Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-06-14
RAUM'S TACTICS.
THE TRUE INWARDNESS OF CERTAIN PENSION
OFFICE PROMOTIONS.
How the Commissioner is Related Financially 10
Certain Banks-His Refrigerator Scheme
and How He is Trying to
Work China.

WAsHINGToN, June 13.-Reed, Nc
Kinley and Cannon, comprising the Re-
publican majority OF the Committee on
Rules, have given no indication as to
their intention regarding the resolution
introduced by Mr.. Cooper, of Indiana,
TO investigate the conduct of the PEN
sion Office or of Commissioner Raum.
II will be remembered it was stated that
Raum received S25, 900 from national
bank on Capitol Hill on the indorse-
ment of Geo. +. Lemon. This is not
the case. Mr.. Raum received $1,000
from the Capitol Hill National Bank on
Lemons Endorsement, but he also re-
ceived from other banks in the city
sums amounting 10 $4,000 on Lemons
Endorsement. IA other words there
were five notes OF $1,000 each, and each
note was negotiated in different bank.
There is no doubt that Raum is trying
TO put out the impression that Lemon
indorSed his notes before he became
Commissioner of Pensions. This is not
true. The notes were indorsed within
month or six weeks last past, and they
were negotiated Of course within the
same time.
The matter crept out incidentally at
Il meeting of the directors of Il Wash
ington bank about 10 days ago. The
directors were in session and the banks
paper was before them for investigation
The Raum note came up and one of the
directors wanted some light on the sub
ject. He expressed the opinion that
Raum was no good from financial
standpoint; that he was engaged in all
kings of wild speculation and shady en-
terprseS, and that unless the indorser
was good the paper might be considered
as worthless. The cashier was called
into the meeting and he explained that
he was aware that Raum was no good,
but that his indorser, Lemon, was good
for at least $3.50, 900. The cashier volun-
teered the further opinion that there
were five notes of 5000 each signed by
Raum and ndorsed by Lemon
negotiated at the same time, and that
five banks took one each. 1t
happened that the director of the bank
who made the inquiry is something OF a
pension shark himself, and he immedi-
atcly csmelled a mouse, He traced up
skillfully the relations between Lemon
and Raum, and found that Lemon had
asked for certain ruling regarding a
certain line of pension cases where the
proof was not complete because of the
death or absence of material witnesses;
that Raum had declined. in written
communication Lemons request, and
that subsequently Raum changed his
opinion and allowed the rule just as
Lemon dictated it. and in consequence
an enormous number of Lemons cases
were Immediately docketed, and that
Immediately after this the five notes OF
81, 900 each, with Lemons Endorsement,
were negotiated and the cash turned
over to Raum
THE REFRIGERATING COMPANY.
Raum denies that he has sold any
stock of the Universal Refrigerating
Company to the employees of the Pension
Office. Perhaps he tells the truth, but
the fact remains tat somebody has sold
the stock 10 pension clerks, and that
clerks who have purchased the rcfrige-
rating company'S stock have been re-
markably lucky in getting promotions.
| Among the clerks who are owners OF
refrigeratng company stock are two
men named Turner and Tanner. Turner
was promoted from 5000 place to a
81 400 place, much TO the surprise of
everybody, as he never displayed any
particular efficiency in the discharge OF
| his duties. Tanner is Commissioner
Raum'S private secretary, and il should
be observed in passing that he if no re-
lation to the Corporal, and he has been
promoted also since he purchased some
of the stock. Perhaps he was promoted
on his merits, but the coincidcnt that
all the stockholders of the refrigerating
company, and there are seven or eight
of them. employed in the Pension Bu-
reau, should be promoted is to say the
least remarkable.
This refrigerating company, from all
accounts. is 4 very elaborate concern.
Several business men. who have tested
the contrvancc, informed your cores
pondent that it is fraud and entirely
worthless. But Raum is at present en-
gagged with the Chinese Legation in this
city trying to sell the contriyancc to the
Chinese government for large sum Of
money. OF course, if his cOntrivance is
worthless, it is much better that he
should sell it to Chinese than to Ameri-
cans, and the fact that he is an officer
of the government, and an important
officer in fact, gives him some standing
with the members of the Chinese Lega-
tion that perhaps he would not have as
private citizen. The Chinese, it seems,
are rather anxious TO find some refrig-
Grating methods to be adopted in their
native country, and Raum has been
working the Legation here to the ex-
tent of his ability to get his contriyance
| odo,tod IN, +bo Colcstfa1S