Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-07-15
HENDRICKS REPLY
To Secretary Chsndler's Letter Con.
cernIhg Alleged Frauds in the
Bureau of Medicine and
Surgery.

INDIANAPOLIS, July Il.
Ex-Gov. Hendricks has writien the follow
ing letter in response TO the letter Secretary
Chandler published this morning
"lNDIASAPoLIs, July IA.
Hon W. 4. Chandler,
SIR ii find in the newspapers this morn
ing a letter addressed 10 me from yourself,
written yesterday and circulated through the
Associated Press. You complain did you
an injustice in an address to the people in
this city made the evening before. In that
address urged thar we need TO have the
books in the government Offices opened for
examination, and as an illustration | citsd a
case of fraudulent voucher in one of the
bureaus of your department, and stated that
upon your testimony before the sub commit,
tee OF the Senate il appeared that the frauds
amounted TO S62 600. Is not every word of
that true? You were brought before the
committee and testified as | have stated.
You admitted under oath that the amount of
money lost amounted to sos. 600. but your
defense was that the embezzlement did not
wholly occur under your administration. Ii
seems to have covered the period from June
2l, 1880 down TO Jan. 20. 1854 Does that
help your case? You were at the head of
the department year and nine months of
that period and your predecessor about a
payment of the false voucher on July 2l,
1850, and up TO April Il, 1882, when you
came in, and you continued thence until the
last false voucher was paid Jan. 25, 1884.
The period was almost equally divided be-
tween you and your predecessor. How much
of the S63 600 was paid out under yourself
and how much under your predecessor, your
letter does not show? DO YOU think | am
answered when YOU say | was mistaken in
supposing in this case that the frauds were
all under your administration, when in fact
part of them extended back into that OF your
professors? WHY. sir. that makes your case
worse. For the bureau of medicine and sur
gerry the defalcation is large, but it becomes
more serious as far as you are indiv idually
concerned, when the fact is considered that
you had notice and yet took no
sufficient action. The information upon
which | spoke was from Washington
the 26th of last month by the associated press,
which obtained its information either in your
department or from the investigating commit.
tee. lfyou were not reported correctly that was
the time for complaint and correction. You
testified that some inquiry was made and the
conclusion was that while there were some
suspicious circumstances, they did not war
rant the conclusion of guilt. After notice,
verbal and in writing you left the men in
Office. You did not bring the frauds to light,
nor the guilty parties to punishment. Ii was
government detective Wood who discovered
the frauds and the associated press report
says Wood declared he would have no further
dealings with your department. but would
press the investigation before Congress
What is your next excuse? Worse, if pos
sible, than all before. You say a large mum
Der of Congressman, including some gentle.
men of great influence and position, recon-
mended that the head Of the bureau, DIR.
Wales, should be reappointed. The mem
bers of Congress knew nothing Of the frauds
they had no opportunity to know. 1t was
within your reach and duty. They
we're probably his personal friends
You we're his official erior But IN fac,
did you resppoint himf | understand not.
Perhaps detective discovered the frauds too
soon. But DIR. Wales was not one of the
three guilty parties. He neither forged
vouchers nor embezzled money. His re-
sponsibility in the case is just the same as
your own. He was an official superior of
three rogues, as you we're of himself as well
as of them. Neither ne nor yourself exposed
the frauds or punished the parties. ! have
not thought of or considered this as a case of
politics. Addressing my neighbors | said
that this and like cases admonish them to
demand civil service reform in the removal
of all from Office who will not seek to pro.
mote il within the sphere of their official duty
and authority.
Respectfully,
(Signed) T. A. HEspRIcKs.