St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-08-25
IN sLoANE's DEFENSE.
Attorney Merwin Shows Up to
Public Gaze an Infamous Con-

ANJOIDCl 4hCA AOAAO"C
Public Gaze an Infamous Con-
spiracy.
Attorney Merwin, who represented
Supervising Inspector Sloane in the re-
cent investigation, in an interview
yesterday respecting the charges against
his client, said:
THE substance of the charges was made
public through the press almost immediate
" after they were filed, by parties hostile TO
Mr.. Sloane, and have, therefore, been common
property for weeks. Strangely enough, how
ever Mr. Sloane himself has never been tur-
nished by the government with copies OF a
single charge or complaint, but he has been
compelled TO content himself with what
could be cleaned from the newspapers and
what influential friends could learn Tor MIN
at Washington. Besides. the Investigation
has been secret throughout, although the
special ng mt in charge Of II. Hon. AIphonso
Hart solicitor of internal revenue, has
been courteous toward Mr.. Sloane and
seemingly inclined to give him talr
treatment Some of the Sunday papers re-
ported Mr.. Hart as saying that Mr.. Sloane had
had opportunity to offer all witnesses he de-
sired. The reporters must nave mlSunder-
stool MI Hart. since he could not have made
such statement. The fact is exactly the
contrary. as appears in the record of the IL
vestigation. Mr.. Sloane had a considerable
number of additional witnesses whom he
WlSneu 10 6AdlDlllC. Dul MI A1di -NAotASt
lessly for perfectly good reasons-refused to
continue the investigation III order that lhey
might be heard.
-Four specific charges were originally
made:
'-First-Disobedieue of department in
structions and delay in inspecting the steamer
Zillah on Yellowstone lake last month, ana
the making Of improper and illegal require
mentS of the owners after the inspection:
ITO this Mr.. Sloane's defense is. that of the
ten or eleven weeks of alleged delay IN in
speeding the boat more Than six weeks had
elapsed before the owners gave him nouee
that she was ready for inspection, and the
further DELAY was caused solely by their fail
ure to provide for his expense on the trip, as
he had been notified officially they were to
do. He started on his trip the day after Inc
remittance for expenses was received, ana
would have left at once if he had not
previously made an appointment to inspect
steamer at saltwater at that time one
allegation of the charge is of Importance
merely to show the maligniIy OF its author.
1t is that the
official Report
of the inspection which Mr.. Sloane wrote
after Office hours on one day was not mailed
until the next.
s,All of the so-called illegal requirements
were cheerfully acquiesced in and complied
with by the owners of the boat who have eX-
hlbited throughout the kindest feeling to-
ward Mr. Sloane, and hearty appreciation of
his conscientious inspection. If there was
any error in this regard on the part Of Mr..
Sloane. it was on the side Of public safety.
''In the language of the charge Gen. Du-
mont saeers at Mr.. Sloane S conclusions as "a
connection of his fertile BRAIN but, perhaps
1t would have seemed different to him If he
had crawled into that boats boiler with Mr..
Sloane between e and o'clock in the morn
ing. after long mountain stage ride late the
previous night, and had spent the entire
morning in that boiler and beneath the
boats deck.
1.-The second charge is the designating Of
certain local inspectors at Galena early last
wear against the protests of Senator Allison
and REPRESENTATIVES Henderson and Hit and
giving TO Judge Blodgett, of Chicago, one of
the designating board, such notice Of the
meeting that he would have been obliged to
travel on sunday TO attend. This charge is
quickly disposed of. OF the candidates rec
commended by the gentlemen named, one
was found to be of too advanced aged to be
physically competent, one of Objectionable
character as his own friends afterward ad-
mitJed, and all the others were lnellglDle
under the law, while the men designated
were both competent and eligible and have
done
Excellent Service
ever since The notice of the meeting sent
Judge Blodgett did not necessltate his travel
ing on SUNDAY because he could have left
Chicago at $50 in the morning, and arrived
al the place of meeting before the time fixed
for it, which fact Gen. Dumont could have
determined by consulting the railway time
tables.
1.-THE third charge is for failure to legally
convene the board 10 designate inspectors at
DUBUQUE last August; for deceiving one
member of the board; hoodwinking Judge
Shiras, the other member. and untruthfullv
reporting the proceedings to the department.
To this charge the answer is that Mr. Sloane S
actions throughout were open and above
board. He first consulted with Judge Shiras
and asked him to fix the time of the meeting,
and fully advised him in regard to the mat
ter. The judge was unwilling to go to Du-
buque. and. as it was necessary for him to be
there. asked Mr.. Sloane to attend to the bus
mess with the other member the surveyor OF
the port, which Mr.. Sloane did after fully
advising the surveyor as TO the situation.
The papers were first signed by the surveyor
and Mr. Sloane, and afterwards by Judge
Shiras, and then transmitted to the depart
ment and the designations were approved
by the department.
THE fourth charge is that Of incompet
eney as shown by a certain quoted state
ment purpOrting to be contained IN letter
sent by Mr.. Sloane 10 one Wareham few
weeks after assuming the duties OF his office.
This charge is disingenuOus, il not deliber-
atelv false. The only foundation il has in
fact is that SlOsne submitted form of letter
TO Gen. DUmOnt Tor his approval, and it be
ing disapproved by him, the letter WINS never
sent, which fact Mr.. DumOnt would infer il
he did not know 1t, and he could easily have
determined the truth if he was in doubt
The interstices OF the charges are hlled II
with slurs, insinuations. inuendoes, intima
tions of bribery, ETC., which, because indef
mite and vague, can only be met by emphatic
denial The malice inspiring the attack il
apparent from7 what has been stated
and the treacherOus hostility Of Gen. Drmon
appears from the fact that additional charge:
were forwarded to the special agent during
the investigation, TO which Mr.. Sloane wa!
required to give answer at once without ever
having seen them. The chief allegation OF
these last charges was that Mr.. Sloane had
failed to do something which last year ht
was first authorized to do. and having done
was reprimanded for it by Gen. Dumont. II
other words the act which Dumont advised
as legal and proper in the spring OF last yea
was by him denounced as illegal in the sum
mer, and the failure to do the same thin,
this summer forms the basis of a charge b.
him for nanlant IL nlintal dut., n,hara L m