Los Angeles herald., 1892-03-20
Fallen Women in the Public
Service.
Female Government Employees
Led Astray.
Serious Charges Against Clerks in
the Pension Bureau.
Tho Raum Inquiry Leads to Sensational
Dlsclosures-Raum Defends the
Acts of His Son-Wash-
ington Notes.
Associated Press Dispatches.

WASHINGTON, MdTCll l5.-lhC CA"iu
ination of Commissioner Raum of the
pension bureau was resumed by the
special committee of the house today.
He said he suggested the amendment
to the pension appropriation bill which
cut off his son from taking fees as
notary while clerk in his Office. Raum
declared that he strictly observed the
civil service law, and never made re-
moval except for cause. Among the
causes was that of attempting to injure
the commissioner and throw odium on
the office.
Raum said he defended his sons
course, while employed in the pension
bureau, in talk with the president,
declaring that the charge that his son
tried to defraud the government out of
$72 was great outrage. Witness never
talked with the attorney general or any
one else with view to the prevention
of the criminal prosecution of his son.
Enloe put in evidence affidavits made
by Howard and Engle, clerks in the
pension office, whose dismissal the
commissioner recommended, making
charges that Horace G. Slower paid
Theo. Smith $50 to be transferred; that
they had seen Slower give Smith the
money. 1t was charged that Green b.
Raum, jr., got the money and solicited
money of Engle.
payson said this related to a matter
long after young Raum was out Of the
office, but that he would not object to
the affidavits if it were expected to con-
meet the commissioners recommends
tion for the dismissal of Howard and
Engle with it.
The commissioner, in explanation OF
his recommendation of Dismissal, read
letter dated September 25, 1891, rec
ommending the dismissal of Special EX-
aminer Taylor because he was an insult
able person to discharge the duties in
connection with the pension claims, and
also because he was associated with
George B. Fleming, who endeayored to
break down the pension office.
Raum also read letters recommend
ing the dismissal of Engle and Howard,
because they conspired to destroy the
social standing of Special Examiner
Slower. The commissioner said he thor
oughly investigated the matter and
came to the conclusion that Engle and
Howard and Engle made false charges.
In connection with the recommended
lion that Howard and Engle be dis
missed, the commissioner Submitted a
second letter to Secretary Noble. This
letter began with statement on affi-
davit of Ford, chief of the record di-
vision, charging that Engle, while tenn
porarily chief of the division. ruined a
girl in the division and publicly boaeted
of her seduction. The letter then
charged that Engle was false swearer,
q re-rater, a conspirator against the
chief OF the bureau, a seducer and one
who carried weapon with the sug-
gested intention of assassination.
The Howard letter charged him with
being a conspirator. The letter also
alleged that George B. Fleming, dis
charged examiner, started the attack
and was publishing false and malicious
attacks in the pubic press against the
commissioner. The letter closed with
the statement that there was a small
number OF active and malignant intri-
guers in the pension office, and de-
manded that he (Raum) be sustained
as necessary to the good government or
discipline of the Office.
Recurring to the charge that Engle
seduced young girl, Enloe asked if she
was still in the bureau. The commits
sioner said he told Ford he did not wish
to learn her name; he heard she was
conducting herself with propriety and
was still in the Office.
When asked if he thought the woman
should be retained in the service, the
commissioner said he kept the service
clean. 1t is matter of public notoriety
that there is here and there in the pub
lic service woman who has gone astray
and has not been turned out.