Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-05-08
NOT TANNING our wnhL.


vesttgation Into n Machine 10
Manufacture Capital tor the Ise-
publican party-A Costly ExperI-
uieut.
a. ecal Correspondence of Gazette and Journal
GKoRaETowN, May 7.-Uader the lead OF
attorney and prospective Republican Con-
gresslonal Candidate 7. Frank Bacon, the
levy court investigating committee met
here yesterday afternoon and resumed the
examination OF the detalcstion of Rufus u.
Wheatley, late deputy clerk OF tue pence.
AS usual, the examination was conducted
by Attorney Bacon, tho members of tho
committee sitting as mum as mice while
MT. Bacon asked all the questions.
As to the extent of the dedication tho
committee Seems to be willing to csst upon
the figures OF Its last partial report which
run Wheatley'e etealinRs up to a trihe less
than 5000. There seems 10 be- no doubt
that this IL the limit OF the defaleation.
Now the COMMITTEES are endeavoring TO
ascertain II Whaatiey bad any conIederets5
TO assist him In his dishonest TRANSACTIONS,
and this afternoon they had before them
number OF county collectors who had
sashsd the bosus ordorstissued by Wneatey
nnd turned them over to the county treas
urer In settlement of their tax accounts.
The hrst to testify was Elihu NJ. Lynch
late collector OF Georgetown hundred, who
had accepted and cashed ~ Of Wheatley's
bogus orders. He said he mai no doubt of
chem when he accepted them, but he could
not remember from whom he had received
oil Of them. He cashsd "a number OF oIders
from Wheatley, VINO told him that lie
fWheatley) had given the money on them
TO the parties In whose favor they were
drawn. Once he was not satisfied with the
appearance OF the endorsements OF tae
etders and told Wheatley that unless they
veTe endorsed IN better shape he would
not accept them. After this Wheatley did
not bring him any more orders to cash.
William L. Fleetwood. ex collector OF
Eantiooke hundred, examined batch of
Whealley's fraudulentlY endorsed orders,
but could not reoognzs any Of them as
having, been cashed BY him and passed
through his hands to the county treasurer.
He had never, before this time, noticed the
popularity OF Rheatley's fraudulent Gu
dorsement, and accepted all orders offered
him without suspicion. He had occasion
ally cashed court orders for WhsGtley. He
oashed orders for various people In George
town and elsewhere, but never had a 6us-
picson that any OF them were not genuine.
'These people do not seeru to know much
about the ORDERS" said Mr.. Bacon.
"Well, it's pretty hard for a collector to
remember just where he got specific
ORDER" rejoined A. +. Robinson, ESQ.
Thomas W. Short, collector OF George.
town hundred for 1884 3. carefully exam
ined q batch of orders and identified Few
of tho Wheatley bogus issues as having
been caBhei by him, but with the exception
OF two or three received from Wheatley
could not remember from whom he had re-
ceived them. He never heard anybody
question the validity OF these ordsrs.
Daniel f. Joseph, Il Georgetown butcher
and Republican worker, was called to tell
about an order Wheatley once gave him In
payment OF bill for hog, Joseph said
he heard something WAS wrong about
Wheatley's orders, 80 he took II to William
A. Polk, who said 1t did not look right. He
also showed 1t 10 II. W. ID. Albury, who ed-
Vised him to take IL back to Wheatley.
Then he took II to Nathaniel Hickman. who
said: oh ths order, don't care any
thing about It." Afterwards WheaylsY came
to him and took 1t back. Joseph said ne
did not remember who he heard talking
about Wheatley's order not being all right,
nor did he remember the time OF the occur.
renee, except that II WAS during the late N
W. Hickman's term as clerk of the peace
He did not remember that he ever got any
other order from Wheatley. Didn't he
pay you beef bill In orders?" inquired
MIR. Robinson. "No, he never paid me ri
ALL" replied the witness. with mournfu
sigh at the recollection OF the unsettled
beef account, Mr. Alburv, he said, told
him he did not understand how Wheatley
came TO haye 30 many orders The witness
had no recollection about the rumora oil
crookedness In Wheatiey's orders, any
further than hearing some one remark tina
they were not straight,
Register OF wills william A. Polk, tc
whom Joseph showed the Wheatley order
next told about the circumstance. He said
he looked at the endorsement on the bach
OF the order and told Joseph he did not Xix,
the looks OF It, and directed him to go tc
nir. Hickman. The circumstance occurred
about the last Of November or first part o.
December, 1885. Joseph did not say any
thing to him about having heard rumorE
that there was something wrong abou
Wheatley's orders. Mr.. Polk said his sus
plcions were aroused by the fact that thu
capital letters In the endors emant on tn
order looked very much to him like Rufu
Wheatley's writing, with which he wa
familiar.
Charles II. Russell, ex.collecter OF Oeda
Greek hundred, said he never Dashed ali!
orders for Wheatley, nor did he recollee
having ever cashed any OF the bogus or
ders. MIR. Bacon asked him II he ever dis
counted any oder, hut MIR. Russell, witt
some indlgnation, said that his gave fac
value for every order he accepted, either Il
cash or credit for county taxes.
William L. Jefferson, another ex-collecto
for Cedar Creek hundred (Novembel
1879, remembered casting various or
ders for Mbeatley, but he did not suspec
that anything Was wrong with them.
Peter Marvel, late collector for DagsSor
hundred, had casned a number OF Wheat
ley's oIdere, but with the exception OF
few received from Theatley himself he dil
not tax his memory as to who had pfesonte,
them TO him.
Ruius W. Torbert OF Georgetown wa
shown one OF the bogus orders bearing hi
endorsement, but after careful reflection b
said he could not recolleet for whom he ha
cashed Il.
The committee here adjourned until /
o'clock this morning. It is expected tia
the Investigation Will be flashed to-day.
MIR. Bacon and his Republican colleague
on the COMMITTEES, extractsd very little con
fort out OF the afternoons session. AiuG
the examination into the extern OF Wnea
ley's issue Of bogus orders ceased, tn
II aDs OF the Investigation has been in tn
d e0saon OF duplicating other Democrat
officials Ia his rascallty, but thus far witr
out result Even the figu es given fort
ia the local Republican organ, last weet
TO show that Democratic members Of TIL
IBvy court havs been ovelchargipg for SCI
Vices and mileage, prove nothing wtUui
as 1t is known thattE charges were strict
In accordance with custom prevailing to
years, and have been religiOusly followed
aud In some instances exceeded, bv III
Republican members Of tue present eoui
Tue Republican managers now begin
realize that the polit!cSi capital they hOpH
20 derive from the lnvea tlyatton Is N;
going to pan out very well.
1t Is beginning to dawn upon the tai
payers OF Sussex county that this Invest
CATION has not only assumed very FOOLS
aud partisan phase, but is likely to prove
very expensive luxury. The efforts OF IL
COMMITTEES to ascertain the extent OF Whea
ley's stealirgs were all right, but now TIT
MIR. Bacon and bis committee are simpl
fiounderlug around In an effort TO mus
political capital for the benefit OF the RI
npK,IA h.A.. ,I1t