The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-08-20
AN ILL-FAqED OFFICIAL.
The Sad Experience of the First
Marshal Of Alaska.
Why H. Q. Hillyer Died Of Broken Reart-s
washington Circumlccution Offices
Victim

The Federal authorities are not satisfied
WIN .1e judgment rendered in their favor
III tue District Court of Alaska against the
Dondsmen of NJ. c. Hillyer. formerly limited
states Marshal of that Territory. The sui,
was brought to recover s3ou SO alleged n
nave been expended by Mr.. Hilyer for pur-
poses unwarrantet and unauthorized by
law This sum with interest amounted to
soVUO. Judge Bugbee of the District Court
Oh Alaska rendered a Judgment in favor of
the government for SI564 81 with Interest.
Willcll added made the total $4,000 Against
.his Judgment an appeal was yesterday filed
III the Circuit Court of Appeals. 1t is
claiined the Alaska court erred in holding
tha' Oll!s OF Marshal Hillyer amounting in
Vie aggregate TO S2377 63 were lawful
ciaiins. Inc sureties for Hilyer were James
carroll, Samuel Miletch, Abraham Cohen
ana Amos Turner Whitfor d,
NJ I. Hillyer was well known in San
FRANCISCO and Virginia City, New He was
d brother Of Judge Hillyer. formerly
United States District Judge for Nevada.
"a Que Tune he was well off. having been
success Siul IN mining stock operations lie
was an open-handed sort of man and be-
IeVed III paying literally for services rem
ueIe1' lie lost bis fortune, and for years he
Tried TO secure Government employment.
W men district Government was organized
III Alaska he was nominated upon the
recommendation Of Senator Jones TO the
Office of United States Marshal This was
on July ., 1884 Four thousand dollars was
advanced to him upon his bond by the
treasury department when he set sail for
Sitka HiliYer carried with him to his dis
tant post copies of the Revised Statutes
ana OF the regulations prescribing
tie duties OF United States Marshals. When
ne came to settle up his accounts with the
department. at Washington the accounting
ohlcers rejected a large number of his
vouchers They discovered that the laws of
oregon in relation 10 court fees applied to
Alaska. and where Hiliyer had paid con-
STAPLE 81 90 day for attendance on court
ana serving process the accounting officers
cut him down to the Oregon rate, which
was 90 cents day. They slashed his bills
LOT witnesses fees, support and trans porta-
tlon OF prisoners and his own travelling eX-
penseS right and left, and brought him in
DEBTOR to the Government for nearly $1,000
in one instance, when he had paid a
physician SO fee for attending prisoner,
the clerks at Washington reduced the
amount to S. The Alaska judge In the
opinion filed by him with the Judgment
referred with considerable aspeTity to the
action of the accounting officers. suggesting
that they were not in a position 10 know
the conditions which made it more costly TO
enforce the laws in Alaska than il would
De In pOpulOus State. He also held that,
e"O " al maj dSCOuHlo NcIc dppIONcu ny
the court, OF which he was an officer, it
was prima-facie evidence that they were
reasonable and correct. and the accounting
oiticers had failed 10 show that they were
otherwise.
The action of the authorities at Washing
ton broke HillyeT's heart. He came back
from Alaska some time in 1856 detected
man and tried for years to obtain a saIsfac-
tory adjustment of bis accounts. About two
years ago he died in New York City in alb
solute poverty and obSeurity. On August
4. 1890, the Government brought suit against
him and his bondSmen, when the fact of
his death was ascertained for the first time.
The present action is an appeal as before
stated. for the partial judgment in favor Of
the unfortunate official.