The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-03-23
THE NEW S.
ANArIoNAL sCANDAI
DisgracefuI Charges in Connection with
the EnneraI Of the Late President

sergeanLat-arms of the last house of
in connection with the
funeral ceremonies of President Gar
field. A report has been published : at
there was total expenditure of s., 60
On behalf of the members of the house
in connection with the funeral; that
there was one item of 81 200 paid for
champagne, brandy, whisky, cigars and
lunch, $500 of which were charged TO
cocktails. and that there were general
indications that, at sometime during the
absence of the Garfield party from Wash
ington, there was u shameless orgie. A
subcommittee of the house committee
on the expenses of the Garfield funeral
has been engaged in auditing the bills,
and has decided for the present
TO KEEP THE FACTS SECRET.
So far as can be learned from careful
inquiry, the circumstances are these:
The committee has decided not to per-
nit anything to be made public that has
happened before the committee except
the fact, which is a matter of public
record already, that the house adopted
the unanimous report of this committee,
and paid John g. Thompson, sergeant
at arms of the last house of representa-
tiYes, to reimburse him for expenses in
Cured in connection with the funeral,
$S,245. The resolution ordering this
payment was adopted unanimously
Feb. last, and the sum was imme IL
ately paid TO Mr.. Thompson from the
contingent fund of the house. Sergeant
at Arms Thompson was in Washington
at the time of the death OF Gen. Garfield.
The members and senators in the city
REQUESTED HIM FORMALLY TO TAKE
CHARGE
of the funeral expenses and of the cor.
tege To Cleveland, assuring him that lac
should he reimbursed, and recommend
ing that he should act literally in re.
gard TO the matter. Mr.. Thompson con-
tracted bills and borrowed money for
thiS~purpose to the amount indicated,
and presented them to the committee to
be audited. He remained in Washing.
ton two months after this congress met,
and his own successor was appointed in
order to pay the bills that he had in
CURED on that account. The committee
included in it's allowance to him a sala.
~ for two months at the same rate
which he would have received had he
remained in the Office of sergean-at.
arms. This was done on the ground
that his time was occupied in settling
these accounts.
THE ITEMS
which make up these $4,000 have not
been made public. They were examin.
| ed and approved by the subcommittee
of the special committee. 1t is doubtful
| whether all the members of the whole
! committee ever saw the items. There
may have been prudential reasons why
| it was deemed advisable that as few
members of the committee should know
about the items in detail as possible
The vouchers have not been presented
| to the clerk of the house of representa-
| tives, who has the accounting of the con
tingeht fund, nor have they been for
warded TO the treasury department, mol
will they be. They are now in the Gus
tOdy of the committee, where they are
likely to remain, unless they shall be
called for by the house, or unless public
| opinion shall demand their publication
Among the items is one for 81, 500 &c
Wormley, the caterer, for which is call
ed the lunch. In Wormley's bill there
are charges for
CHAMPAGNE, BRANDY, LIQUORS AMI
| CIGARS,
| and it probably is from the items con
tanned in this bill that the story as &c
cocktails originated. There is no doubt
that there was good deal of liquor or
the representatives tram; that it wa!
provided by the late serge9it-at-arms OF
his own responsibility, and that congress!
has paid for it. The persons compos
ing that train were congressman or i'm
mediate friends of congressman and in
vited guests. The rule upon this scort
| was very strict, the representatives o
the press being rigidly excluded, the ex
clusion extending even to the agent o
the associated press. In Mr.. Ihomp
sons bill was also included the hotel ex
penses at Cleveland of all the member
of congress and invited guests. In i
are also said to be embraced charge
made by a considerable number of con
gress for expense to and from the plac
where they were at the time of the fun
eral to Cleveland and return to thei
| homes.
| THE VOUCHERS
in many instances are signed by the cor
gressmen themselves. The carriage
are charged generally at SO per trip
There is a large item fer the expense G
telegraphing from Washington TO ever
representative and senator. Carriage
were provided both for the funeral i
Washington and the funeral in Clevt
land. There is considerable sum 70
Grape for decorating the capitol build
ing. The cost of transporting the me-
rine band to Cleveland and return
also in the accounts. There was an a
lOwance made for the cost of a specia
train from Washington to Cleveland Iii
accordance with the arrangement frs
made by Sergeant-at-Arms Thompso
with the local agent here,) but the Peur
sylVania railroad authorities decline
to take any money, directed that tn
allowance be covered into the Unite
States treasury, and said they had NJ
titled the committee of congress that
THE PENNSYLVANIA COMPANY WOULD AZ
CEPT NO MONEY
for its service in connection with tn
illness and the death of Gen. Garfield
In addition to this $4,000 already pal
and to the large sums of money whic
the committee has agreed shall be pal
to the attending physicians, there II
mains outstanding of claims unadjuste
probably some $1,000. This include
bills for collins, an additional bill fo
carriages and for hotels, special allow
ances for white house employees on al
count of their very arduouS service
during the presidents illness, includin
Steward Crump, ana a good many il
cidentals of that sort which undoubteC
" are very much more legitimate tina
a very considerable number of the item
included in the $1,000 already paiC
So far as can be learned, the item
which the American people would mos
heartily approve, and
WILL INSIST MUST BE PAID
remain still unadjusted, while the bill
which ought never to have been incul
red, and the contracting of which was
disgrace to the nation, have already bee
liquidated, and have been paid withou
the knowledge, probably, of many eA
cept the subcommittee and the partie
! in inf "a in IN
terest are to be included the congress
men who did not hesitate, as member
of Gen. Garfield's funeral cortege, t
make liberal use of liquors provided q
government expense. Sergeant alarm
Thompson was guaranteed reimburse
ment by many senators and representa-
tives. He did not consult them as t.
the providing of liquors, and he seem
to have been paid for that service with
out question.
THIS IS THE SECOND TINE
when, on the occasion of state funeral
there has been a dIsgraceful abuse O
this sort, The other occasion was tn
funeral OF Charles Sumner, the commit
tee accompanying whose remains pait
for very considerable quaint ity of lie
uor out of the contingent fund. Mi
Thompson was ingenious enough t
| nave lis aCCOuAI LuSuCO III
beginning, when congress was really il
| ignorance of its character.
| Progress of Work on the Northern Pa
cific.
NEW YORK, March 21.-Concernin!
the progress of the work nn the North
ern Pacific railroad. Vice Presiden
Clarke said to-day; THE track is nov
down in the Yellowstone valley to I
| point 1876 miles west of Glendive ant
twenty miles beyond the mouth of thu
\ Little Rosebud. The open winter ha!
| been very favorable for work, and grad
ing and track-laying have scarcely beer
interrupted. We have laid ninety mile:
of track in the Yellowstone valley dur
| ing the winter months. West of oui
| present terminus we have forty miles
| graded and ready for the rails. We ex
pect 10 reach Coulson, 225 miles west oil