Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-07
WEATHER BUREAU IRREGULARITIES.
Testimony Taken in Reference to Alleged
Tbeffs of Property.

Testimony Taken in Reference to Alleged
Tbefis of Property.
The investigation OF the alleged irregularities
involving petty peculations by employees Of the
weather bureau was continued yesterday after
noon at the Department. OF Agriculture by
Assistant Attorney General Colby and Chief
Clerk NcCusig OF the department. So far the
Investigation has failed to develop ANYTHING in
the nature Of a sensation. The inquiry up to
the present time has dealt simply with some
small irregularities alleged TO have been going
on and which were outlined IN a publication in
The STAR on March %.
Robert Z. Brannun captain Of the watch ct
the weather bureau. Is charged with selling de-
ps-tment property. such waste paper.
broken type and other old junk to such parties
and at such prices a. he pleased. He admits
some of these items. bit claims that ne had an
order from the disbursing officer placing him
in charge Of the store room
There were but two witnesses called yester-
day BY Gen Colby. One was a charwoman ut
the weather bureau and the other q mem
her of the detective force who called in to
assist the bureau in conducting its investiga-
ton There was nothing OF any startling i'm
portance brought out IN the course Of the hear
ing. though the testimony showed, as The
Stars story OF March "a stated that articles
were removed from the bureau without proper
authority and that there probably some
tnl0S ABOUT the ment OF analre-
THE cHaRwoMAS's TESTIMONY
Mrs. Fanny Allen, q colored charwoman at
the bureau. testified that she had known Capt
Brannon, the captain of the watch. ever since
he had been at the bureau and that last fall she
purchased from him old carpet that had
been on the floor OF room 10 at the weather
bureau When she got it home she found il
Was not good she had supposed and she
had never been called upon to pay for It, she
said that one day this week Brannon called
npon her and wanted TO know why she had said
that she had bought the carpet, when he had in
tended TO give IL to her. She supposed 1t was a
purchase. and this was the only piece of gov
eminent property she had ever received from
Brannon-
POLICE OFFICERS WORK.
The only other witness was Henry Lacey, a
colored member Of the police force assigned to
detective duty at police headquarters His first
connection with the case. he said. was when he
and Detective Weldon were detailed to hunt
into an alleged robbery Of linen They found
that a man named Patrick had received bolt
Of linen from a man named Robinson. who was
foreman of the printing Office. They found
the goods at his house and later, a. reported IN
The STAR. the case against Robinson was nolle
pressed in the Police Court.
Lacey then went on to tell OF their work
among the Junk dealers in their efforts to get
on the track of goods that were supposed to
have been improperly removed from the
weather bureau. A junk dealer named Hopfen-
msier wanted them to try for bigger game than
they were after. and told them that there was
about $500 worth of stationery stored i'll a Gel
lar that had been stolen and offered to him for
sale They found that Brannol was inti-
mate terms with Hoofenmaier. and they found
some weather bureau returns that had been
sold by Brannon- B-annon admitted to the
witness and Weldon that he had sold a number
Of thermometers and other articles, but he
claimed that captain Of the watch he was
custodian of them and had made
proper returns Of their sale to the dis
bursting officer He did not say that
he had specific orders to sell those
particular articles. They understood that he
used his own discretion in the selection of
articles that should be disposed Of He made
his returns to Capt Stone. Brannon stated to
the detectives that the majority of the receipts
he had from Stone had been stolen from his
room since the Investigation began to be talked
Of. and he thought this had been done to pre-
vent him from makings good showing when
he should be questioned on the stand The
detectives learned that Hopfenmaier's wagon
had carrien of SIX or seven boxes Of type from
the weather bureau one day before Office hours.
Hopfenmaier denied having bought the type,
though B-anEon "A het he had disposed of
come secondhand type. Weldon had found
the drsyman who had carried of the tyne, out
ut Lacey's request the information that he had
received was withheld Yesterday.
CAPT. BRAxSoS's STATEMENTS.
In answer to a question from Capt Brannon
Detective Lacey said that it was true that at
the station house Brannon had denied having
sold the type on that particular morning,
though he had admitted that there had been
other such transactions.
'Yes. and ] admit it now" said Capt. Bran
non. Il have sold type to Hopfenmaier."
Capt. Brannon then took the stand to protest
that he had been grossly misrepresented in
some publications concerning the bureau He
then went on to explain the matter of the re-
moval Of a stone step, which had been referred
to in the hearing the day before. This closed
the hearing, which was then adjourned until
this afternoon. when Detective Weldon will be
placed on the stand