The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-06-06
THE AKKY POKER CLUB.
Repetition OF the Charges Against Pay ma,
ter General Rothester.

Repetition OF the Charges Against Pay mas
ter General Rothester.
WASHINGTON, May 31-rhe erroneous
charge that Paymaster General Rochester is
connected with the Army Poker Club has
also called out repetition Of the charge
brought against him in executive session
when he was nominated for his present po-
sition. Herstofore only the nature of the
charges have been known, but it has not
been possible to obtain the points of the
evidence by which they we're wholly over
thrown. 1t is very curious story. The
charge was made by Colonel Febiger, than
Acting Paymaster General, and was to the
effect that il 1871 Major Rochester had ex-
changed receipts with Major Hodge for
large amount, which enabled the latter officer
to conceal q large deficit. Itwas notelaimed
that Major Rochester had any part whatever
In Hodges irregularities, but that sn order
against such exchange of receipts had been
violated. Colonel Febiger's testimony, when
called before the Senate Committee, was az
good Sc play. He testified that he did not
regard the letter against Rochester which he
had fled charge, bat merely petition that
be (Febiger) might not be overslaughed by
the promotion of Rochester over him. Col
onel Daniel Mcclure came first and he (Febi
ger) second. If either had been nominated
instead of Rochester these chsrges would
never have been filed before the Senate Com
mittee or anyWhereelse. They were only pre-
sented because the President had nominated
Rochester. Febiger then testified that it was
not g custom for Paymasters to exchange
receipts when one was called on to transfer
bis funds and rebond; that he never ex-
changed receipts for this purpose; and, on
being asked if he had made such an ex-
DoN c+a Trla o%f
natl, he declared that, if he ever did SO ne
had thoroughly forgotten il. He farther
swore that his exchange of receipts fer pur
poses of rebondiDg was not usual thing,
and that with the exception of the Roches-
ter-Rodge transfer he had never heard of
one. Upon calling other officers and those
in charge of PsymRster and Treasury &C
counts, it appeared that Colonel Febiger
himself lad exchanged receipts for $3.50
with Major johnson, and that an examina-
tion of records of rebonding each four years
showed that forty-two such transfers of re-
celpts had taken place, and that the best Off
GERS in the service were among them. and
that il wss well-knOwn and recognized sys
tenn. 1t was so common fact that Feoiger
himself had exchanged receipts
for nearly 100000, and on
another occasion for $37, 900, and thoroughly
forgotten it. Next Colonel Febiger' let out
the fact that charges against Rochester were
DTOuShb Dy hlrnSelI, MS trIenOsl anu OOlOneI
Mcclure. But not only were the charges
made to appear malicious bnt all the testi-
mony outside of that Of the two pros
ecutors conourred in representing Major
Rochester as gentleman of the highest char
aoteT, as one of the most efficient officers in
the list one whose accounts were always
clear. and the only one who always got every
cent he made requisltion for, because in long
experience it bad been found that he figured
his estimates so closely that they could not
be cut without detriment to the service. The
upshot of 1t ell was that the Senate Commit
tee made most complimentary report in
favor of Major Rochester's confirmation.