The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-05-10
GIN. BVIUG'S ACCOUNTS.
ue is Confident that He will be
Fully Exonerated.
INVESTIGATING THE BOOKS.
r,c Accused onIclal Says there is no
shortage in Fact, and that
all will be Found Right.
Washington Matters.

c,,.io, Ditpaich 10 he H'llfgeneer.
W,s,uxGToS, May 9.-General James
n Ewing said tonight that he has
no,bipp further to say about his alleged
abortope than that the accounts will
Gnre out right when properly adjusted.
Five different bookkeepers, not Of his
solection have served with him since
lsse lie will continue at the Depart
mant Of Justice several days looking
nyrr the account to find discrepancies.
II. thinks warrants have been charged
o,oinst him through error in Treasury
,ecouuts which he did not handle and
Inns has no vouchers for. Gen. Nathan
Golraud NJ. h. Harris arc on his bond.
Attorney General Garland declined to
IA, interviewed on the subject. He had
General idca OF the state OF affairs, but
~s. %s moi inclined to say much about 1t
until entirely satisfied that there was
somrthiur wrong. He would say, how
aver over that the interests of the govern
meni were fully protected in this case,
far the reason that the penalty bond was
nrriectly good for more than the amount
IN iispute. As for Gen. Ewing, he had
oIways found him exemplary in charac-
Ter and proficient in the business OF his
office.
GENERAL EwING's owN STATEMENT.
General Ewing is an officer with most
excellent record, and is one OF the best
and most popularity known men in the
city. lie was appointed from Wheeling,
West Virginia, several years ago, where
lie was well and popularly known, hav-
in, in served at one time during the war as
Aiiutant General Of the State: He was
once in the printing business in Wheel
inc. His numerous warm friends In
Washington, puOng whom are many
Liyh officials, express every confidence
in his ability to clear himself OF the
charge, To a reporter who asked him
regarding the matter, General Ewing
said:
"NIuch Of that statement given out in
regard to myself is incorrect, and can
he easily explained and set right. |
nm the only officer OF the government
who acted in two or three capacities
-lisbursing clerk, appointment clerk,
and sometimes us Chief clerk and
superintendent Of the building: This,
10 a great extent, explained the delay in
rendering my accounts, having only one
regular clerk to assist me in this work.
"Was there any complaint about the
sowness OF sending in papersY
"There has been, but they were put in
rs soon as it was possible to copy the
vouchers in the record books"
"Wilat is the fact about the shortage
charged in the aCCOuntsp"
@It was first said that my accounts
were short $4,000. They have been cx-
amincd, papers gone over, errors discov-
cred in charging acquisitions against me
lint | never received, and other discrep.
ancics discovered until that amount had
bcen greatly reduced, and the examina-
zion is still being continued. The
amount has been brought down to less
than onc.half of that alleged to have
been short, and am satisfied that it
will be entirely obliterated."
GLOW could such n difference occur?"
EASILY enough. Many vouchers which
were paid by direction OF those having
abe authority to approve when they
reached the Comptroller's office were
there disallowed and charged up against
me. For instance, the art portraits OF
ex.Attorncys General Devens and Nc
Way IAN item oi$l,300) were disallowed.
Then the accounts OF examiners and at
tOrneys, telegraph accounts, and, in fact,
many Of the items in the vouchers pre-
sentGd there were disallowed, which
caused vexatious delays and much CORE
spondence, some being finally passed
andmany still remaining charged against
me. They were all paid in good faith
by me, and upon the order and approval
Of the Attorney General. Most people
would suppose that the Attorney Cen
nraI had full control over the appropria-
tiOns to be disbursed under his dircc-
tion, but such is not really the fact, as
my experience has shown, otherwise
the accounts approved by him would
meyer be suspended in the comptroller's
OlTiee for explanation. am fully salts
fled that this examination, when fin
ished, will not iniure me and that the
Government will not lose n dollar"