New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-10-09
up FNGLISUS Defence.

IHe HerOtd punllSncH u ttl'Si"" H"'"
annapolis cmbodying Mr.. Englishs defence
against the pension charges. ms consls's VI
receipts signed by persons alleged 10 DC 'no
living heirs of his grandmother some years
after the pension was obtained, ana DIS o's-
charge as administrator from the PROBATE
Court by which he was appointed. lhese
prove that Mr.. English did finally settle with
most of the persons named In the pension
ordor for their share of the dead woman
estate, but the payments seem I'd n"Nc
been made only after lapse OF years. anu
under pressure. Nothing in these papers
tends in the slightest degree to remove IRON
Mr.. English the odum OF a deliberate tranu
unon the Government, laid upon him by the
official correspondence of the distinguished
Democrat, William l.. Marcy then Secretary
of War, and j. L. Edwards, then Democratic
Commissioner of Pensions.
A comparison of dates here is curious 10
say the least. Mr.. English received the money
September s, 1916. He was DISCHARGED aS
administrator November IL, lo46-Darely TWO
months afterwards. The order OF the court
stated. in the usual terms, that 1t appcareu
from his accounts and vouchers that the
"estafe was fully and finally settled" Alr.
English has not shown any receipt from the
heirs dated before the time Of his discharge
as administrator, at which time the estate
WAS said to he ''fully and finally settled
The earliest receipt, which is really only an
assignment is dated July 20, 1S41-tIght
months after the administrator was discharged;
another receipt October 10, 1SlI-eltVen
months aftorward. Neither OF these makes
any alluson TO the pension, but SIMPLY 10 'he
estate. The only one which mentions the
pcnsion was given August p, 1919, neatly
three years after his discharge as administrator
and some months after the scandal had driven
him ont of his Treasury place. The other
papers a1e mostly certificates, dated tlrce OF
four years after Mr.. English received the
money. and declaring that he had " accounted
for the pension to the satisfaction of the per
SONS named. The language of these certificates
shows that scandal Of some sort had arisen
with regard to the matter. They deny that lie
has been guilty of improper conduct, anu de-
clare that he has settled with Us to oar sat
isflction.D II is difficult to see what
basis there could have been for such scan
dal. if Mr.. English had in promptard business
like manner paid over the money to the hers
when he received it. The evidence Mr. Eng
fish his presented in hi own behalf, raises
the presumption that ne did other men
have done beforc-paid up when he was
found ont.
Bat the main point, after all, Is that Mr.
English stands convicted on indisputablc cvI-
dcnce of fraud upon the Government. No
proof OF tardy restitution to his relatives can
clear that score. On the 1Ith of December,
IF In u fl .I
had received the money and more than two
years after he had been discharged As admin
! istrator. the Commissioner of Pensions writes
to Secretary Marcy
A English was illegally appointed administrat or anu
non, refuses to pm orer he moy Mr. Cooper requests
that the amount due may Dee pad to the administration
who was lawfully appointed under the laws OF Indiana
Again the Commissioner of Pensions unites
with the legal administrator IN the following
| statement to Secretary Marcy:
| W H. English TOR H. GrtfOicat pirpose of procuring
the pcnsioa uoHcy as IS mar ordHL iitg0B proc'Te'
! htcrs Of adminisi'aloH at19i5 i Ciatf Con"y i"dr
ana ,rifhout tie En0rcdg o. cOnscW n anu Pcrs'h m
tcrestld and present the claim and obtained Ie pen
SION money as administrator for tie u-eof me hers
named and las not Dqid Horcr ad rfas odo So ana
is holly iasorc as h. says. and te security sum
Gent and noi TAB e. Tor the amount {.
Secretary Marcy, in his private notes upon
the case, said:
Mr. Coouer iduccs proof to show. and FOR the pur
p,se of presenting the points Of law the fact is Admitted
mat Mrs Els dld reside iu jeff r-on County at ih'
fine of h.r dcccasc and not In Clark County from Tho
C,rt If which English obtained his letter Of admins
trarion It is also alleged and Tor the purpose of rAs
ING the question OF law admitted thar English hns no
ojd e oncy he rcecred as administration t. tine chi
dren Of Mrs L. who by the pension law, are entitled
toit.
Again Secretary Marcy, in his letter asking
fine opinIon of the AttOrncyGcneral, says
"the following facts are admitted by the
Commissioner Of Pensions and Secretary o.
"War":
In 1sl5 W. II. English took out letters Of admnisrra
on as appears CrGuducnay, in Clark County Indiana
on the estate Of the said Sarah Easton and such ad
| mpstraior gave bond, IN $500. and after ward. nm
knocn 10 the children Of the deccaSed, prosecuted he
pension claim for thc of her children. such ad
| mmstrator, and obtained The claim III morey Of upwar'
OF SO OOO and has not pad ocer 10 The ehiidren IN
tilted 10 H. for ichoe use he rcccired IL; and is MR. rs
sans inSolrent and refuses 10 pay to those children en-
Gacd 10 it, These children have now applied for lh
claim In a aspiration under an administration
| legally granted, in jefferson County, Indiana, WHERE
the deceased resided and died. and ask It's allowance.
II must be borne in mind that Mr.. Englisl
was all this time Government clerk, anC
known to these officials as such when they
mt ON record this scathng Indictment of him
A letter in our Washington dispatches shows
Mr.. English in the act Of attempting Il
make to Secretary Marcy the explanation
which he had demanded. 1t was so far from
satisfactory that Mr. English left his place il
disgrace less than six weeks afterward. /
Mr.. English can show a certificate OF character
from William L. Marcy, let him produce 1t.
"SHOW Us THE BOOKS"
One reason is often urged for change il
Government which is sometimes good one
1t might be good now if circumstances were
| L hn nnInncrnfIn a ff,Inni L