The morning call., 1893-05-08
A NICE MESS.
Soldiers Home Affairs
Smell Badly.
A THOROUGH STIRRING UP.
Royce Robbed Dead Soldiers
Widows and Orphans.
NO ACCOUNTS KEPT OF SUPPLIES
Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars PEN
sion Money That Was Never
Paid Into the Home.
NO ACCOUNTS KEPT OF SUPPLIES
Special to THE MonxlSa CALL.


when it was discovered that the man who
was loved and trusted by his comrades had
robbed not only the living. but the dead
and the widows and orphans of the dead.
What little sympathy remained in the
hearts of the men who fought for the
Union for their comrade whom they had
elevated to the most responsible position
in the gift of the Veterans Home ASsocia-
tion of California, and who had repaid the
preferment by pilfering its treasury, died
when they realized that not only had he
taken from the manned and crippled
veterans, their sustenancc, but had stood
on the brink of the grave and, as 1t were,
rifled the pockets of men who marched be-
side him musket on shoulder. who starved
and feasted with him as the fortunes OF
war permitted, and who had helped to
make him distinguished above his fellows
in days of peace. Small wonder is it that
Clark E. K Royce, defaglter and em6ez-
zler Of the funds of the Veterans Home
Association, tried 10 end his shameful
career by his own hand.
Tie crowning act Of Royce's treachery
to his comrades came TO light in the inyes-
tigation commenced at the Veterans
Home today by the committee appointed
ITO search every record, every contract
aud every act of those in charge of the
home since its inception"
The committee held its first session this
morning at the soldiers home here. 1t
consisted of four members, viz, S. j.
Loop, c. A. Fuller. NJ. TAFT and j. Deasy,
who were REINFORCED by General W. II. L.
Barnes, past commander of the Grand
Army; T. c. Mastellsr Acknowledgement
w Rnrpatt
dent of the board of directors of the Vet
erans' Home; r. C. Rockwell. its secre-
tary; Captain j. c. Currier. the newly
elected treasurer to fill Royce's place, and
the following experts: Solon Pattee and
G. Horton on books and accounts, A. II.
/. w. Riley stenographer, and w. H. Wharf
and NJ. A. Nah oney experts on buildings.
The committee left San Francisco at
o'clock this morning, arriving at the home
at 10 o'clock, and five minutes later they
were at work. The members are all bust
ness men, and they gave every one to
understand that they meant business. a
short executive session was held, during
which the experts mentioned were Off
cially employed and an offer made 10 Gen
eral Barnes 10 act as the special attorney
fer the committee. General Barnes will
itElS CGltESQ Ei5 eHENACSss -Due 4S1Ustu
compensation, saying that he felt it not
only his duty but pleasure to assist the
Veterans home in any way he could.
1t was decided to commence the investl-
CATION by ascertajning how the home
had been run. Before examining the
first witness. however, COmmandant
George II. A. Dimpfel and Surgeon P. j.
Aiken of the Veterans Home called the
committees attention to an article printed
in this mornings Chronicle which both
gentlemen characterized as false from be-
ginning 10 end, and asked that the charges
therein contained be fully investigated.
Especially earnest was COmmandant
Dimpfel, who has only been in command
of the home for two weeks and who came
to the board of directors OF the home with
over fifty letters from regular army off
GERS in high standing recommending him
for the place.
The cOmmsudant called attention to the
fact that under the regular army regula-
tons, If the charges in the Chronicle were
true, every officer who recommended him
was liable to cOurt-martial.
Director Herrick of the home also asked
that certain charges made indirectly
against him be investigated and stated he
was ready to prove their falsity by indis-
putable evidence.
The committee decided to go ahead with
the investigation Of the home first. and
called L. n. Pugh. who is at present COM
mssary of the home.
General Barnes questioned the witness
The commissary stated that he took charge
of that department of the home on August
| %. 1892. one day after entering the home,
and found the condition of affairs very
i bad
In what way?" asked Genera! Barnes.
| "Weli, there were no books, no mem O.
randa or anything to guide me. Simply a
| lot of stuff in the storeroom of which l
knew nothing about the price. weight or
| anything but what could see."
There were books before that, how
ever. weren't there?"
No. sir. Until took the commissary
! department last August there had never
| been book or statement made"
DO you mean to say" said General
| Barnes, that in the nine years this home
has run, buying 100000 worth of food
! every year, that there were absolutely no
accounts kept as to where the goods came
from, what they cost. how they were used,
whether they were correct in weight, etc.,
or not?"
That is what l mean to say" answered
Pugh. 'lf there were books kept they
were destroyed or taken away before | took
office'
My God. man. you're fooling," said
| General Barnes.
Pm not fooling; Pm telling the truth"
answered the commissary.
The committeeman looked at one an
other in amazement and The experts
shrugged their shoulders, as much as to
say; "How do you expect us TO help You
with nothing to work on?"
1t may be stated here that Pugh is rated
as an expert bookkeeper and accountant.
and IS In The home on account of wounds
preventing his working at his trade.
but there must have been some memo
rauda OF some kind" persisted General
| Barnes.
There wasn't book or a scrap OF
paper" answered the witness.
| "Well-well-well, what did you doP"
Then Pugh told him he had at once
opened set of books and organized sys-
TEN OF checking to protect himself and the
home. lie produced the figures to verify
his statements, which were quite as start
ling as his Introductory testimony He
went on to say that when he took charge
the system was for the commissary TO 90
TO the commandant and tell him that so
much flour, sugar, coffee. etc., was needed.
The commandant would make a requisi-
ton on the chairman of the supplies conn.,
mittee Of the board of directors OF the
Veterans Home for the goods. The goods
would arrive with bill, and without
being weighed or priced would be checked
according to the number of packages only.
Then the commandant would 20. K" the
bill. return it TO the chairman of the CON-
mittee on supplies. and after that he knew
no more about it. The goods would be
dumped into the storehouse. used up and
when they were gone more ordered.
"But certainly the cooks and others gave