The Evening critic., 1884-04-17
A CHARGE OF FRAUD
Preferred Against Judge-AdvncatC
General Swain by MIR. a. Il. Bnte

HEhAhSt
General Swain by MIR. a. Il. Bnte-
man-Statements by Both Parties.
Mr.. A. L. Bateman, OF tho firm Of Dntoman
Il Co., bankers, OF this city, yesterday 1led
with the Secretary OF War letter, In which no
Gays.
at becomes my duty to prefer charges
against Brlgadler.General u. q. Swain, at the
head Of the Bureau OF Military Justice of tho
United States Army, for fraud, and Tor conduct
unbecoming an o1lcer and gentleman,
81 stand ready to prove that the said d. q.
Swain has committed fraud to all iutents
and purposes upon tho clearinghouse OF Bate
man & Co., OF which am O member.
Some two years ago tho said d. g. Swain,
having deposited the sum OF $4,000, received
upon his departure for the West a simple due
bill at his request, TO have In case an accident
should befall him. This amount was checked
out subsequent TO that dato by said u. G..
Swain, for which we have number OF
vouchers. Aftor having drawn all the money
out and settlement being made, he nego-
tiated and transferred the due bin for tho full
amount with certain parties In this city.
" am further ready to prove that said d. q.
Swain assisted to negotiate army pay vouch-
eIs with our Arm which he knew to be fraudu-
lent and triplicates OF outstanding accounts.
~ ask that q court-martial be ordered for
the trial OF the said d. @. Swain on the charges
preferred.
~ desire, when 1t Is ordered, to amend this
by presenting other charges, under the head OF
conduct unbecoming an officer and u gentle
man. lam' Sir very respectfully, 4 ,rr,,,vn
The Republican this morning says:
'The charges contained in tho letter Gen.
eral Swain pronounced false. He said that
they were made by Mr.. Bateman with Wow
10 cover up his own transactions, and to ex-
tort money from him. why said he, 'thero
Is not word of truth In his charges And
then he continued, i did secure duo bill
from him Of $4,000 AMI did negotiate It
with tho builders OF my new house, Messrs.
Bright Humphrey. They began suit against
Bateman on Tuesday to recover tho amount,
lattnr fnaripp that nIa davfana do a
would be exposed, attempts to get out OF 1t In
this manner and TO blackmail me. Why does
he not answer the suit If his charges
I drew all the money TO the credit
of the due bill, he knows no les.'"
The General was in a terrible rage, and used
further that tho charge that he had negotlat-
ed Army pay vouchers was not true. He
stated that this charge was the result OF q
swindle perpetrated on Dateman by Colonel
Morrow. The latter came. to me-, said Gem
eral Swain, and wanted mo TO advance him
money on his pay Vouchers. l told him
could not do this, but that there were bankers
in this city who did advance money on vouch-
ers, and mentioned Bateman as being ono OF
them. There's all there is OF that, and / am
surprised that this matter should be sent of
by the Associated Press
"Mr. Bateman, in an interview at 1 o'clock
this morning, reiterates the charges contained
In his letter, and adds that at tho time General
Swain disposed OF his due bill his balance for
the entre amount had been checked out OF
| bank, ana that the checks VIII show such to be
| the case beyond the possibility OF doubt. He
| speaks with tho air OF q man who has tho most
| implicit confidence in his case, and character
| iZed General Swaim's allegation that he wae
| attempting to levy blackmail as absurd vapor
| ings."
what General Swain Says To-day.
| Judge.Ad7ocateG General Swain said thie
morning that he decided TO make no statement
| whatever concerning the charges preferred
against him by Mr.. Bateman, the banker. He
| had not said one.quarter OF what was at
| triDuted to him In the Republican this morn.
| ing, and he did not think II proper for him to
mako any statement.
He believed that Bateman would discover
| that he had mado mistake, and he regards
| the matter ae q subject for investigation by a
| civil court and not by court-martlal.
The pending suit by tho contractors, Into
| whose hands the duebill passed, would reveal
every circumstance OF the transactions, and
| he welcomed the fullest investigation In that
| way, and did not believe that a courtmartial
would take the matter out of the hands OF tho
| civil courts, where 1t belonged.
The Matter Being Settled.
Mr.. A. L. Bateman, when seen at his once
this afternoon, was reluctant 10 mako any
statement concerning the charges nled by
him against Judge-Advocate General Swatm
but finally stated that the matter was being
| satisfactorily settled, and said he was In A
| position that prevented him from maklp lp2,asdy
| further statement. .s
California Weefcs.