Omaha daily bee., 1883-12-29
Brownlow,s Nenotism

A Washington dispatch to The Louis
vile Courier-J ournal says: There have
been sensational rumors about town to-
day concerning the administration of the
late doorkeeper, w. p. Brownlow, of
Tennessee. 1t is said he is guilty of the
most base type of nepotism, and that he
has carried on pay-rolls fictitious names,
for which he drew salaries and pocketed
them; that he kept on the ~pay-rolls the
name of his partner in q paper-mill in
Tennessee, and that his partner not only
never performed any service as an en-.
ploye of the house, but was never in
Washington. Brownlow is a representa-
tive southern republican, and was elected
doorkeeper of the forty-seventh congress
under the impression that he
was a son Of the late Parson Brownlow.
To learn the facts of the alleged crooked
ness l to-day called at Doorkeeper Win
tersmith's office and asked his clerk about
the matter.
II suppose" said Mr.. Fay, who is
Wintersmith's clerk, that you have re-
ference to the charge that ex.D oorkeeper
Brownlow carried his wife on the rolls as
clerk to the doorkeeperi"
Eyes; is it truel" / replied.
"Herei sthe book. You see there is
G. A. Brownlow."
"Yes."
"Well, that is his wife's name. She
received $400 per month as his clerk
during the vacation. When congress
was in session, and anything had to be
done, he would drop her, and put on a
man who is now q clerk in the treasury
department. He did not drop her from
the roll when congress met this time,
however. You will observe it is here for
December-this month"
Now, about his carrying his boy on
the roll at 81, 200 per annum2"
"That is true also. See (pointing to
the name of Henry O. Brownlow, page,
at 800 per monthly, that is his boy. He
is about ii years old, / understand,
and did some work as page
and some work folding speeches in
the folding-room. He dropped him from
the $1,000 roll this month and put him
on the 5000 roll"
SIS that all2" I inquired.
ono, sir. He had his brother-in-law
on the roll at 5000, but l understand he
did good and faithful service"
'Is that alll"
"No. Here is worse yet. See this
name, Laura Mitchell? Well, she is his
sister-in-law. She is credited with wash
ing fifty-two towels, for which, as you
can see by the book, she was paid $50
q pretty good bill for washing towels, is
it not7 The usual price paid for washing
them, as shown by the book of his pre-
| Iana.anr 10 IN oa,f. rar In,an 81,
81 16a."
"When does his wife's name. G. A..
Brownlow, first appear on the rolf"
February, 1885,"
"Did she keep the booksl"
"No, sir. The books were kept by
Mr.. Z. d. Fitch. All this is his hand
writing that you see in this book, so he
"Did she perform any duty at all2'
81 am informed not"
"Does Mr.. Fitch say that g. A. Brown
low is Mrs. Brownlow, the wife of w. p.
Brownlow, ex.doorkeeperg'
"Yes, SIR"
"And Henry G. Brownlow his son9'
"Yes, SIR"
SIS there any truth in the report that
he carried a colored man on the roll at
$4,235 per annum, and only paid him
S720?'
II do not know how much he paid
him, but the book shows that a colored
man by the name Of Rory Davis was car
ried from January 10, 1882, to October
l, 1883, at $1,000, and that in October,
1883, he was put down to 5000. Rory
Davis told a member of congress that he
only received $50 per month during the
time he was on the 81, 200 roll"