New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-29
EASY PAPERS TO PASS.
,,vrsrraAT1NG DEMOCRATIC OWL SER
VICE EXAMINATIONS.
,ov MEN GOT PLACES IN THE CUSTOM HOUSE
-.aSrEREsTING TESTIMONY FOR U'A'Ac
LANDS SUPPORTERS BEFORE THE

-aSrEaEsrING TESTIMONY FOR uLEVH
LANDS SUPPORTERS BEFORE THE
COMMISSION.
rrnle svid.nce of the scandalous manner III
.hi.h amendments to the local customs scrNioe
xere secured under the Democratic AdminiS'fd-
,,on ,vsx furnished Yesterday at the iornai open.
,nr Of an investigation by the United states Ni,'i
s.r1tce Commission into charges OF irauu III 'iio
local Civil Service examinations. Inc tes.inlony
NJ the witnesses furnished examples oil s'"'e VI
things entirely unprecedented, and anoS' 'no'eui-
BILE. oo;d,u.
Tho Commissioners Charles Lyman preS'oenN
Eueb 8. Thom pson and Theodore Roosevelt arrived
from Washington yesterday morning. anu "en"
dirsctlv N the Custom House, opening 'ne inNcsC'
oa+,on NJ II o'clock Mr.. RooseveIt fcao report
~ his recent personal investigation OF the cnafses'
..,sInh so,d that evidence had been laid before
h,r, which tended to show that the EXAMINATIONS
So, Tho Civil Service OF the Custom House during
- -. .,,o ~ three wears had been conducted
.ha, would warrant, on the part Of the
C..,~.,.s,o, some action much more severe than
-. - He outlined the testimony already
,a,,s, hv him. saving that the witnesses who had
su.o,,.S hsfore him would be called before the
friI Commission to testify. He recommended that
t,n bearing be allowed 70 all OF the accused
s,sons bu, expressed the hope that in the absence
- a satisfsctory explanation, determined chort
u,ou,6 be made to have two or three OF them
,na;.,ed under Section Of the Civil Service law
=, stened 10 him, he said, that at the present
,os jt was above all things important Tor the
Commission TO see that the law, in so far as 1t lay
within their province, be executed in letter ana
spirit, with the most rigid honesty, and that the
seyerest punishment possible be meted out 10
those who had flagrantly and criminally violated
It's provisions
Before beginning the regular examination Mr.
Roosevelt said that it was only just that he should
,sy that there was no evidence duplicating MI
Mason, who resigned from the local board 1ew
dsys ago, in any OF the irregularities with which
others were charged. Mr.. Mason seemed much
phased st this, and remained during the examlna-
ton. an interested spectator.
EXAMINING WITNESS.
The first witness called was Thomas F. Jordan,
about TWENTY-FIVE years old Mr.. Roosevelt con-
Quoted his examination. Jordan testified that in
April and May, 1887, he talked frequently with
Nathaniel Fowler, of jersey City, and Charles T.
Terhune, an employe at the Custom House, about
Eetting advance copies Of the questions 70 be used
In the Nav examination be fore the local board
Finally a plan was adopted 10 obtain them. Ter
hume said that Fred Davis, clerk Of the En-
amining Board, would help them with It, In
carrying out the plan, Fowler went 70 the room OF
she Board, In the Postoffioe Building, on May l6
1887, and found Fred Davis on guard At the
door. He gave signal, furnished by Ierhune'
was admitted by Davis, and copisd the questions as
they were asked Terhune furnished the solutions
and Jordan the following day appeared be fore the
81 nirafi
be was appointed TO a $1,000 clerltship in the
Custom House. A place in the Custom House
was TO be obtained for Fowler BY Terhune as
reward fer obtaining the questions Jordan under
stood that Terhune also furnished answers TO the
questions To ]. l.. Connally, OF Jersey CITY, ana
others, all Of whom passed the examinations.
After he assumed the duties OF his position,
Jordan said he was compelled TO lend Ierhune
small sums of money, 81 now and s. then' none
of which had been repaid. Fowler did not get
o position through Terhune, and began 10 lm-
perfume Jordan for his reward. Jordan went 10
Terhune about it, but Terhune repudlated MS
promise Fowler came TO the Custom House
" hie intoxicated one day recently, and threatened
to give the affair away il he were not placed
In employment. This frightened Terhunc, VINO
met Jerdan on Monday, the latter said. and told
bim that Fowler must oc kept out OF the way 80
that he could not testify before the United States
Commission. Terhune offered to pay the expenses
involved in getting Fowler away and keeping Glm bn
away during the Investigation. Jordan lett the
matter open until yesterday morning, when al
tAnds were Unexpectedly summoned before the
commission.
GIVING THE ooUNrERSIGN.
Nathaniel Fowler. who is apparently about
years old, WAS the next witness.
The plan for obtaining copies Of the examination
questions he said, WAS arranged by Tcrhune
Following out the plan, he went TO the room where
the examination was held on May 81, 1887. and,
As he had been Informed would be the case. found
Fred Davis on guard ut the door, to keep out all
except regular applicants for examination: lie
tapped Davis on the foot and whispered Terry,
sdraisted him. and prevented him from being de-
<cted while copying the questions, by appear
ing TO guard that particular section OF the room.
Having copied the question: Fowler says that
be gave them TO Terhune. who went away TO get
them answered. That night Terhune, Fowler,
Connolly and Jordan met at Jordans house in
Connolly and Jordan. 4 non-cOmpetitive clerk
ship was promised 10 Fowler by Terhune, but he
never got II. Ierhune had sent him word that he
could furnish the questions and answers 10 him
for o eoming examination for $50 but the wit
ness could not raise the money. lie acknowledged
that be Threatened TO reveal the truth about the
AFFAIR while intoxicated.
The next witness called furnished disgraceful
example of what an absolutely ignorant and un.
man ID dDIc 10 accomplish under
tain conditions. He is an undersized Hebrew
named Saul Hollander and he fills 81, 900 CLERK
ship in the Custom House. lie identified his ex.
animation papers being in his own handwriting.
M his application papers the date OF his birth was
eiven as May 10, ls43. Being asked by Mr.,
Roosevelt II this was correct, he said that he did
not know; he had forgotten. In his declaration
papers the date OF his birth was July 90 l540.
md In bis application for examination for promo.
lion the date was May o, is45. lie could not
Iay which Of these years ne was born in, His
tather was dead and his mother was very old ne
Iaid, and there was no record. The face Of the
witness frightened quickly as nc apparently rec.
sllected that May 10 was in the majority, and
he gleefully remarked. But May 20 vas correct
heard that from some other relatives
SOME sMeHT CONTRADICTIONS.
sAh,' said Mr.. Roosevelt, "wben did you find
hat out. before or after your exsminatiou9'
At first the witness said before :" then seeing
hat he was in a trap, as q subsequent entry
n his own writing Qaye the date July 30 le4n