The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-16
AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY.
An Entry in the State Records That May Dis
prove Third Auditor Williams's Charges.

Evidence that was discovered yesterday indi-
Gates that John S. Williams, the Third Auditor
of the Treasury Department. announced his dis
covery of fraud in the payment of Indiana war
claims before making thorough investigations
In his letter to Governor Gray Mr. Williams
says that the duplicate or fraudulent claims
were paid between 1866 and 1872. The present
| State officers have little information about the
| matter. In an examination. yesterday, of the
| records kept by Judge j. G. Denny while State
| Attorney general. was found copy of report
made Dec %, 1874, to John B. Glover, Treasurer
| OF state, giving statement OF the money he
had collected from the government. 1t shows
that on Aug 20. 1874, the State received $l1-
| 2l8. 96 from the federal government on account
! of war claims, and on Oct II the sum Of $685.
[ 49, 81 was paid, making the total SIG, 355. o.
| Following this statement is an entry reading:
| Amount paid to the United States on account of
erroneous payment by the United States to the State
of Indiana Nov. TO- 1868 as per certificate of Allen
Rutherford Third Auditor Of the Treasury. dated
| Office $50 86941.
When Judge Dennys attention was called to
these facts yesterday, he said: Il think there is
| not the slightest doubt that the claims now be-
| ing made by Mr. Williams the identical ones
which were paid during my term of office, as is
shown by the entry IN my records. The State
| then had claims for a large amount, on account
of the war, against the United States, and col
| lected what could. When the money was paid
| they fled the counterclaim of $52 O0O alleging
| that the government had enormously paid
us that amount, by duplicate vouchers and
| duplicate claims. It was then near the end of
| my term of Office, and had not time to careful
| ly examine into the matter as there were thou
sands of vouchers that would have to be gone
through. and l, OF course, was very anxious TO
get all the money for the State | could, so l al
| lowed the government this credit of $52 000 and
| they paid the rest, something over $l75 000 The
| officer of the Treasury with whom transacted
most OF the business, said that he had been at
work day and night for over six months on these
| claims, and had examined each separately and
carefully. The $50, 900, be said, represented all
| the erroneous claims that had been paid If
| that was true, and I expect it was the items
| which MIR Williams referred to are the
same the government then got
credit for. Of course no new war
| claims, duplicated unduplicated, have since
arisen, and the settlement then made was in full
so far as the State is concerned, but not in full
| on the part of the government because it still
owes Indiana $50 600 more in war claims, in ad-
| dition to about $l7 900 on bakery claim, which
| they then made at least q verbal agreement to
| pay. Personally, l have always had serious
| doubts whether or not the State should have al
lowed that credit of $52, 900, but didn't have
| time to examine the vouchers then and determ
| inc this point"
If the itemized account of the $52 900 of claims
! can be found it will be compared with the items
| given in the report of Auditor Williams, and in
| or not the claims are the same.
II