The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-08
THE ELLIS ISLAND SCANDAL.
Jk11LET0N NO LONGER ~ CHARGE
HI :, Or sl8MIGIiA1YON AFFAIRA


HIS once In the TREASURY nepartnsns-
Isportant Testimony Taken By the Joaa
Gonmitiee. on Imwixratisn Yesterday.
wasn1yaToN. April 7.Assistant Secretar,
Eettleton has relinuuishcd control OF immi
grafton matters under the Treasury Depart
ment. andthe whole subject has been placed
under the charge OF Assistant becretarI
Spauliing Tho necessary order was ISSUED
to-day nv Secretary Foster and is regarded al
significant OF the Secretary's desire to take
.omo decided action. based on the revelation.
Of the investigating committee now In session
and the questions OF verat Ity that have arisen
between Assistant Secretary Nettleton and
Superintendent OF immigration Owen. The
charges made by these officials against
each other. and the rather remarkable
testimony brought out by the investigation
ii regard to the management OF Ellis Island
stairs arc undoubtedly responsible for secre-
tary Fuster's order. which aroused much In
terest and comment.
Two protracted sessions OF tho Ellis Island
Investigating Committee were held to-day.
and u large amount oftestimony regarding the
character OF tho buildings on tho island and
the money It cost to construct them was taken.
Tho witnesses examined were Assistant Sec
rotary OF tho Treasury SpnudinG: Frank Z.
Jyhnson. private secretary to Assistant Secre-
tHry Nettlcton; James T. Low. Chief Of tho En-
cheering and Drafting Division OF tho Super
visihg Architects Office: Harry c. Mclean.
chief clerk Of that Office and Major Hubbard.
Superintendent OF Construction at Ellis Island.
Superintendent Of ImmiEi alton Owen was also
on tho stand long enough to put In evidence
tho two letters referred to In his previous tes-
timony. which Assistant Secretary Nettleton
addressed to the Superintendent Of the mail
room OF the Treasury. instructinR him not to
deliver mail to Mr. Owen. and to Appoint
mont Clerk Macnuley. instructing him
not to inform Mr.. Owen about the ap-
pointment and discharge Of employees
under tho Immigration Bureau. Mr..
Owen also testified TO the accuracy Of
the statement printed In THE Sun a few days
ago that Mt Castle Garden there was a surplus
of receipts over expenditures. and that the
total expenditures for the maintenance OF the
several immigrant stations for the present
year would be about 1907. 900. based on the
expenditures for the past three months. thus
requiring an immigration OF over 900. 900 per-
sons to make the service self-sustainlng. To-
mnrrow John Marshall Superintendent OF Re-
rairs to Public Buildings In New York. will be
examined. as we'll as Supervising Architect
Edbrooke. Next week the committee will
tako testimony In New York.
At the opening OF the session to-day the let
Ing the appointment Of Superintendent
OF immigration. and the letter Of DR..
Wyman. Supervising Surgeon Of the Ma.
rtnc Hospital Service at Ellis Island. hereto
fore printed in The Sun. were put In evidence.
Frank Johnson. the private secretary Of As
sistant Secretary Nettleton. was then put ON
the stand. and stated that he was under the
impression that the moneys received from tho
Immigrant fund were turned over to Superin-
tsndent Owen OF the Immigration Bureau.
Later In tho day Mr.. Owen denied that such had
been the practice. and said that Mr.. johnson
was entirely mistaken.
The first witness OF the day from whom any
testimony Of value was gained was Chief Low
Of the engineering and draughtins division.
He had been under examination for few mo-
It was he who signed tho original letter in tho
summer Of 1891 recommending the transfer
Of sl25. 900 from The head money to The immi-
s5sntstss and
q aSn eSsaSss =, dhs Tea az
CLERK IL Once :R
who has since been discharged. but apparent:
y a Es 1ss55d sss ass
shoulders Of NJ Patterson: who had placed bis
IN the sa
ing business 1t seemed perfectly clear that the
Hs Fl .a Ss 81
ders Of the man who simply signed bis initial
Like all the witnesses who have PRESIDED
management Of immi grafton matters. All
ns sf5er ebs
and Supervising Architect %indrin had con.
oesnol that were
and saId that it was q very irregular thing to
nsrysns archteo Els Isl
Ms %sshSsGs Sss WRSy sSs fss
a ehi efaS a0I
exs%inston. He said that he knew. ss Xeil
as did other officials Of the department, that
Sssd ssGsfs,
Fund but NJ 9h ssd that
ais Ts shs
Lean Lea said that he had never heard ei Secretary
WINDOWS statement that $3.50. 900 would be
as hs ts " the
whom the contract Mas given 70, ths ;SnstrHc;
fact he was confident that all the officials in
limited money at their dlssEosal., because
IHHnoy fund and that, therefore: they dld rot
feel ut NIL bound by the estimates submitted
tsGongr.ss II the usua! way. or by Secretary
otecst. They therefore made Changes in the
plans o. tho buildings. thinking that the money
i %asi that Io he s G %o! s,ts 4om IN
u: head money. fund. ,nas dssm,t,. 3
OF the methods Of doing business In
the supervising architect's Office. which re-
enforced In the minds OF the committee the
Impression that the only men responsible for
the letters written In the department are those
who place their initials upon them. The men
eyaae responsihility Mr. Mclean concluded
other witnesses on the point that seeretary
Nettleton was the man directly responsible for
whatever took place at Ellis Island. Before
any action whatever was taken. Mr.. Mclean
eaid. approval was first obtained up stairs"
In answer to Senator Chandler. MIR. Mclean
axplained that up stairs" meant Gen. Nettls-
tons Office.
two hours. Chairmen stump and Chandler.
Senator Dubois. and Representatives., Epes.