The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-12-06
A Confidential Law Clerk in the
First Conptrollers Office
Unbosoms Himself,
And Tells Willing Investigating Com.
mittee What He Knows About Fleeing
Uncle Sam Of His DuCats.
Bills Presented, Audited and Allowed in
Direc, Violation OF All Law
and Justice.

WASHINGTON, d. c., December g.
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 letters;
WASHINGTON, d. c., December 9.
hon, lpm. N, Springer, Chdirman:
Stakeholder "a, 1884, | 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 cdi.
torial from the Cincinnati ERquirer OF
october 2Sth, to give an idea of its main
points. ! 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, hrshals, 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
oihce, 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 i'm
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
Oi course in the limits OF this letter. I |
can only briefly indicate the things com
planned OF, but | should be very clad to
furnish your committee with details.
Very respectfully,
d. j. BARKER.
Barker consumed considerable time
citing instances where alleged fraudulent
were presented by United States
officials and allowed by order of Comp.
troller Lawrence IN the face of protest by
himself (Barkers He said that United
States Commissioner Shields, of New
York, presented an account Of fourteen
hundred dollars for swearing super
vlsors OF election OF 1880, to their ac-
co1nts, 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 fled 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 nollcd and the
other two continued. The account was
allowed without inquiry.
In the election of 1882 in New York. n
for $4,000 was allowed for SUI
oeryisors OF election, when it was shown
hat the supervisors were paid from S5 to
$40 for two days service, but one day
ZACH was all the service required, and no
evidence was produced to show that more
service than one day was necessary The
proceeded at considerable
ength, and is still progressing