Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-21
DENYING THE CHARGES.
THE INVESTIGATION IN THE
SOUTHERN DISTRICT,

Seneat1On-mar6naiN w ade Denies that
he has been Ordered to show Cause
Why his Commission Should not be
Revoked
The charges Of unofficial conduct and
fraud in the administration of the affairs
Of the Southern Judicial District of
Georgia, and the threatened exposures of
a system Of corruption and thievery in the
Federal offices has created a profound
sensation in official circles. There was
lively stir in the custom house when
the removal OF United States Commits
siOner Haskins, of Macon, was announced
yesterday, and that charges of unofficial
conduct had been made against Col. r.
c. Wade during his term of
office as United States Commissioner.
The removal of Commissioner Haskins
was not altogether a surprise, but the
Dreferment Of charges against Commits
sioners Sturgis Of Columbus, Levy and
NJ L. Wade of Augusta. Dunn of Bruins
wick, and f. &. Wade, now United States
Marshal of Savannah, was bomb in the
camp A NEWS reporter found Col.
Wade seated quietly in his office. Upon
being asked if he had read the dispatch
to the NEWS in which he was charged
with misconduct in Office, he replied that
he had, and that there was not a word of
truth in it.
''There never was a charge made
against me Of official misconduct in my
life that | am aware Of" added Col.
Wade, "and the dispatch in so far as it
reflects upon me is false. No rule nisi
or any other rule has ever been served
upon me by Judge Pardee, the Attorney
General or any other official, asking me
to show cause why my commission should
not be revoked. was Commissioner OF
the United States Circuit Court for 10
years, and resigned my commission
years ago in 1882 to take a position in the
MarshaPs office as Deputy Marshal. This
position l held until Feb. ,, Is days
ago, when L became Marshal of the dis
trict.'
"What about reyOking the commissions
of certain deputy marshals?"
son Feb. 6 the Attorney General ad-
DIR, ssed to me letter of instructions by
which am to he guided in the admins
tratiOn of nv office. Among other things
he directed me, in the event had recon-
missiOned certain of the old deputies,
whose names were given, 20 revoke their
commissions at once. This l have COM
piled with. Six Of the deputies, whose
names were given in the NEWS, were
among the number. }. G.. Harris has
never held a commission under me.
i am informed that Judge Pardee at
the request of the Attorney General has
served a notice on several Commissioners
| to appear at the next term of the Circuit
Court in May to explain and answer GER
tain charges made against them by an
examiner who had Investigated their
| offices. These charges are for violation
Of certain rules Of court requiring ali
| warrants, except in revenue cases, TO be
| ipdOrsed by the District Attorney. So far
as | am concerned no notice has been
| served on me. and none could have been
served for the reason that l have not
| been a Commissioner at any time since
| the investigation has been going on"
In the case of Commissioner Haskins, his
| commission has already been Professionally
revoked, and the rule issued against him is
| for the purpose of requiring him to show
| reason why it should not be revoked per-
mauently.
The attention of the department at
Washington was first directed to the
affair by the steady increase in expenses
| over corresponding years IN the district,
and particularly in the Western division.
| The suspicious Of the Acknowledgement
were aroused, and on the 18th Of NOvem-
| Der he issued instructions to Mr.. James
Nightingale, examiner Department Of
| Justice. to visit Georgia and make an Of
| fetal investigation of the various officers
| in the Southern district.
| In accordance with these instructions
| visit was made. Examiner nightingale
came to Savannah in November and after
| investigating the offices here went to Ma
con where he remained three weeks or
more, and completed a full report of the
condition of affairs as he found them.
| The report was submitted Dec. 81 to
Acknowledgement Brewster.
On Jan, 10 Judge Pardee transmitted a
COPY OF the examiners report to Commits
/ sioner Haskins in respect to his admins
| trafiOn as Commissioner, stating that he
would be glad to receive, before he took
| further action in the matter of the de-
partment demanding his removal, any re-
mort he might submit. The report was
| prepared to be forwarded during the
! present week. In the meantime Haskins
| was served with the notice requiring him
/ to show cause why he should not be per-
/ manently removed.
The notice was accompanied by copy
| of that portion of the examiners report
that related to the official conduct and
| office of the Commissioner. 1t revealed a
| series of rather tough charges;
1. A failure, since his appointment as
| Commissioner, to keep his docket as re-
/ quired 10y the Department Of Justice and
| the rules of the Circuit Court, and con-
sedueut failure to charge up the fees in
the cases brought before him, in order
| that. if necessary, the fees IN each parti-
/ cular case could be obtained.
> A conductiOn of the office for the
sole purpose of making fees, and the
issue Of warrants in cases of almost
frivolous character upon the complaints
and affidavits OF almost irresponsible
parties.
3. And ignoring of the rules of the court
in the manner of issuing warrants.
The report also alleged that ''during the
wear 1888 Mr.. Haskins had before him
fiftv-fiye cases, of which thirty-twO were
for violation of internal revenue laws.
Seven were dismissed. Up to Nov. 10 his
docket shows 243 cases, 200 being for
violation OfUhe internal revenue laws. One
hundred Of them were dismissed after
hearing. The large increase in the num-
Der of cases during the present year over
1888 is caused by the evident collision be-
tween the Commissioner and deputy
United States marshals to make fees, as
100 ont of tie 243 cases have been brought
upon the complaint and atidaylts of
deputy lnaTshals, and they have caused
the making of many more by irresponsl-
BILE persons"
The report further charges that daring
the mast wear 81, 800 has been paid TO wit
nesses. the marshaPs fees in the same
cases being 81. 400 and that when parties
have been brought before Haskins and re-
CURED to give bail they are accompanied
hv some one of their neighbOrs who come
with lQeln LOT AudI pun pOot. AlbCA tllC
bond is made and they leave for home, the
Deputy Marshal making the arrest in the
first instance makes affidavit that the
bOndsman is committing perjury IN swear
inc that he is worth the sum named in the
bond The Commissioner issues a warrant
and the deputy proceeds to serve it, hay
ing waited until the parties have arrived
at home, when it could have been done
before they left the court. They get the
fees. which is the sole ObJect.'
The report concluded: "Mr. HaskiDs'
mode of doing business has brought the
limited States courts in this district into
dlsrepute. 1t is not to be wondered at
that the people complain as they dO,When
men of good standing are arrested upon
false and frivolous charges and taken
many miles, only because certain officers
desire TO make iees.'
These charges against Hasklns' IN
vOlyiug both his official and personal
character, have been the causes oil his
removal. The charges against his per-
sonaI character. outside of his Office as
United States Commissioner, are that III
1878 he was a deiaulter in the revenue
office at Atlanta under Collector Clark,
and that he was also a defaulter to the
extent of upwards of 81, 900 in the Macon
post office. After his removal from the lat
ter office, he was appointed United States
Commissioner upon his own solicitation
bv Judge McCay in June. 1888. The
charges against him now are collision
with deputy marshals, frivolous cases,
and unnecessary fees.
The notices to be served upon the COM
missioners at Brunswick and Augusta
are vet in the office of the Clerk of the
Circuit Court awaiting service.
L frhF