The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-09-17

ALBANY, N. Y, Sept. 16.-Eolico JUS
tice Gumman late this afternoon issued
warrants for the arrest of Commission.
er Peck, of the state bureau of labor
statistics, and his stenographer, A.
Rodgers, charging him with INSIDE
meanor in burning public records con-
sisting OF circulars collected by him
from which he prepared his report on
the effect OF the tariff on wages. and pro-
ducton.
The arrest is made under section "a
OF the penal code, which makes it
misdemeanor punishable by imprison-
ment for five years or a fino OF
$500 or both for destroying pup
lie records. The charge is that
certain circulars and statistics
received by Mr.. Peck from manuiac-
turers OF this state from which to COM
pile his report on the effect of the
Mckinley tariff on wages and produc-
ton had been removed from his office
and destroyed. The proceedings lead
ing up to the issuance OF the warrants
were begun this morning before Judge
Gutmann behind closed doors.
Among the persons who we're SUBJ
poenaed and who gave testimony on
which the warrants were issued, were
VIM. Dennison, janitor OF tho private
house whore Mr.. Peck and Mr.. Rodgers
have rooms, a servant girl who has
charge of Mr.. Pecks room, and Miss
Schaffer, clerk in the bureau of labor
statistics. The facts secured from
Mr.. Dennison, as learned by an AS
sociated Press reporter, are That two
weeks ago an eXpressman brought
about twenty-five packages, each about
two feet long, a foot high and foot
wide to the house where Mr.. Peck
boards and he, with n man who was
with him, carried them up to the rooms
OF Mr.. Peck and they were afterwards
stored in the private bath room.
The packages remained there
until last Sunday. In the
afternoon OF that day Mr.. Rodgers told
Jahitor Dennison he wanted to have
the contents Of the packages burned in
the house furnace that night. Mr..
Dennison said that was his night OF,
when Mr.. Rodgers gave him two dol
lars to do the work. He consented and
shortly after six o'clock that night Mr..
Denniaon carried the packages
down 10 the cellar from Mr..
Peck's bath room and starting
a fire in the furnace kept feeding it
steadily with the contents OF tho pack
ages until twenty minutes to 5 o'clock
Monday morning. Mr.. Rodgers made
all the arrangements with Dennison.
Some of the packages were thrown in
the privy vault, but most OF them were
burned Nearly all OF the paper burned
was blue sheets which were OF the same
color and size as those sent out to man
ufacturers asking for returns on the
effect of the tariff. 1t is not known just
how the burning OF the papers leaked
out.
Norton Chase said after the warrants
had been issued that he had proof that,
if not all, part of the tariff circulars re.
ceived by Mr.. Peck for his report had
been burned.
ANAL IN cLEvEIAND's COFFIN. #
Commissioner Peck said tonight that
he and Mr.. Rodgers had been served
with a notice to answer the warrants
in police court at 10 o'clock tomorrow
morning. He then said: "The secur-
ing OF these warrants of arrest is the
elimination OF tho fight made by Mug
wumps and anti-Hill Democrats on
Governor Hill and his friends, and 1t 10
all they can expect henceforth from
these quarters"