New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-05
LET COL. LAMONT EXPLAIN.
HAS HE BEEN TRAFFICKING IN FRAUDU.
LENT CLAIMSi
A MOST UNsAvoRY BUsINEss-"ED" STOKES,
"BABYn BIssELL AND "DAN" LAMONT
SECURE GENERAL" sPARKs's REMOVAL
FOR REFUSING TO DO THEIR BIDDING
THE PRESIDENT CoGNIzANT
OF THE FACTS

IBY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNE
Washington. Nov 4.-of the Illegal and fraudulent
navments lifted by First Controller Durham, ana
paid for 4, u such cerncaton Of which mention was
made I'm aterdays dispatches to The Tribune there
were larso, amounts paid out in excess OF any even
plausible balance In favor Of claimants or putatlVe
claimants OF the class OF accounts or claims reerou
TO as having been thus paid there were osaho"e"
as fraudulent, during period covered between 'no
years 1871 and 1854, total amount OK $S3'o4o ID
yet upon these dsa0wcd and uncertinen accounts
Controller Durham Illegally allowed, certified and had
Treasury drafts issued covering payments equainng
3s 000that is to say paying an excess OF ~ 800 Il
over and above the sum total Of tho old dsanowed
and fraudulent claims.
What vouchers Mr.. Durham had for these payments
all any OF them, and moro particularly Tor thls
payment OF 1856 IL, which could even TO himself
appear TO Justify his illegal action in the premises is
something which has been puzzling both experts ana
lawyers connected with the United States Treasury for
many months past The correspondent OF The Trpune'
however possibly furnish key to the intricate
problem and enable the casual reader TO pluck
out the heart Of the mystery"
It appears that as a result Of many pleasant inter-
views with his old friend, Edward s. Stokes. at the
Hoffman House in New-York, Colonel Daniel S. La
mont, Private Secretary to Grover Cleveland Pres
dent of tho United States, induced to take lively
interest in the payment, b. the new Reform Demo-
cratic Administration Of these surveying accounts, dis
allowed by former Republican ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
by Carl schurz himself then Secretary Of the INTERIOR
and now Mr. Cleveland's ardent apologlst and sdp
porer-accounts claims which had been assigned
so the Nevada Bank by Mr. Benson, of California, who
pursued, arrested and "1alled' by General
Sparks, then Commissioner Of the General Land Office.
Private Secretary Lamont 1t appears, suggested that
Mr. Bissell, Familiarity known among his Democratic
intmates Baby Blssell, President Cleveland's
former law partner should be brought into the case
nd ha inn (,reat W.
thereupon brought bear upon the Land Commissioner
Mr. SPARKS, to compel him TO certify these fraudulent
claims for payment He very properly refused.
President Cleveland was then frantcalv appealed
by Private Secretary Lamont, exLaw Partner Bssel
& Co.-thc company being represented by ex-Repre
sentative Hurd, Of Ohio, and ex-Repcsentave Phi'
Thompson, of KentucBy-to compel Sparks BY ex-
ecutlve order or otherwise to make the desired
certfcation which Controller Durham claimed he had
superior authority TO order
The President referred the question to the Attorney
General who decided that Commissioner Sparks
could not, under the law be compelled ordered to
certify the accounts for payment, and shat Controller
Durham had authority over him In the premises.
Messrs. Hurd, Thompson and Bssel, who argi-
Ing the before the Attorney Generals office, and
Lamont forgave Sparks for his refusal and
through their persecution, 1t IS alleged Sparks was
punished BIZ oval-for dong his sworn duty and
protecting the United States Treasury from fraud,
and not, for the published at the time, that
he traversed Secretary Lamar's decisions and was
In revolt against him.
Here then is Private Secretary Lamont-the all
powerful L" of recent trafckng in fraud
ucnt claims, and composing the official removal Of
great public official for refusing to order payment of
these claims: and here also is the great Reform
President Of the United States who although he dared
not openly direct Commissioner Sparks to certify
fraudulent payments at the behest Of to oblge his
present secretary and former law partner, submitting
The question the Attorney General, when glance at
the United States statutes would have told first
year law student that the proposition utterly abb
surd Later he permits the honest Commissioner of
the General Land Office to be sacrificed This Is a
most unsavOry business. and is the common talk of
certain circles here. President Cleveland, from first
TO last appears to have had, at least guilty know
cd