St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-27
The Pension Office Ruled by a Corrupt
Ring Of High and Trusted
Officials.
Some Wholesale Thisvery That Nay Send
the Implicated Persons Behind
the Bars.
the Argentine Republic--LIt-
tie American Trade.
Cleveland. Enjoying His Vacation.
VIII Not r turn Soon--New
Postmasters--G
OfficiaIC Corruption.

Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, Aug. CIV. \. Shukers
of Illinois, the new superintendent of the
pension building, has recently come into
possession of facts which Justify the belief
that corrupt ring of officials and clerks in
that Office mas for years been robbing the
government. The matter at present is in
the hands of the local detective force. VINO
are making a thorough investigation into
the charges against suspected individuals
Much is Yet 10 be accomplished. but enough
Is already known TO send two or three OF The
implicated parties to the peniientiary unless
they shall be able to escape on some legal
technicality. 4 portion Of the evidence
already collected shows that six OF the pecu
lators one Of whom. il is alleged. is John
II. Dickerson, the former superintendent.
have furnished row of cottages at Colo
NAL Beach, summer resort on the POtO-
mac, with tables, chairs. mating. carpets.
curtains, etc, stolen bodily from the pen
sion Office. The buildings. too. are in part
constructed Of lumber belonging 10 the gov
eInment and were in many cases erected
by employees Of the Office. One Of the de-
tectives engaged on the case Is now at Colo
NAL Beach trying 10 secure further
PROOF OF THESE CHARGES.
The pension officials are unwilling 10 give
out any detailed information at present, As
it is feared a publication Of these facts
would put guilty parties on their guard and
thus defeat the object sought 10 be obtained.
The charges viii include the making of cor
rupt contracts as well Is wholesale
tlievery- One OF the allega-
tons against DickeTsOn is that
last winter he advertised proposals for
making certain changes in the boilers and
other heating apparatus at the Thirteenth
street Office. One OF the local firms offered
10 perform the work for S200. and Dicker-
son advised a friend to bid S195. He did 50
and was awarded the contract. The engi-
neer OF the building then made the altera-
uOns at DickersOn's suggestion. and the
Sl95 was divided among the three. Nj.
Shukers SAYS that a number of high and
trusted officers are concerned in the pecula-
tions.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 26.-The Star to-
night says: a rumOr 10 the effect that
Mr.. John DickersOn. former superinten-
dent Of the new pension building. has COM
mitted Irregularities IN the management of
his position, having reached the Star.
reporter was sent 70 trace the matter and
was mformer by persons in position 10
hnoW al Ile details tnat when change IN
the Office OF superintendent was made il
was discovered that Mr. Dickers0n had not
kept any books or records OF his office and
business In endeavOring 10 aScer-
tain the number OF employees and
condition of the Office il was ascertained
that sixteen men who We're not borne on
the rolls OF the superintendent We're Osten-
sibly doing service with him. Further in
quiry revealed the fact that the persons
were appointed as clerks. some of them
getting large salaries. that they We're as
signed by DickerSOn To do the duty Of mes
sengers and laborerS. and that in some eases
no duty at all was required OF them. In
other words. some of them We're drawing sal
aries without rendering any service. Differ
ent parties who had been connected with the
department made statements 10 the effect
that property belonging To the government
and purchased for Use in the construction
OF the pension bureau had been removed
and sold. Ii was charged that lumber and
materials Of various kinds amounting in
;he aggregate to quite n large sum had
been thus irregularly disposed of and that
the superintendent was in cOllusion with
parties for the disposition OF materials
bought for the building. These charges
Were reported 10 Commissioner Black and
detectives We're ordered To trace the prop
erty. The matter is still being iuyesti-
gated.