St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-18
UNCLE SAM ROBBED.
Results Of the Investigation
Of the Weather Bureau
Scandal.
Property Sold by Employees
and No Returns Made
Therefor.
One Of the Officials Of the Bu-
reau Acting as a Shy
lock.
Senator Hansbrough Roasted
to a Turn by Ex-Gov.
0rdWay.

WASHINGTON, April II. - Secretary
Morton this afternoon received the re-
port of Assistant Attorney General Col
by, who conducted the investigation
into the charges of illegal and fraudu-
lent disposal of public property In the
weather bureau. The secretary read
the report, and announced that after
going through the immense amount or
testimony in the case he would take the
matter under advisemant. The recon-
mendatiOnS are as follows:
The immediate discharge OF the OIL
cials and employees guilty of the emDez-
element or Of the unauthorized sale or
government property. and their prose-
cution therefor criminally and clvllly.
The entire reorganization OF tue eXecu-
tive management and control OF the Du'
reau. That no government property be
loaned out or taken from the depart
ment for private purposes under any
circumstances whatsoever, and that no
property be taken for official use except
upon requisition duly signed and ap-
proved, and for which receipt be
given. That property carried Oh the
rolls of the bureau be sold only at pub
lie auction. after due advertisement.
That the practice OF
LOaning Money
now prevailing IN the weather bureau
between the employees and officers. es-
hui nf inferior
their superiors in official position, be
absolutely prohibited. The entire re-
organization of the executive manage
ment and control of the bureau and the
Official separation, as much as practlc-
| able, so far as property responsibility
| is concerned, of the executive from that
which is purely scientific or educational.
The establishment of such regulations
as shall require strict accountability
from each employe charged with the
possession or control of government
property, and the ceutering i'll one otfl :
| cial of the control of and responsibility
for the whole property OF the bureau.
| That careful inventory be taken OF
the government property in the bu-
reau, the shortage thereof determined
and the employees responsible therefor
required to account and respond in civil
| damages.
Among the principal findings of fact
| by the assistant attorney general were
| these:
That in February. 1898. number of
| brass and iron moulds. exceeding $50 in
value, were sold by r. E. Brannon.
| captain of the watch, without legal au-
| thority, and no return made therefor.
That in October, 1892, number OF
yards of carpet belonging to the govern
ment were disposed of by said h. b.
| Brannon and no returns made therefor.
| That in September, 1892, the SAID Il. Z.
BrannOn
Sold without Legal Authority
| a quantity of wood or lumber belonging
| to the government, and made no re-
turns therefor.
That John j. Ryan, an employe at the
| bureau, had in the cellar OF his resi-
dence in February, 1893, as shown by
| the testimony of Lewis Hopfenmaler.
quantity of new government property,
| and said to be worth 500 to $500, con-
| sisting of pencils. pens and envelopes,
and other stationary supplies. in UNI
| broken packages and boxes, taken from
| the weather bureau, and offered to sell
| the same to said Hopfenmaier. That
| large new pieces of linoleum pro-
| cured for use in the bureau
were during the year 1892 taken
therefrom and disposed of by employees
of the government without authority,
| and no returns made therefor. That
| on Dec. II, 1892, six or seven cases or
| type were, without authority, taken
| from the bureau and disposed or by en-
| ployes of the government, and no re-
10 That other
| articles of property belonging to the
| government, such as stationery, ONCE
| supplies, furniture, bound record books,
| chemical materials and over eight hum
| dred thermometers were taken there
from in the months of July and August,
| 1892, disposed of without legal author
| ity. and no returns made therefor. That
| five carpets complete for rooms OF I'M
| determined dimensions and seventy
eight yards of measured carpet have en-
tirely disappeared from the weather
| bureau, and none of the officers or EN-
ployes thereof could or would furnish
| any information in regard to such prop
| erty, or account for Its absence.
Taken to Residences.
The evidence also shows that there
| has been decrease in the price OF paper
| sales made by employees of the bureau of
| from Us. ~ cents per lOO pouHuS olI dill
average prior to July to As cents per
100 pounds since the transfer to the
| agricultural department without any
chqnge i'll the market price thereof.
The evidence shows that the property
of the government has been removed
from the bureau at the pleasure of the
employees for use at their private resi-
dences without receipts being made,
reouisitions made therefore or any record
kept of such disposition in the bureau.
It further appears from the report that
Captain of Watch Brainerd practiced
the loaning Of money at high rates OF
interest to officers and employees of the
bureau both to those above and below
him in rank, thus placing his superior
officers under financial obligations tC
him. An inventory was made and the
article of carpets alone disclosed the
Shortage or ABSENCE of five complete I'M
measured carpets, used i'll various Of
fees of the bureau, and 145 yards oil
measured carpets; siXty-seven OF the
latter, however, were returned after
notice on the day Of the inventory by
the captain of the watch, after having
been in his private possession and use
at his private residence for more than