Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-20
THE CIVIL SERVICE INQUIRY.
The Commissioners Examined by the
Conversational Committee.

The Commissioners Examined by the
Congressional Committee.
TAKEN Up AND FOLLOWED TO SOMEWHAT ABB
sURD ENDrNos-MR. ROOSEVELT GRArIFIED BY
HAVING CHARGES roRMuLATED.
quorum Of the House civil service commit
tee, the three civil service commissioners. Mr.
hatton Of the Washington Post, Representative
Ewart and large number Of witnesses were
assembled last night in the large, badly venti-
lated room in the lower basement Of the Capt.
toll Mr.. Lehlbach, the chairman OF the COM
mittee. sat at the head Of the long council
table. At his left sat Messrs. Butterworth,
Greenhalge. Stephenson and Lind, and at his
right Messrs. Andrew, Dargan, Stone and Boat
ner members Of the committee. Mr.. Hatton
of the Post and Representative Ewart of North
Carolina, the two prosecutors. sat at the other
end OF the table. looking over scroll and
whispering together. A large table was placed
on one side of the room for newspaper men,
and every preparation was made in the most
solemn way to investigate the charges made
against the commission.
COMMISSIONERS LYMAN EXAMINED.
Mr.. Lyman was first placed upon the stand
and sworn. He was turned over to Mr.. Ewart
for examination and the widest latitude was
given the prosecution to the character of
questions that might be asked. Many times
these questions were such as to provoke pro-
test from members of the Committee on ac-
count OF their irregularity, but it was indicated
that the purpose was TO give the prosecution
every possible opportunity to make up their
own case in their own way and they were per-
mltted TO proceed in any fashion.
The examination of Mr.. Lyman was upon the
matter OF A. c. Campbell's furnishing a copy
OF obsolete examination papers to a lady 10
one OF the departments and generally TO the
history of Campbelrs connection with the COM
mission. Briefly the story told by Mr. Lyman
IN answer to these questions was that Mr..
Campbell was first associated with the commits
sion by being detailed from the Agricultural
department This detail was made while Mr..
Lyman was chief examiner, not a member. of
the commission and during his absence from
the city. 1t was not at his instance and he
knew nothing at all of it until on his return he
found Campbell at work. Later, when an APP
preparation was made for u laborer Camp
bell was appointed to that position aud
taken off the rolls of the Department of
Agriculture. AT that time the force of the
civil service commission was not in the CLASH
fed service, but nevertheless Campbell had
passed an examination and was on the eligible
list of the classified service when he got this
appointment, which might have been given to
any one without examination Campbell had
since been promoted three times; first to $500,
then to Il 900 and then to 81 200, the salary he
now gets. This last promotion was made after
the giving out of the papers and at a time
when Mr. Lyman was the only commissioner
All these promotions had been made in an or
derby way, without favor
THE EXAMINATION PAPERS GIVEN OUT.
As to the giving out of the examination
papers by Mr.. Campbell Mr.. Lyman said that
his attention was first called by Mr.. Oberly to
had h.a rim
MIR. Lyman had examined the papers. not
noticing the handwriting particularly but look
ing into the questions to determine whether
they were the questions of the commission
he had no doubt then that they were
commission questions and he gave them
to the chief examiner with instructions
to see whether or not they were current
questions and to examine the handwriting
The next day Mr.. Doyle saw Mr. Lyman and
said he had no doubt that the writing was that
OF Campbell. Mr.. Lyman then examined the
writing and had no doubt that II was Camp
bells. He SO told Mr.. Oberly He then sent
for Mr.. Campbell and asked him if he had seen
the papers before. After brief examination
Campbell replied that he had seen them before
and that they were in his handwriting.
MIR. Lyman started to say what he had said
to Campbell, but MIR. Ewart objected that he
was reading from manuscript Mr.. Lyman
stated that ne was telling facts; that the state
ments before him were prepared by himself
and he was using them to refresh his memory.
Mr.. Ewart objected further and Mr.. LYMAN
said he had no objection to testifying without
reference to the paper. In answer to questions
he said that the statement was one prepared
for the President at his request.
THE INTERVIEW WITH CAMPBELL.
Mr.. Lyman then went on with his statement
He said he told Campbell that it was a serious
matter and that he did not know what would
come Of 1t. but he wanted him to speak frankly
and tell the whole truth about the papers
Mr.. Campbell replied in substance: Il wrote
those papers for a lady, friend of mine a
clerk in the pension Office, who has some idea,
at some time In the future, of taking an exam-
nation for promotion. She asked me if could
assist her IN any way in preparation for that
examination. L told her did not know of any
way in which could help her. What she wanted
was something that would give her an idea of
the general character of the questions that
were asked in the examinations tor promotion
l finally said that l might give her an old
set of questions that had been used in
former examinations, and that in their general
features would embrace the same subjects that
were embraced i'll the examinations for promo
lions. L therefore copied this set of papers and
gave them to her, with the understanding that
when she looked them over they were to be de-
stroyed. know nothing of the papers since
that time until you now show them to me. l
supposed that they had been destroyed.
Il said to him, this matter will have to be
investigated. You tell me that these are the
facts, but the matter will have to be looked
into, and propose to learn whether you have
told me the truth about these papers,"
TURNED OVER TO MR. oBERLY.
Mr.. Lyman then turned the case over to Mr..
Oberly to investigate, as he Qyman) was re-
lated to Mr.. Campbell. He asked Mr.. Oberly
to sift the matter to the bottom. Afterward
MIR. Oberly told Mr.. Lyman that he had made a
very thorough investigation, examining every
body at all connected with the matter or know
ing anything about it; that the statements all
corroborated that of MIR. Campbell Mr.. O5erly
said that as the questions were obsolete and no
one had been wronged and the offense did
not involve any serious moral delinquency his
Judgment was to reprimand Campbell and drop
this matter.
MIR. Ewart asked: 'sWas it not a very i'm
proper thing for an employee of the civil SER
vice commission to take questions from the file
and give them to outside parties?"
MIR. LYMAN replied: Il should say it was
serious breach of discipline"
Mr.. Ewart then asked il he did not think Mr..
Campbelrs action disreputable, and Mr.. Lyman
replied: Il have given such characterization
OF 1t as think it properly deserves, and pre-
fer to adhere to that characterization. think
it was a serious breach of discipline"
In answer to further questions he said he
thought it was a breach Of discipline recurring
punishment. Mr.. Oberly, who had investigated