Morning journal and courier., 1884-12-06
STARTLING HE TRUE.
Grave Charges Made Against The De-
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 WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.-There were lively to-day. J. J. Barker, formerly confidential law clerk in the office of the first comptroller of the treasury, was heard in reference to charges he made some time ago that there were extensive frauds in the judiciary divis- ion of First Comptroller Lawrence's office, where the fees of clerks, marshals, etc., are passed upon by making illegal allowances, as shown by the vouchers in the registers office, covering more than one-half the counts presented. In his testimony he cited many instances. He said United States Commissioner Shields, of New York, present ed an account of $1 400 for swearing in supervisors of election in 1880, when the statutes provided other means of payment for the service, over his (Baker's) protest. Assistant Attorney Stone of western Penn sylvania, he said, had filed 8 voucher for $60 per diem in term of court when there were but four cases for trial, one of which was disposed of by demurrer, another nolled and the other two continued. The account was allowed without inquiry. In the election of 1882 in New York voucher for $33, GOO was allowed for supervisors of elections when it was shown that the supervisors were paid for fifteen to ten days service, but one day each was all the service required. A ridicu- lous account was allowed. G. H. Kingshury, a court officer at Kansas City, despite his (Bark- er's)protest, who produced the statute to show the comptroller and Auditor Hodges that ] there was authority for its allowance. Roth hfo1 TIa a1co 1o9 a44 to George Bliss Star route charges with no better result. Clerk Hill of the United States circuit court, Boston, had filed vouch- CTS in his accounts for years, showing that in hundreds of instances there have been cases l on his docket continued from year to year, far more than five years, with l no prospect of settlement, and that charges have been made year. | ly by Mir Hill for the continuance; that an- other thing MT. Hill had done was to charge per diem for his attendance upon court every day in the year, except Sundays, the Fourth of July and Christmas, without regard to
 whether or not the court was in session. He
 also instanced judges who charged falsely for unnecessary journeys per diem. He said further that the books, if examined, would bear out all his statements. Judge Lawrence, in witness opinion, was an honest man, but too much absorbed in writing opinions to at tend to details. The committee will investi- gate,the matter by subcommittee.
 The committee also adopted two resolu- tions relating to the investigation of deputy United States marshals in the October elec- tions in Ohio. The first calls upon the Sec retary of the Treasury for copies on file of the vouchers from Marshal Lot M Wright and other court officials in the southern
 Ohio district relating to deputy marshals at the polls in October The second resolu- tion requests the Attorney General to furnish the committee with all of the correspondence he has had with Lot M. Wright and other persons in regard to the employment and services of deputy United States n1arshals, general or special, to serve at that election, together with names and residences of all the facts and papers in the department in relation thereto. The subcommittee to investigate the Ohio election matters Will be announced on Tuesday next. The committee will not in it's investigations into the department of jus tiee make further inquiry in relation to ac- counts of United States court officials in agreed to report a bill abolishing the fee system for United States narshals, district attorneys and other court officials. It is the l same bill that was attached to the sundry civil appropriation bill in the first session of this Congress and refused by the Senate be- cause it was out of place. It will come up as distinct measure now and MT. Springer will ho