The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-07-22

The arrival of immigrants in the customs
districts above specified comprise about 81
per cent. of the immigration into the entire
country.
PAYMAsTER GENERAL SMITHS COURT MARTIAL.
The Court Martial appointed to try Pay
master General Smith, of the navy, on
charges of scandalous conduct and culpable
inetficiency in the performance of his duties,
met this morning. The counsel for the de-
fense fled demurrer claiming there was
nothing in the charges or Specifications to
show any criminality on the part of the
Paymaster General, and hence he was not
punishable. Mr.. Jef Chandler, in support
of the demurrer claiming that the accused
could not be held responsible under the law
argued that it was an everyday occurrence
for Government contracts to be changed or
extended, and cited numerous instances
where the Government had been Obliged to
pay for such contracts. He held that
the Paymaster General was in no
way an independent authority, and could
not make changes in contracts without the
approval of the Secretary of the Navy. The
fact that every act of the Paymaster Cen
eral had met with the approval of the Sec
retary of the Navy shifted the responsibility
from him to the Secretary, unless it could be
shown that the Paymaster General had been
actuated by corrupt motives, which has not
been alleged.
Assistant Attorney General Maury, in
behalf of the prosecution, replied to Mr..
Chandler'S argument. He held that while
the Paymaster General was not considered
guilty of a crime, he was blamable for his
doings official and subject TO punish
ment that he could be punished for an
abuse OF discretion He said Smith had
doubled contracts, and ordered contracts for
one fiscal year paid out Of appropriations
Tor another, thus involving the Paymasters
subject 10 his order in complications with
acted in the very teeth of the law, he had
dehed the law. To say that this was not an
offense was TO render officers free from all
responsibility for their acts Mr.. Chandler,
in reply % Mr.. Maury. occupied the remain
der of the day till the Court adjourned.
REPORT 0F SPECIAL AGENT wILIIANs-OTHER
REPORTS.
Special Agent William II. Williams. of the
Treasury Department, has been Investigat-
ing, by order of Secretary Manning the fit
ness for official position of Jerry Mulroy ap
pointed to a subordinate position by the Sur
veyor OF the port of Cincinnati, and reports
that the records of the Police Court and
work-hOuse show that Milroy was arrested
on the 9TH OF December, 1875, for the petty
larceny of a dog valued at S1.S5, found
guilty fined S25 and costs and sent TO the
vOrk-house in default Of payment: that on
December 20. 1875. the Board OF Werk-House
Directors met and investigated the matter
and ordered his discharge on the grounds
that the Ofiense was a trivial one and that
the prosecution was the result of spite work.
1t was also charged that Jerry Mulroy
had been found guilty of drunkenness fined
$40 and costs and sent to the work-house
August 9, 1876. The special agent says: /
am clearly of the opinion that this last
charge has reference to some other person.
and is not the Jerry Mulroy under investi-
CATION. In support of this opinion he sub
mits the statement of Police officer Samuel
Mcfarland, who was prosecuting witness
and who avers that the culprit on this oc-
casion was not the Jerry Mulroy who is now
Assistant Custodian of the CuStom-hOuse.
The special agent also investigated and
makes report in the case of Augustus O, Con-
nor, cOlored. appointed oy Surveyor Cald-
well as janitor in the registered letter de-
partment of the Postcffice at Cincinnati
The agent finds that OConor served term
OF three years in the Ohio Penitentiary, hav-
ing been convicted of stealing
watch and chain. O'Connor told the
special agent that he did not
steal the watch and chain, but undertook to
pawn them for the man who did steal them.
He gained five months for good behavior.
The special agent is mot able to find any
one who knows 0Connor but what has
good word for him, and there is no question
but that he has proved himself a useful and
trustworthy man for the last few years.
The charge of attempted bribery brought
against NJ. b. Bailey, Superintendent of
Construction and Repairs of the Chicago
Custom House and Postoffice Building, has
been investigated by Solicitor McCue, acting
under the orders of Secretary Manning. The
Solicitor finds that the case had been dis
posed OF in Bailey's favor by the court over
which Judge Tree presided. The matter was
also referred by the Secretary to Judge Tree,
who said that the acquittal of Bailey was
fully justified by the evidence. Judge Tree
joined in recommending Bailey for the posi-
tiOn.
William Whalen, also recently appointed
an Inspector of Customs, has also been
charged with being defaulter to the city of
Chicago. Investigation was undertaken, but
the persons making the charges could not be
found here or elsewhere, and the matter was
dropped as being without foundation.