Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-05-26
CAPT. SIMPSONS SERVANTS.
what Is Said Of II al the Navy Depart
ment Justice Gray's Statement Of
the AFFAIR

We published on Saturday the aff1ds.
Wits OF Thos. Walker and Geo. b. Lowry
two colored servants Of W. F. Sampson.
superintendent OF the Naval Academy.
charging the Captain With having retain
ed from them certain portions of their
pay, and also Captain Sampson explana-
ton Of the affair. Advices from Wash
ington to-dsy inform US that Representa-
tive Mudd and DIR. w. O. Tuck called
al the Navy Department on Saturday aud
handed Secretary Tracy the afiidaVits
sworn 10 by Thomas Walker and George
b. Lowry. Captain Simpsons colored
servants chargiog the Captain having
wr0ngfully retained part Of their pay and
their Communication of rations. The Sec
Rotary was very busy at the time, and his
office was filed with people waiting TO
see him, SO that he had little time 10 de-
vote to the subject then, and II is not
known what the action of the department
VIII be. The papers will be referred 10
the Judge advocate general for report,
and the Secretary will then determine
whether an investigation is necessary.
1t Is said ct the Navy Department that II
these aeidavits TO be true 1t would seem
that Captain Sampson had been guilty OF
q technical classification of the muster
roll, in violation Of the navy regulations.
He has, however, merely followed out q
practice which has prevailed at every
navy yard Ia the country and at the Ma
val Academy as far back as the memory
Of the oldest officer extends. Ii has al
ways and almost invariably been the prac
tice for commandments at the yards and At
the Naval Academy to employ three or
four servants out of the allowance for
two, and Ii has always necessarily been
done openly and with the consent of the
person so employed 1t 10 probably that
the same thing Is done at every maynard
In the country at the present time. In
view of this state of affairs 1t Is extremely
unlikely that Captain Sampson will be
he to have committed very grave Of
Tense, and II is doubtful wheather an In
vestigation OF any kind will be made. IL
Is very probable, however, that the Sec
rotary will issue a general order putting
9 stop to the practice wherever II prevails
The fact that Captain Sampson received
his orders TO the San Francisco the same
day that the affidavits we're published led
some people 10 believe that they had
something to do with his being sent TO
sea- This Is not the fact, however. Cap
tain Simpsons time Of shore duty has tx
pired, and he was selected for the cam
months age, as was stated al the time. II
h the impression at the Navy Depart
ment that some political Influences at the
Naval Academy hostile to Captain Samp-
son are beniHd Walker and Lowry In
their action.
Justice Gray, before whom the affida-
Wits were made, informed the CAPITAL,
that he was not aware OF the contents OF
the papers to which he affixed his sigma
ture. When he attempted to examine
their contents, he was told by the parties
that the contents were private, and they
desired to keep the matter secret, and as
he was not required by law 10 examine
the papers, he simply affixed his signature
and asked no questions. He went to the
residences OF the parties at the request OF
Mr.. Arthur B. Carter. clerk at the Ma
val Academy, who called on him for the
purpose.