Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-27
CAUGHT IN A BIG STEAL.
BAREFACED KNAVES FLEECING
THE GOVERNMENT.

Government by Ring OF Thieves in
the Pension Department.
/ WASHINGTON, Aug. 26.--Walter A.
! Shuckers, of Illinois, the new Superln-
| tendent of the Pension Building, has re-
| Gently come into possession of facts which
justify the belle that corrupt ring of
officials and clerks in that Office have for
years been robbing the government. The
matter at present is in the hands OF the
local detective force who are making
! thorough investigation into the charges
against the suspected individuals. Much
is yet to be accomplished, but enough is
already known to send two or three of
the implicated parties to the penitentiary,
unless they shall be able to escape on
some legal technicRlity.
PROFITABLE REGULATION.
A portion of the evidence already col
lected shows that six of the peculators--
one of whom it is alleged is John H. Dick
erson, the former superintendent, has fur
nished row of cottages at Colonial
Beach. a summer resort on the Potomac,
with tables, chairs, mating, carpets, cur
tains, ETC., stolen bodily from the Pension
O6ce. The buildings, too, are in part
constructed of lumber belonging to the
! government, and were in every case
erected by employees of the office. One OF
the detectives engaged on the case is now
at Colonial Beach, trying to secure fur
tner proof of these charges.
The pension officials are unwilling to
! give out any detailed information at pres.
ent, as it is feared that a publication of
these facts would put the guilty parties
on their guard, and thus defeat the object
sought to be attained.
BARE-FACED KNAvERY.
The charges will include the making OF
| corrupt contracts, as we'll as wholesale
thievery. One of the allegations against
| DickersOn is that last winter he adver-
tised proposals for making certain
| changes in the boilers and other heating
apparatus OF the Thirteenth street Office OF
the Pension Bureau. One Of the
local firms offered to perform the work for
5000. Dickerson advised a friend to bid
| Sl95. He did so and was awarded the
contract. The engineer OF the building
then mad9 the alterations at Dickerson's
suggestion and the $196 was divided
among the three. Mr.. Shuckers says a
number of high and trusted officials are
concerned in the populations.
DURHAM's DISCLOSURES.
! The disclosures made by First Comp
troller Durham in regard to the Court of
Alabama Claims did not surprise those
VINO were even casually acquainted with
| its autOcratic and extravagant methods.
1t has managed it's affairs in very Inde
pendent fashion, on the theory that what
ever it did WAS right, and has spent time
and money lavishly. 1t has done every
thing in the most expensive way, because
its favoritism, which extended to every
detail Of its business. made it almost in
! eyitable that this would be the case.
BUYING AT RETAIL.
/ art rNIa cd
all its supplies of stationery, fuel, ETC., in
! open market without advertising for pro-
| posAls or gong through any of the Ordi-
nary processes for the protection of pub
/ lie purse. Some OF the expenditures un-
/ der this head have been almost reckless
! in their extravaganza. 1t Is roughly esJi-
! mated that $4,000 have been needessly
/ expended in this waY. Strange to say,
| those officials Of the court who are in town
| do not seem to be at all disturbed by
| Comptroller Durham's action. None of
4 the judges are here. but those subordi-
mates, some of whom are on the unauthor-
lied roll, have no hesitation in speaking
for them.
COOL AS CUCUMBERs.
! They say the court needs no defense.
Like every other court it has large dis
/ erection in the selection of the instruments
to carry out It's will 1t may employ un-
I Mdl tic AEntAdl lClilb VI buC dOG OItdliuR
it as many agents as it pleases. They do
not thereby become officers Of the court I'm
| the sense that they must have been
enumerated in the section Of the
4 act organizing the court II
/ the court say these gentlemen
/ have the right to employ Anne Boleyn at
/ S. a month to scrub out its Offices. and the
/ court undoubtedly has, although the First
/ Comptroller says it has not, then it can
| employ an insurance expert to give it
! technical information and pay him $4,000
| or $4,000 year.
/ NOT CONTROLLED BY THE COMPTROLLER.
The First Comptroller has no control
4 over the expenditures of the court. II the
signature OF the presiding Judge 10 the
/ approval of a voucher is genuine auto
graph the First Comptroller must approve
! It. They 90 on TO say that every one of
/ the Unauthorized officials will bepaid in
/ full. The First Comptroller, they say.
may delay 1t, but he cannot defeat it. II
necessary they can file petitions for the
/ payment Of their claims in the Court OF
/ Claims, which would unquestiOnably pass
.fayorably upon them. Finally, they say
| that the action OF the First COmprOller
was taken with view 10 make party
capital, and that the blow would not have
fallen had it not been that the son ot
] James G.. Blaine stood just underneath.
/ Meanwhile the hard-headed old First
/ Comptroller goes right on with his inves-
tigation.
WEAVER TO FACE THE MUSIC.
James Riley Weaver, OF Pennsylvania,
recently Consul General Of the United
/ states at Vienna, Is expected at the State
/ Department tomorrow 20 answer the
charge recently made by his successor
that he sold the Vice Consulship 70 a DR..
Hesse for 5000 a year. The ex-Consul
General will deny the charge.