The Evening critic., 1882-03-11
MR., JAMES EvELETH.
An Endorsement by One who Knows
Him We'll

By suecial request we copy from the ffeu-
ericksburg tval Nelrs OF March o. the follow
ing letter from Judge Jett
FREDERICKSBURG, VA
March 8, 1892.
10 Me Edit0g OF ne Nears.
Having seen, from card published In the
Washington Republican OF the Sd instant, from
my relative and friend, Mr.. James Eveleth, OF
that city, that he has been proclaimed and
sued by tho United States as defaulter, !
have been at some pains TO ascertain all the
pertinent facts in the case, and mud, as and
all who know him expected to flnd, that the
allegation ia, as Mr.. Eyelcth has character
lied 1t, unmItigatedly and cruelty false.
These facts are clearly set forth In the care
fully prepared statement which submit with
this and ASK you 70 publish, in los,,ce sue arS 10
friends In this and other portions OF the STATE.
MIR. James Eveleth, on the LIST day OF July.
1880, was assigned by the Secretary OF War to
superintcnd the construction ora flre.proof roof
for the building at corner OF seventeenth and
streets, and to disburse the money
Appropriated for the same, by act OF Congress
approved June 16 1880 The condition OF
he bond upon which Mr.. Eyclcth has been
sued is, as recited in the notice OF suit, that,
ff the above bound James Eyeleth, shall aud
will, in all respects, faithfully perform all and
singular the services assigned to him as above
recited, then the above obligation shalt be
void and OF none effect; otherwise to remain
In full force and virtue" and the allegation
upon which the suit is based is, "that the said
the premises, did not In all respects faithfully
perform all and singular, ti0 services assigned
10 him as in the said condition of the said
writing obligatory recited, in this, that he did
not disburse ali the moneys which came Into
his hands by virtue of his said assignment by
the Secretary of War; but, on the contrary,
failed to disburse, and applied to his own use
the sum OF 50. 700 OF said moneys, which said
sum he did utterly neglect and refuse, and
still doth neglect and refuse to pay over or
TO account for the plaintif, viz; the United
States"
In considering these allegations, the first
that attracts attention Is Mr.. Eveleths grave
ofrense In not disbursing all the public money
that came into his hands-an offense to which
he is no doubt ready at any time to plead
high degree of intelligence and n disbursing
officer of many years experiences, he
has failed it TIC to learn that 1t It
disburse all the public money that came into
his hands, whether needed for the purpose
for which 1t was intrusted to him or not. On
the contrary, he has doubtless felt 1t to be a
common duty of every disbursing officer to ex-
ecute every trust conflded to him, as economl-
cally as was consistent with faithfulness to
| the Government. In this case Mr.. Eveleth ex-
| ecuted the work assigned to him. to the entire
| satisfaction of the Secretary OF War, for
| $27S.12 less than the sum appropriated for 1t,
| and accordingly returned that amount to the
Treasury. SO much as to his having failed to
| disburse.
In order to clear understanding of the
| above alleged delinquencies, IL is proper to
| state that the appropriation for the work con-
| Hded to MI. ENeletn was " 10 cn1Dle inc Sec
retary OF War to cause to be constructed a FIRE
| proof room,' &c. See act OF June 16, 1880,
| volume 81, Statutes at large, page 26O. Surely
| this act conferred upon the Secretary OF War
| the power, II 1t was not already inherent In
| his office, TO select the agencies he thought
best to employ, and to direct the expenditures
| he deemed necessary to accomplish Its pur-
| pose, and in the exercise of such power Mr..
Eveleth was appointed by him on the 1st Of
| July, 1880.
on the Dist of July, 1880, the Secretary OF
War, as required by law, informed Mr.. Eve
leth that 1t was necessary for him to file a
bond in the sum of $4,000, for faithful
accountability for the public money, to be
from time to time advanced to him from the
Treasury, and that in consideration of that re-
Quirement, and for the reason that the duty
| assigned to him in connection with the roof
| would leave him but little time during the
progress of the work for attention to his duties
| as clerk in the office of the Chief Of Engineers
his salary as such clerk as well as his salary
OF $3.50 per annum as Superintendent OF Win
der's Building, would be suspended, and that
he would be allowed instead $500 per month
for his services in connection with the roof from
the date OF his assignment to the duty of su
perintending and directing Its construction
and disbursing the money appropriated for II
to the time of its conclusion. Under this
authority Mr.. Eveleth Is understood to have
| charged In his accounts monthly vouchers fol
$500 for his services, and TO have filed with
| his first voucher certified copies OF the Secre
| tary OF Wars authority upon which the charge
the $2.700 for which Mr.. Eveleth and his
sureties have been sued as for public money
which he failed to disburse and applied to hi
own use.
In Mr.. Eveleth's card, as published in thu
National Republican OF the 3d instant, h,
mildly characterizes the allegations agains
| him as ''unmitidateyly and cruelty false.
? | ! say mildly, for he might with entire trutl
have added, and known to be false by the per
son who instgated them, who, am reliabl
! Treasury, whose duty II was to know, and VIII
> did know, that the money In question was fol
mally accounted for by vouchers in Mr.. Eve
| lptll rs accounts. In the way that all Otle
expenditures made by him were accounte
, | for. ResnectfullY. j. b LETT.