Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-12-11
SERIOUS CHARGES.


A Confidential Clerk in tho Office Of the
First Comptroller of the Treasury Makes
Some Damaging Allegations Of Irregular
Disbursements of Public Moneys-Work
for the Springer Committee.
WASHINGTON, d. c., December S.
There were lively proceedings before the
Springer Committee to-day. J. j. Barker,
confidential law clerk in the Office of the
First Comptroller of the Treasury, was
heard in response to the following letter:
WASHINGTON, D. c., December 2.
Hon. VIM. II. Springer, Chairman:
Stakeholder "a, 1884, I wrote an
open letter to the President, citing in
stances of wrongful extraction of public
funds from the Treasury. / have no copy
of that letter here, but inclosed Is an edi-
toriaI from the Cincinnati Enquirer of
October 2Sth, to give an idea of its main
points. 1 am especially familiar with the
manner in which accounts are adjusted
in the judiciary division of the First Comp
troller's office. In this division the ac-
counts of commissioners, clerks, attor-
neys, marshals, ETC., of the Federal Courts
are finally passed upon. Vouchers on file
in the Registers office will furnish evil
dence of the fact that for years it has been
the rule to make illegal allowances to
these officials through the Comptroller's
office, by design, or inexcusable ignor-
ance of the provisions of the law.
insist that more than half of the ac-
counts presented by the court officials
contain illegal or improper charges; many
of these items are allowed. These inn
proper allowances will aggregate an
enormous sum.
Convincing proof of this statement will
be found in the file rooms of the Regis
ter's Office, but the evidence can only be
produced by some one Well-informed con-
corning the contents of the books and To-
cation of vouchers. When investigations
of those matters have been attempted,
only those papers asked for by resolution
have been exhibited.
Persons being investigated do not usu-
ally volunteer evidence tending toward
their own condemnation.
OF course in the limits of this letter,
can only briefly indicate the things COM
planned of, but I should be very glad to
furnish your committee with details.
Very respectfully,
j. j. BARKER.
Barker consumed considerable time
citing instances where alleged fraudulent
vouchers were presented by United States
officials and allowed by order of Comp
troller Lawrence in the face of protest by
himself (Barker). He said that United
States Commissioner Shields, of New
York, presented an account of fourteen
hundred dollars for swearing super
visors Of election of 1880, to their ac-
counts, when the statute provided other
means of payment of the service. He had
protested against the allowance of this
voucher, yet the allowance was made.
United Estates District Attorney Stone,
of Western Pennsylvania, had filed a
voucher for $50 per diem in term of
court, where there were but four cases
for trial, one of which was disposed of
by demurrer, another nolled and the
other two continued. The account was
allowed without inquiry.
In the election of 1882 in New York, a
voucher for $4,000 was allowed for SUI
pervisors of election, when it was shown
that the supervisors were paid from SIS to
$40 for two days. service, but one day
each was all the service required, and no
evidence was produced to show that more
service than one day was necessary. The
examination proceeded at considerable
length, and is still progressing.