Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-01-24
FEDERAL OFFICERS IN THE SOUTH.

connected with the Department of Justice,
has recently been giving testimony before
the House committee on expenditures, as to
his knowledge of the abuses of the internal
revenue system in the South. On Thursday
he gave list of twenty-five or more names
of persons whose official conduct had been
investigated on account of alleged irregularl-
ties and rendering of fraudulent accounts.
Some of these men, Cameron said, had been
convicted, and Mr.. Ralph Bollin, special
examiner, will be sent to South Carolina to
present the cases of United States deputy
marshals to the grand jury. Bollin also
appeared before the committee to give
his experience as an examiner IN the
northern and southern districts OF Geor-
gia, in South Carolina, in the northern ana
middle districts of Alabama, in the south
ern district of Mississippi, in the eastern
district of Louisiana, in the northern dis
trict of Florida, in the northern district of
New York and in the western district of
Pennsylvania. He began with his expert
ence in Georgia in the fall of 1881 and
spring of 1882. In an examination of ac-
counts of United States Marshal Fitzsim-
mons, the predecessor of general LOngstreet,
Mr.. Bollin said a shortage of $4,000 had
been found. That official had never been
prosecuted, nor had anything ever been re-
ceived from Fitzsimmons or his bondsmen.
Erroneous charges on the part of deputy
marshals under LOngstreet, amounting to
81, 600 or $4,000, had been submitted through
Longstreet. He, however, was not blamed
bv Bollin, as the over charges had been
made by deputy marshals. One of the dep
uties was named Robinson. He served un-
der Fitzsimmons His misconduct was said
to have been reported to Longstreet, but he
was retained. A man named Crawford was
also deputy of Longstreet's. Indictments
were found against both Of these deputies.
Robinson was sent to the penitentiary, but
Crawford escaped.
In his examination, which was continued
on Friday, he detailed the operations of the
deputy marshals in Georgia and Alabama.
He gives a sample of what he says prevails.
A man was found cutting down tree on
Government land adjoining his own farm.
The deputy marshal says; ;n 81 have war
"Why everybody does this. It is next to
my ground and nobody seems to think any
thing of the matter" The deputy then gets
out Of him the fact that A, B, G, d, E and F,
neighbors, have cut trees and gets him to
repeat this statement before an informer.
The deputy then gets warrants for each one.
AS these offenders are generally respectable
and responsible people simple notice would
secure their attendance upon court, but hav-
ing satisfied himself of this, the deputy
makes an agreement with them to meet him
at some halfway point, from which he
escorts them to court, for if they were
permitted to come ali the way, as they
would do, it would spoil the deputy's mile
age. Now for this service he charges
mileage from each mans home, horse and
buggy hire for guards, meals for self and
prisoner, although the man has been under
no guard, the deputy has never been at his
house, paid for no meals, hired no buggy,
and knows his prisoner would come all the
way as we'll as half and with no expense
whatever to the government. BY this in
genious arrangement he makes pretty pen
ny out of the dozen cases. He reports his
expense accounts and fees to the marshal
and they are sworn to.
The United States commissioners turn to
plunder comes next. The commissioner is
paid five dollars a day when employed !;
so the object is to make the cases 60 as far
as possible. They could all be disposed of
in an hour or two, but the commissioner
says to A, II will hear your case to-mor-
row." TO B, "Yours is set for the day af-
ter" To G., and "you will be examined
next day." and so on. Out of the dozen
cases the commissioner makes good thing.
The farmers must travel back to their homes
or remain in town atsOme expense, in either
case hardship. AS the object OF all this IS
to get fees, they are eventually dismissed
with the stigma of their names on the
criminal record and 60 home to curse the
Government which makes such things posi-
ble This is what Special Agent Cameron
reports is $50 prevalent and so odious that
it is not to be wondered at that deputy
marshals have been shot down as if they
were enemies of the people"
Mr. Hemphill asked Mr.. Cameron if this
sort of thing prevailed in South Carolina.
The reply was that it did, and that Exam
iner Bollin knew Of even worse abuses, of
which hewould testify when summoned be-
fore the committee.