Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-08
AT THE NATIONS CAPITAL
MORE ABOUT THE OUTRAGES
OF DEPUTY MARSHALS.

Examiner Wiegand Exposes Some of
Paul StrObach's notwithstanding
HardshiPs Imposed on Innocent
Farmers Falsely Accused-The Old
Fight Over the Health Question Re
vived.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7.-E. B. Wiegand,
an examiner of the Department OF JUS
tice, in his testimony to-day before the
House Committee on Expenditures IN the
Department Of Justice, described a novel
method for securing funds to conduct a
Congressional campaign. The aspirant
was Paul Strobach, whom the Senate
failed to confirm for Marshal of Alabama.
While Turner was United States Marshal
in that State the witness said that Stro-
bach asked to be appointed Deputy Mar
shall, explaining that he was anxious
to make a canvass for Congress. He Sc
cured the appointment, named a number
OF Deputy Marshals and went through
the District making arrests that fees
might be obtained to defray the expenses
OF the campaign. StrObach was defeated
and came to Washington and contested
the seat. The examiner said that many
poor men were arrested in Alabama by
Deputies on the charge of chOpping wood
on public lands. These men were often
compelled to sell their small possessions
to pay the costs of their trial, taken in
some instances more than 100 miles and
forced to go on foot and then dis
charged and allowed to return home as
best they could. Some of the arrested men
died for want of food and from exposure
while walking to their homes. Their
families also suffered, having to dispose
of their means for acquiring sustenance to
pay the costs of the trials of the arrested
parties. Instances were cited where the
examiner investigating the offices of gov
ernment officials was threatened. H. A,
Wilson, now Receiver of Public Money,
had at one time attempted to shoot him.
Wlegand's testimony covered eXamina-
tlOns made in Georgia, Alabama and
North Carolina. He referred to the prac-
tice of deputy marshals to charge con-
structive fees in the way of transportation
for long distances of persons arrested and
for guards and for feeding prisoners and
guards, while the facts were that the
prisoners in most instances had been
simply notified to appear at the office of
the United States Commissioner, and had
gone there at their own expense and un-
guarded. In COvingtOn county, Ala, the
witness said that there was scarcely a
man who had not been arrested, and
Weigand could not recall a single case
where prisoner had been convicted.
THE NATIONS HEALTH.
The House Committee on Public Health
gave hearing to-day to the members of
the National Board of Health, among
whom were DR.. Cabell, President, and
Col. Waring. Secretary, of the board and
DR.. Verdi, of the Executive Committee.
These gentlemen reviewed the legislation
Of past years with respect to the
national health and the work of
the National Board of Health,
which they asserted had been economical
and uniformly successful, and they denied
the truth of the accusations made against
the board in discussions in the House of
the appropriation for its support during
the last Congress. Col. Waring asserted
and his colleagues indorsed mis- state
mentS, that Surgeon General Hamilton,
of the Marine Hospital Service had been
lnjudiciOus, unsHllftll and unsuccessful
in his quarantine work. He also charged
that DR.. Hamilton, in his efforts to con
troll public and Official opinion, had been
guilty of misrepresentation. The
committee will give DR.. Hamilton an op-
portunity to reply to these charges at its
meeting next week. 1t may be stated
here that for a long time past there has
been controversy between the Board Of
Health officials and those Of the Marine
Hospital service, with respect to national
health matters.
HEARING THE TRADE REPRESENTA-
TINES.
The Committee on Ways and Means to-
day agreed to grant a hearing to repre-
sentatlyes of various interests as follows:
Cotton, Wednesday, the 18th inst; wool,
Thursday, the 14th inst; metals, Satur
day, the 10th inst; earthenware and
glassware, Monday, the 18th.