The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-06-28
AFTER JAKE WHEELER.

Among the most serviceable and effcien
PARTY managers the Republicans have had il
this state for years was Jake Wheeler, U. S
Marshal at Springfield. He was not only {
Stephen W. Dorsey in small way himself
but had corps of deputies who were appar
emily equally adept and INSCRIPTIONS in the
management of an election from that of O
city ward up to q congressional district
Jake not only had plenty of brass and Gun.
ming, but always seemed TO have plenty OF
money, the lavish use of which made him a
power among the boys. So serviceable had
he made himself in particular to John A.
Logan and Shelby NJ Cullom in promoting
their election to the senate that they decided
a man Of such remarkable capabilities as a
hummer and striker deserved to be re-
warded, and they had him promoted from
the marshalship to the still more responsible
and lucrative position Of Internal Revenue
Collector for Central Illinois. The district
includes the biggest distileries in the state
and involves the handling of millions of
money,
But in the course of the housings of the
Springer committee at Washington through
the purlieus Of the Department of Justice,
the brilliant career of Marshal Wheeler at.
tracted suspicious attention, and it was de-
cided to put Inspector Bowman upon his
track. An investigation was accordingly
instituted and a very superficial examina-
ton was sufficient to demonstrate to Mr..
Bowman that the Marshal Office under Jakes
management reeked with rottonness. Steal
ing seemed to be the order from the word
go - stealing right and left - stealing all
around. Says Mr.. Bowman in his report:
ave found the books of Mr.. Wheeler full
of fictitious and fraudulent charges for SER
vices never performed The accounts exam
ined by us contained charges against the
United States for mileage never travelled,
transportation of prisoners when none were
transferred, expenses charged for endeavor.
ing to arrest when no expenses were incurred,
charges for guards when no guards were
employed or used, subsistence of prisoners
when none was furnished, attendance of
deputies and guards at preliminary examina-
tons before United States commissioners
when the alleged deputy or guard did not
attend and when there was no necessity for
their attendance, and charges for committing
prisoners when they were not committed
The stealings perpetrated in this way dur
ing the four years of Mr. Wheeer's service
foot up as far as ascertained, to the enor-
nous figures of S2l5,222l with half the
district yet to hear from
The Chicago Journal, in speaking of the
case, says: This, we believe is the first
instance of official malfeasance that has
come to light in Illinois since the Republican
party has been in power and so prompt and
vigorous should be the treatment of the case
that REPETITION would not be likely ever to
occur" The memory Of the journal is a
marvel for faultiness. To say nothing Of the
enormous distillery frauds unearthed at
Springfield, Pekin, &C., few years ago,
which created such stencil at the time, the
Journal forgets that no longer ago than last
January the Springer committee, through
Mr. Haight as special examiner, unearthed
some startling frauds in the Office of the
Clerk of the U. s. Court at Springfield the
substance of the disclosures being that the
clerk of that court, Mr.. Bowen deceased,
was a defaulter in about $4,000. Bowen
refused or neglected to comply with the law,
which required him to make semi-annual
emolument returns. His bondsmen are La
bic for his defalcations to the extent of their
bond, but as yet The department has not
taken any action to recover.