the treasury department by
McC9llouxh and Boutwell,, and was
paid $24,369 for services rendered in
he. course of two years. James S.
of Indiana, was employed by
Secretaries Richardson aud Bristow to
nd in adjusting cotton cases under the /
lct Of May 1882, and received for
in the course Of two years
SIS. 1913. Besides this, appropriations
to $ld6. 600 have been pro-
;ured by the treasury from Congress
o be expended by that department in
the secretary and his agente
Igainst suits for seizures, and in de-
ending suits in the court of claims.
md the department of Justice has Sc.
'ured in the same time appropriations
# $285. 900 to be spent by that de
'artment in defending suits against
he captured and abandoned proper
y fund'-$45l GOO in all, and the at.
orney general continues to as = for an
for the same purpose of
'25, ,000 every year, though he and all
lis subordinates are salaried officials,
md though under the law very few
otton cases are allowed to go before
he court. asHs, isl
Andrew Homer, q Union officer,
ettled in Alabama in the spring of
S65, and raised crop of cotton " orth
bout $3O, 600. When it was ready for
market one of the treasury thieves
eized it. The cotton bnreau kept
4osmer out of his money for many
ears, took from him one-fourth as
commission to the robber, another /
ourth as expenses and returned half
lis property, minus ten years. interest.
MARINE H0sPITAL SERVICE.
3 DR.. John M. Woodwork, supervis-
ng surgeon general Of marine hospi-
als, testified that under HE manage
nAnt tho marine hOanitnl aarvica was