Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-03-18
GRAVE CHARGES.

IRREGULARITY IN THE CONDUCT OF THE
OFFICE OF o. s. MARSHAL LEWIs-RE-
PORT OF i GOVERNMENT -AGENT-THE
WAY SOME OF lTHE DEPUTIES MAKE
FEEs-RAIsING THE EXPENSES OF
JUDGE R1vEs' COURT FROM $50, 900 TO
500, 900.
&C., &C., &C.
The following is from the official copy of
the report Of c. c. Lancaster. Jr., made
to the Department of Justice upon the in
vestigation of frauds practiced by United
States Court officials in the Western dis
trict of Virginia, the same having been
furnished the Senate on motion of Sena-
tor Johnston: s.--..-,---
WASHINGTON, Feb. %, 1881.
Sir.-Pursuant to Instructions contained
in your letter of Jan uary 7, 1881, to pro-
coed to the Western district of Virginia
and thoroughly examine the accounts of
the judicial officers of that district, I have
the honor to report the following facts:
Bv reason of official business I was una
BILE to leave my office before the 23d of
January. AS the judicial accounts of this
district had largely increased since July l,
1879, it was important at the outset to dis
cover whether the judicial officers were
responsible for this increase by collision,
corruption, or otherwise. On examining
the records and process on file in the office
of Commissioner J. B. FrSer, at Salem, it
was found that he had drawn 1888 COM
plants since July /, 1879. on which he had
issued warrants; and 207 of these COM
plants were sworn to by deputy marshals
and their workers, nine-tenthS of which
were for retailing liquor, being known as
CAMPHoR-BOTTLE OR FRIVOLOUS CASES.
[See Exhibit
1t was found that Commissioner H.. A.
JamisOn, at Newborn, had drawn 1876 COM
issued warrants, and 1903 of these COM
plants were sworn to by deputy marshals
and their workers. lSee Exhibit 2. Com
missioner b. Gildersleeve, at Abingdon.
had drawn SIS complaints since July /,
1879, on which he had issued warrants, and
liz of these complaints were sworn to by
deputy marshals and their workers, as
above. [See Exhibit 81 Special beputy-
Collector John J. Mcmahon swOre to 1852
of these complaints for retailing liquor,
and he made an affidavit that nearly all
his information in these small cases was
furnished him by deputy m arshals and
their friends. [See Exhibit Al 1t was
found that Commissioner r. A.. Scott. at
Rocky Mount, had drawn 81 complaints
since July 1, 1879. on which be- had issued
warrants. and 80 of these OmIplaints were
sworn to by deputy marshals and their
workers, as above. See Exhibit S. Com
missioner John F. Watson, at Danville,
had drawn los complaints sin ce July l.
1879, on which he had issued W arrants, and
SO of these complaints were sworn to by
deputy marshals and their friends. See
Exhibit 81 Besides the number of COM
plants actually sworn to by deputy mar
shals, more than half of those sworn to by
deputy collectors for retailing liquor, and
this charge embraced four-ffths of the
complaints, were on information worked
up by deputy marshals, assisted by their
strikers and
PROFESSIONAL INFORMERS.
[See letters written to Collector Fern;ald,
at DanviIle, Exhibit 81 While in the Of
fee of Deputy-C Collector Austin. at New
bern, Deputy Marshal M. g. Porter came
in and gave him list of parties and re-
quested him to make complaints against
them for retailing, and one of the parties,
l.. Hale, was United States witness in a
case Porter had brought up before Com
missioner Jamison that day for trial. Aus
tin refused to make the complaints on the
ground that the charges were Frivolous
[See Exhibit 9.
While in Abingdon Commissioner Gill
dersleeve tried the case of Alexander Hub
bard for retailing, arrested by Deputy
Marshal N. B. Dotson, and as the witness
es for the United States knew nothing
Hubbard was discharged. Deputy Dot
son, in answer to my inquiry, stated that
he gave the information to his father,
Depnty-Collect HI. FL. Dotson, who
ha int oI,o
result. Hubbard was arrested seventy
miles from Abingdon, and the cnst'in the
case was $59,42. [See Exhibit 1917 9th
or similar cases could be cited. Nearly
every deputy marshal aoest of >Lynchburg
and DanUille had tsUo or three professional
inform,ers IN their employ, asho acould a0orE
up the cases; and aDhea the deputy nearshals
could not prevail on the deputy collectors to
SUGAR ont the complaints they aoould do 1t
themselves and put down their professional
smformeTs as witnesses for the United States.
THESE DETECTIVES OR SPIES
made business of getting drink or a
pint from any one who had bottle or
s'tickler," and if the money was refused
they would throw it on the ground, and
then make complaint against them for re-
failing. The following is list of some of
the principal informers employed by the
deputy marshals Dave Carter, James
hopper, Henry Snow, Jordan Penn, Jim
Funk, H. Sexton, Dock Hines, J. F.
Gates, Joseph Long, William Shelter, B.
and Robert Childress- ALI men of the worst
regulations and wholly unreliable. Gases
worked up by such corrupt means were
either discharged by the commissioners
for want of evidence. or if bound to court,
the charges were of such frivolous ma
ture that the defendants were never pun
ished. GSee specimen of testimony taken
down by commissioner. Exhibits 10 and
Ill Of 100 cases tried by Commissioner
Frier, SO were bound to court and 81 dis
charged; of 120 cases tried by Commits
sioner Jamis0n. rs were bound to court
and 81 discharged; of 34S cases tried by
Commissioner Gildersleeve, 1856 were bound
to court and 152 discharged; of SO cases
tried by Commissioner scott only IL were
bound to court and Is discharged; of IS
cases tried by Commissioner Watson, SO
were bound to court and 20 discharged
showing that nearly half of all the cases
brought before the commissioner were dis
missed; but the deputy Marshals and
witnesses
GOT THEIR FEES ALL THE SAME.
[See Exhibits IL, 10, and and 5.
While examining Commissioner Frier's
office it was discovered that he had issued
warrants on complaints without an OATH
and some of the warrants had been execu-
ted. 1t was done in this way: Special
Deputy Collector q. P. Latham, stationed
at Floyd Courthouse, would serve by mail
q list of defendants and offence charged,
and Frier would then fill up complaints |
and return them to Frier, who would is
sue warrants on the same without their |
ever having been sworn to. Such war
rants were, of course, illegal and bogus. |
Many of these warrants were executed by |
Deputy Marshal r. E. Latham, brother |
of g. P, Latham. [See Frier's statement,
Exhibit 1871 That this practice was more |
or less INDUCED in cannot be doubted [See