The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-03-16
the Delaney Investigation.


against state librarian Delaney, have
had several sessions and heard a mum
Der of witnesses. Among them was
Sol. Foster Jr' who wrote some of the
articles about Delaney's doings which
were published in the Press in the sum
mer of 1881. Fosters informant
was Samuel Adams, then carpet
dealer on Third street Harrisburg.
"IIe told me-" said Foster, shat
there had been a syndicate operating in
Harrisburg for some time. He was in
it, he said, and got his 'divvy out OF
warrants given for goods that were
never supplied. Among other things
was told by Adams that certain
bill for S499,22 fled in the Auditor
Generals Office was for articles not one
of which had never been supplied. |
copied that bill and published it. Sub
sequently Adams explained to me the
modus operandi of the syndicate He
said it was high time to publish the
matter and if he was to go down 9th.
ers should 90 with him. lie seemed
very anxious to tell me every thing.
Adams and his brother-in-law, Gray,
had furnished great deal of goods to
the State. He said that it was a com
mon thing for persons in the ring to
make out bill for four times the
true amount ard get the money for it.
He said he had been treated very bad
ly by some of these people and as they
went back on him he'd be damned if
he wouldn't 90 back on them. Adams
centred his attack on Delaney, without
whose certificate, he said, the bills
could not have got through. | have
known Adams for FIVE years. believe
that what he said was true or | would
not have published his allegations. |
reasoned that Adams was the most
likely man to know any crookedness
that might have been in this business"
On the following day the committee
was called together to hear what Sam
uel Adams had to say.
II have no knowledge of Delaneys
official acts" he declared. "When l
was interviewed by Mr.. Foster | felt
aggreved and sore at Delaney, because
I was under the impression that he
was the cause of my not getting the
contract in 1881. | made some re-
marks to Mr.. Foster which, under or
dinary circumstance, / probably would
not have expressed. 81 'swelled his
head more than ] ought TO.
II wouldn't go on the stand and
swear to anything that l told Mr.. Eos.
ter" continued Adams ~ never had
any dealings with Delaney whatever
| never said Delaney had ring and
that / had divvy in it at least l don't
recollect so. | don't remember telling
Foster that Delaney certified TO bill of
goods that were never delivered. Eos
ter pumped me so much that l don't
remember all said.
Thomas M. Jones, Que of the best
known journalists in Harrisburg, testi-
fled that shortly after the contract of
1881 was awarded he was hailed in the
street by Adams and, although the
journalist was in a hurry to go on, Ad-
ans insisted upon speaking to him
about Delaney. ''He said," continued
Mr.. Jones, ''that if half were told about
things up there people would open
their eyes. He told me of one bill Ger
titled to by Mr.. Delaney and amount
ing TO over $4,000, not an article of
which had ever been furnished. He
charged that Mr.. Delaney had told Mr..
Chellis the amount of Mr. Adams bid
and consequently Mr.. Chel!is underbid
him. Subsequently Mr.. Adams spoke
to me about Mr. Fosters publication
He did not deny it, but said that il
would soon blow over
Charles 4. ST. John, of Wilkesbarre,
who was night watchman at the Exec.
utive office during Governor Hoyt''
term, testified that in the latter part OF
1880 he saw seven sacks full of the
cloth bound Agricultural Reports OF
1879 and nine boxes of the pamphlets
containing United States Statutes, each
box holding two hundred and fifty OF
three hundred pounds, wheeled away
in hand-cart at night. The boxes
were taken from the porch of the Ex
ecutive building while st. John was or
watch inside. The Agricultural Re
ports and lots of good wrapping paper
were taken from the Capitol basement
He understood that all the books were
taken to Macklin's rag store. He saw
William Delaney, brother of the Libra
rian, Watchman Hanlon and another
Hill employe named Dougherly cart
the articles away. He understood that
the Agricultural Reports and Other
documents on the Senate side of the
Capitol were in the custody of Della
ney.
Delaney attends the meetings witt
his counsel, and talks when he pleases
Whether the committee will be able tC
find any testimony against Delan ey
strong enough to convict remains tC
be seen.
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