Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-10-26
out for he proved hiuselfto be scoundrel
of no mean order.


of no mean order.
His Habits.
Barker originally came from Indiana,
where he said his father and Senator Ben
Harrison were las thick as two peas in a
pod" He claimed to have been appointed
principally through the Senator'S influence,
although he had resided in Kansas for years
previous to his coming here. His own story
is that he left Kansas where he
had been lawyer and Judge to take
the position Of Commissioner OF the Land
Office but Senator Plumb, who was zeal
Gus of him and feared MS influence in
Kansas" blocked that game. Then he
wanted to be timber agent in Alabama, but
it seems Mr.. Plumb put
Put His Foot on That Too,
and said Barker shouldn't be charged
against the State of Kansas. Senator
Plumb knew his man! jeremiah next
turned up on the temporary roll Of the
Treasury Department, having secureda 5000
clerkship in the Internal Revenue Office.
He.left that after short time, and by some
means or other he got into the First Comp
trol!er's Office and was assigned to the law
division. He was so grossly incompetent
and reckless that the chief of the division,
a man of sterling integrity, one of the old
est and best officials in the department and
who went into office under President Buch-
anan. recommended his removal for general
unitueSS.
Transferred.
jeremiah was assigned to another branch
Of the Office, but it it seemed that no one
wanted him. or would be responsible for his
work, SO he drifted about from post to pill
lar, wrote campaign poetry for the Hatchet,
fought in the halls with his creditors, whose
name is legion told smutty Jokes and hoped
for big things under the next administra-
ton, alleging that his friend Ben Harrison
aud he "chcwed their tobacco off the same
plvG.
Judge FuI.er Annoyed.
Judge Folger was So annoyed and wor
ried by complaints from Barker creditors
hat they wrote him q note one day telling
him 10 do something to rid the department
of the annoyance or he would be con-
strained to get rid of Jerry" He made
pitiful plea to the Secretary who, as every
one knows, was humane man and
had tender heart He told the
Secretary that he had gone without clothes,
and his family had been without many
things sadly needed, that he intended to pay
but he wanted time, and prayed to be pro-
tected from the threats of creditors. The
Secretary believing hint speaks well for
an honest. roble heart-waS touched by the
appeal and told him TO 90 to his work and
try TO DO his duty and pay his debts. Bat
he was bad pill, and abused the good Sec
retsry S mercy, took a new lease of life and
credit, played billiards at the hotels, ran up
bi Is wherever he could find victims, and
al used the Judiciary Division of the Comp
trollers office as set of wooden heads and
tie victims of tradition Why he was
K, pt in the Office is a question that would
r, quire some ingenuity to answer. Barker
claimed that his personal influence" KEEP:
bim in, and it was of use for people to waste
fre on him that he proposed TO stay till he
got ready to 20. That the worst feature
,f the caSe-keeping such fellow.
A Sharper.
1t seem, that at one time he victimized
several gentlemen in the city and got them
iu,o a mining scheme much to their sorrow
and loss.
His law practice in Kansas was some
thing phenomenal, ani his library was of
it>eIf fortune If he wasn't in the Senate
in Plumb's place it was simply due to his
grca, 7 Odesty
Some say he was crazy, others call him
tool many brand him as a kuave, but
there is one thing certain he will never get
fll Justice until he unbosoms himself before
The Springer Committee. That will give
Others a chance. There's nothing like hav-
ing both sides of question.