Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-04-09
HERSEY TESTIFIES.
Cooper's Private Secretary De.
MES Doing Wrong.
OTHER CLERKS WHO DID LIKEWISE.

Regular and Honorable - Brookshire
and GAM ofake Statements-Simpson
Talks the Tariff An Appraiser
bounced for Custom House Frauds
The Grand Army Gets That 500, 900
Official Notes.
WASHINGTON, April 9.-The testimony
submitted by Commissioner Raum Thurs
day before the special pension investigat-
ing committee of the house in regard to ).
L. Hersey's action in selling information
obtained from the pension office by reason
of his having access to the files through
his position as private secretary to sew
eral congressman had the effect of bring
ing Representative Brookshire of Indiana,
and Representative CAN'T, of Ohio, two
members who employed HerSey TODD pen
SION work for them, before the committee
yesterday to explain their connection with
Hersey in employing him to call up their
pension claims
Supposed 1t Was All Square.
Brookshire said Hersey had been hired
to attend to his pension business. For a
time he paid Hersey SIS pei month and
postage and then SO per month and post
age. He had perfect confidence in his in
tegrlty. The soldiers seemed well sat
1shed with the work he was doing and
thursdays complaint was the first he had
heard. SO far as receiving any compensa-
ton from a soldier the matter never en-
tered his head, added Brookshire, and if
abuse of privilege had occurred by Hersey
he never heard of it,
Gantz Testities the Same Way.
Gantz said that Brook shire's statement
was about what he desired to make, but
he would say in addition that he had been
IIrln . he IL
needed some one to help him in the sol
diers' interest and he employed Hersey and
had no knowledge that he received com
pensatlon from any other person than him
SELF. Hersey had been of great service to
him, but he had no knowledge that Hersey
violated the privileges of his position.
Now Here Comes Hersey Himself
Hersey was called as n witness. He said
he had been employed by Representatives
Durborrow, of Illinois: Perkins, of Iowa:
Brookshire. and Struble, but he had no
understanding that he was to receive paw
from others than those who employed
him. Representative Cooper and he did
not have any such understanding. He re-
garded this employment az honorable
The members of Congress who employed
HIM did not know that he was receiving
pay from attorneys. He named H. 5.
taries to congressman who were engaged
in the same business.
Declares He Has Done Nothing Wrong.
Hersey said he met Morgan (who made
the charges against HIM through an in
PRODUCTION by Cooper. If Cooper made the
remark to Morgan in effect that if Morgan
had anything worth paying for he (Hersey)
would be the man to do it for him. witness
did not hear it. Witness said he would be
glad to have the investigating committee
look into his record. He had done moth
ing that was wrong. He said that in case
soldier asked for information he did not
charge the soldier. He knew of cases
where private secretaries to members of
congress had called up cases for status.
He knew that he was violating no order
or rule in the pension bureau.
Accepted Pay If offered.
He was benefiting soldiers by giving in
formation to attorneys as an attorney and
that was all there was to it. He secured
the status of cases and gave information
to attorneys and if they gave him pay for
1t he accepted it, In response to an inquiry
witness said the reason that ATTORNEYS
asked for this information instead of ap-
plying to the pension office was that re-
Gently attorneys had been prohibited from
obtaining information, and it naturally
u MARKET IOr information. He
acknowledged that he wrote to Morgan
saying that the correspondence between
them should be strictly confidential He
had been a clerk in the pension office; had
been discharged by Commissioner Raum,
but was unable to obtain reason for his
dismissal
Other Clerks in the Business.
Witness knew that clerks to members of
congress received pay for this work. but
the members did not know it, and also
that two clerks to members to his certain
knowledge, were engaged in this business,
and he believed that one clerk to a sena-
tor d id such work. They We're II. 5. Mad
dox, who was clerk for Harter of Ohio,
Cochran of New York, and English of
New Jersey. and Mr.. Mcclellan, son
of Representative Mcclellan, of Indi ana,
who was his fathers private secretary
and also secretary to Representative Mar
tin, of Indiana.
ENlOE AFTER PENSION EMPLOYEES.
But Hersey Doesn't Seem tn Have the