The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-16
4 PRECIOUS WITNESS.

Judge Lawrence Testiiies that Barker Prom
ised an Explanation. .'but Never Explained.
WASHINGTON, Dec. l5-Barker appeared
again to-day before the committee examining
the alleged irregularities in the First Comp
trollers Office, and after modifying his former
testimony by saying that when he ma lie the
charges against the judges generally he meant
district attorney, he was excused and Judge
Lawrence took the stand. He said accounts al
lowed in his Office and cited by Barker as illegal
were allowed according to law. Relative to the
resignation Of Barker as q clerk in the First
Comptroers office, Judge Lawrence ss., a
claim for $l65 $40 of the State of Florida against
the United States was presented to the
acting Comptroller for passage dur;ng the
absence of the First Comptroller IN Ohio The
warrant was in unknown writing and was
signed by the acting Comptroller but was de
tained in one division of the Office. When Judge
Lawrence returned he said it wac discovered
the claim was a fraud. He asked Barker what
he knew about it, and he replied he knew moth
ing IA few days after" Judge Lawrence con
tinued, Barker came to my room and said lie
would afterwards explain that matter. Next
morning he resigned. He has never explained
Judge Lawrence, continuing. said he Had over-
ruled decisions of former Comptrollers relative
to payment of accounts He had also overruled
decision of the Attorney general In CON
respectfully
submit that the action of the chief of the di-
vision of judiciary accounts and Of the present
clerks in his division, and of the First Comp
troler as to the accounts in question, is fully
justified If ii should now, or hereafter be
ascertained that any or all of these officers
were imposed on and deceived by false
evidence in any case, by one or
more fraudulent claims, the discovery
can furnish no grounds for any general com
plant that illegal or extravagant claims
which the Comptroller has any power to disalow
or reduce have been or are being allowed tt
would be strange if there were not some sue
cessful frauds practced. During the fiscal
year ended June so 1884 the vouchers exam
ined in the Comptroller's Office reached the num-
ber of 1886, S26, involving 1924. 305, 359 10 OF
course 1t is physically impossible that any
Comptroller can personally examine these or
any considerable number Of them The work is
necessarily intrusted to chiefs of divisions
and the clerks. There are classes Of
claims over which the accounting Of
ticers have no control discretion
to disallowOr reduce in amount They are those
in which some officer is authorized to fix by con
tract or by allowance the amount to be paid, and
those which grow out of and are mere meters
of administration. AS to those claims over
which have control have never heard so far
as | can remember, of but one man in the United
States who alleged that allowed either illegat
or eXtrayagant amounts, and he says l am hon
est, and so far as | can remember | have never
heard of but this one man who intimated that [
had been lneInclent or lnattentlve to business.
The Investigation will continue to o-morrow.
when Witnesses will he examined relative to
BarkeT's reputation and to his knowledge of the
fraudulent claim referred to iu the early part Of
tO-day's testimony.
Barker objected to the admission Of the letters
in Judge Lawrences statement as testimony
Some of these letters and documents were ruled
out One letter was read. but not as testimony
1t was from A NJ. Bennett, and In it the writer
said Barker told him if he was at the head of the
Comptrollers Office he would soon be rich; that
there were millions in it."