Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-06-26
THE CHARGES OF FRAUD.
The Navy Department Voucher.

THE CHARGES OF FRAUD.
The Navy Department, Voucher.
PROCEEDINGS IN TIE POLICE ooURr-MKssRs xRk-
WOOD, DEMPSEY, DREW AND BURGDoRF WAIVE
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. IN THE CASE OF CUM
MING.
James d. Cummings, w. H. Dempsey, J.
W. Drew, and Aug. Burgdorf, defendants
In the criminal proceedings recently be-
gun In connection with the alleged frauds
perpetrated In the bureau OF medicine and
surgery, Navy department, 10y means OF fraudulent
vouchers, appeared at the Police Court with their
counsel When the usual business OF the court had
Assistant District Attorney Coyle took seats NJ the
prosecuting officers table, and O budget OF papers
was brought to the table
Mr.. Coyle called attention rrst TO the i've war
rants against Mr.. Kirkwood, charging him, In con-
nection with Carrigan, Dempsey and Others, with
making false accounts against the government
that In view OF length OF the investigation that
would be involved II the cases went 10 trial. and
the facilities kindly offered the defense 10 inspect
papers, and on account OF other circumstances,
ne had concluded 70 waive examination
BAIL N TIE CASES OF W. l. DEMPSEY AND KIRKwoop
Mr. Williams stated that he appeared also in con-
nection with Mr.. William J. Miller and Mr. Davidge,
for MI. VIM. II. Dempsey, against whom two cases
are pending. They desired TO waive an examina-
IN the case OF krkwood for ball. and bonds fixed in
each case al g. OO0 making 5000 In all required OF
hirkwood In the two cases against Mr.. Dempsey
Oonos were nxed at 1850 each. making 5000 In
AL Nj. VIM j. Miller was accepted as surety.
BAIL FOR Mr.. DREW.
MI. &. s. Moore, who appeared for Mr.. Drew,
against whom two cases are pending, said that Mr..
Drew appreciated the fact that, 70 make his de-
tense here would involve great deal OF time and
labor 1t was presumed that the court upon an in
specon OF the records OF the cases. would feel
stained 10 send the cases up. Mr. Drew was person.
ally anxious for an investigation, but, upon the adj
vice OF his counsel, deemed il best TO waive an eN-
animation. Bonds were liked at 81 500 In each case
ana the district attorney accepted Mr.. A. A. WI
son as surety.
REMARKS OF JUDGE SMELL
~ wish to thank counsel" said Judge Smell, 'for
the course they have taken. believe they have
taken the wisest course. have considerable conf
dence-a very decided conidence-in the grand
Juries OF this District They may not always do
right, out as rule we have some OF the best bust
case OF this kind can be as ttingly and much more
court"
Mr. BuRGpoRFs CASE
Mr. Jen Chandler. counsel for Mr.. Burgdorf also
waived an examination and Mr. Burgdorf was
given leave to renew his bond IN the sum OF $500
during the day.
HEARING IN THE CASE OF JAMES n CUNNING
When the last case, In which Mr.. James ID. cum |
ming is defendent, was called Mr.. A. III. Jackson,
his counsel, stated that there were some peculiar
features in the case which they wished to bring
was entered and the court proceeded TO hearing IN
THIS case. The charge Is that Mr.. Cumming made |
nre extfnguishers and other articles, on January
~, lSS2, amounting IN all TO e463.50. |
MEDICAL DIRECTOR WALES WITNESS. |
Medical Director Philip S. Wales, L. S. ", who |
was surgeon general for four years ending last /
January, was called to the stand, and describedI
generally the manner OF purchasing supplies for the
bureau OF medicine and supplies The chief clerk
OF the bureau was Daniel Carr1gan, and the fnan- |
clal clerk Edwin c. klrkwood Cumming, the wit |
ness said, dealt in whisky and had sold supplies to
the bureau The witness was shown the alleged /
fraudulent voucher on which the charge against |
cumming is based, and asked whether his own Sig
nature appearing upon IL was genuine.
"My signature" said Dr. Wales sis so lacking In |
uniformity that could not swear to IL. but will /
state that that is not the voucher signed" The
witness said that If 1t was his signature the |
voucher had been altered afterwards He knew |
also that he had signed voucher for rubber hose
Tor rubber hose was not needed. They were sup
piled, also, at that time with fre extingushers
which were purchased from the agent OF the manu-
iacturerS In cases OF vouchers for large amount
the original bills were also appended, which was
not the case here. He explained that the vouch-
ers came to him for signature in triplicate
could say positively that ali the goods descrhed IN
the voucher were never delivered, because no |
reQuisiton or order had been made for such goods /
Part OF the bill, he said, might be all right. He
would not say that OF the thousands OF vouchers |
representing millions OF dollars. that had passed |
under his eye, he had closely inspected every
goods were received or not from the receipts /
signed by the surgeons at different stations
OTHER TESTIMONY.
Francis " Walker, chief clerk OF the navy nay |
ONCE, was next called as witness, and described
the routine as to paying money on vouchers He |
CummfnQss fCpa on no
tcular voucher In question: and produced the dupll
cate voucher retained in the pay office. He was
saIisIea that Mr. cumming had received the money
William F. Stidham, chief Of the navy pay
division, fourth auditors office, Treasury depart
ment, was called, and identified the voucher as |
coming from the records OF that Office.
DR., Samuel f. Coues, surgeon, L. S. NJ who was |
in charge OF the naval laboratory I'm Brooklyn New
York was next examined, and said that he had no |
reason TO believe the goods represented In the |
voucher as ordered for the laboratory were ever |
delivered there. He thought Cummings name |
appeared as a contractor for supplying whisky \
The witness produced the books TO show that no |
received 10y Cumming; but that similar goods had |
been purchased about the same time from another |
party.
Israel l. Burrows, apothecary at the naval hos |
pital at Philadelphia, testified that no such goods
as described In the voucher delivered at that /
hospital had been delivered there.
HELD FOR THE GRAND JURY
This closed the governments case, and, as the |
held the case for the grand jury.
The district attorney asked that bonds be |
fixed at $500, saying that they had asked only |
81 600 before because they expected TO have but one
case against Mr.. Cumming, but since then they |
had found several distinct cases
The court fixed ball at $500. and gave the de- |
PENDANT until tomorrow to furnish bond
CARRIGAN's CASE.
Dispatches sent to papers out Of the city last
evening represented that friends OF Dan Carrfgan
the missing chief clerk OF the bureau OF medicine
and surgery, Navy department. called upon District
Attorney Wouh1ngtOn yesterday and offered to
produce Carr1gan as witness. II the government
promised him Immunity, offer which the district
attorney spurned, on the ground that Carngan was
the chief offender.
"That is not exactly true said the district attor-
ney to a STAR reporter to-day; "but 1t is sub /
stantially what said TO Carr1gan." |
ITO Carrfgan 2" inquired the reporter.
Eyes to Carrtgan. He came to see me the day |
before the warrants were issued and offered his |
testimony, and refused it, as regarded him as |
the chief offender did not have the evidence then
on which to arrest him.
"And have you received any proposition since |
them"
sNo," said the district attorney.
"Do you know where Carr1gan is?r
"If did would not tell until had secured his |
arrest"
LAHE r. JONES' BAIL
Mr.. VIM. A. Cook, counsel for Lake R Jones, one
Of the defendants in the false voucher cases. applied
to Judge Wylie yesterday to reduce the bail in his
case, which was fixed by Judge Smell at s. 500
Judge Wylie declined to take any action until the !
case had been acted upon by the grand jury.