Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-30
FORGED THE LEGAL STAMP.
Alleged Attempt to Work on Inferior
Castings ON the Government.

Alleged Attempt to Work on Inferior
Castings on the Government.
N. H. Buckley. president; Frederick Bait,
superintendent, and James T. Anderson Of
the Penn Steel Casting and Machine Com
pany were arrested by Deputy United
States Marshal Myers at Philadelphia yes
terday, charged with conspiracy in per-
petrating frauds upon the United States
government in furnishing steel gun cast
ings.
The affidavit upon which the arrest was
made charges that on or about May Is,
1894. the defendants conspired to defraud
the United States BY duplicating the official
stamp Of the inspector Of ordnance and in
sub1ecting specimens already stamped and
separated for castings for test to treatment
different from that received by the cast
ings, which would result In delivering to
the United States castings Of a quality in
fertor to the specimens OF that quality re-
quired by the contract Of said company
with the United States.
The defendants were given a hearing be-
fore United States Commissioner Bell.
Lieut.. w. Irving Chambers, who made the
affidavit. the first witness, testified that he
was assigned to Philadelphia as an inspec-
tor Of ordnance. part Of his duties was
to inspect the castings made by the Penn
Steel Casting and Machine Company Of
Chester for the United States government.
He testified that this company had a con-
tract to make for the government what are
called oscillating slides for 5-inch guns,
pivot stands for and 4-inch guns and top
carriages for 5-inch guns, all of which are
parts used in mounting these guns on
United States vessels.
Lieut.. Chambers then explained the
method of testing castings. He testified
that on each casting there was left a small
excess of material, about an inch square
and six inches in length, which was called
q coupon. 1t was this coupon on which
the test was made Before 1t was broken
of the casting 1T was stamped with an
anchor.
I'm May, 1894" testified Lieut.. Chambers.
II noticed that the characteristics of the
metal in their castings were altogether diff
ferent from what they had previously been,
and / became suspicious that the coupons
were being tempered with. On May IL /
stamped a coupon on the end with the
anchor stamp; to be tested 1t was necessary
that the coupon. which was square in cross
section, should be turned on a lathe, round
and this necessitated the removal of the
stamp from the side to the end Of the cou-
pom. Previous to this I had ground of a
ring which was on the upper part Of the
anchor in my stamp.
After stamping the coupon with this
mutilated anchor stamp, the coupon was
turned over to the Penn Steel Company
people to be turned. About half an hour
later, when 1t again came into my posses
sion, 1t was quite hot and bore these marks
Showing the steel coupon). which is a very
clear impression Of an anchor, not the one
1 put on half an hour before This bar
failed to come up to the requirements
then took piece Of steel from the tie-rod
for testing purposes and marked on it two
anchors. measuring accurately the distance
between them; when this piece of steel was
returned to me. after being turned, the dis
lance between the anchors had increased
by quarter Of an inch"
At District Attorney Ingraham's request
the cross-examination Of Lieut. Chambers
was postponed for the present and Lieut.
John H. Gibbons, stationed at the Wash
ington navy yard, testified that lot of
castings received there from the Penn Steel
Company. which had been previously re-
iected, were again sent to Washington with
new numbers and with the old numbers
partly obliterated.
The hearing was continued until next
Tuesday.