The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-03-09


many d day. Tho Pittsburg Times,
which first told OF tho scandal which
has created such n sensation in govern
mont and political circles, has followed
up its charge with n history Of tho al.
fair. II Is q circumstantial statement
oil the most intense interest, and gives
the story from the discovery OF fraud
and the events leading up to Andrew
Carnegie's sudden declaration for the
Wilson bill and his free trade lotter,
down to tho distribution OF the reward
to the iniormers, who were employed
Mt the Homestead steel works. Tho
Times says:
Early in January, 1893, Edward Sill,
d clerk in the Homestead Office Of the
Carnegie Steel Company, found that
the armor plate records wore being
falsileh. II was Silps duty to take the
records oil tho various plates as they
were entered upon the states in tho
mill. These records were for tho pur-
pose OF showing the progress Of the
plates from start to finish, and werc en-
tered by Sill in pass books, The books
were by him turned over to Manager
Charles NJ. eChwab, who, with his as
sistant, Supt. Corey, entered them OIL
ficially upon the books OF the COM
pany Tor transmission to tho Navy De-
pertinent at Washington, Sill ono
day. in looking over these otlicia!
books, discovered what he thought was
M error in copying, but was told it was
MI right This led him to examine the
books further at the first opportunity,
and when he found that tho reports
that no had been making Ind been sys-
tcmatically altered, and that the altera-
ton. operated to the benefit OF tho steel
company rs again at the government.
Thia led Sill to take up the matter in
earnest. and as an aid to him he took j..
Dennis Riley, heater, into his conf
dence. Riley agreed to keep 4 record OF
every plato passing through his depart
ment, while Sill made for his own use n
record OF what was put upon the slate,
in addition to tho pass book record,
which was a portion OF his daily duty.
ONLY TEMPERED fug ENDS.
1t is part OF tho government stipula-
ton with regard to armor plate that
the plates be tempered after they are
shaped. The plates, it should be
known, are made each to ft into its
particular place upon the battleship
and rs whole must comply exactly to
the contour OF the vessel. The steel
company coon found that it was i'm
practical TO temper a plate after it was
shaped. The plates are 80 heavy that
when put in furnace to BIO heated pro-
paratory to tcmpering they arc bound
to warp OF their own weight. 1t be-
came the practice, therefore, to merely
place the ends OF the plates in the heat
ing furnace and temper them in accord
ance with the specifications, SO that
when the naval inspector camo along
and ordered an end Of plate cut of
and then subjected 1t to tho required
test, it would BIO found to comply with
specifications. All this came out when
Sill compared his slate record with the
private record Of plates kept by Riley.
Sill and Riley had been pursuing their
Investigations for some time when Sill
one day received an order from Manager
Schwab to destroy all the pass books in
his care relating to the armor plate.
This Sill pretended to do, but instead
he took the books homo with him.
Neither he nor Riley had yet hit upon
plan to mako use OF the information
they had, and they therefore decided to
take Thomas L. James, n machinist,
into their confidence. James coon got
some additional information OF COM
mercial value.
Tho three mon named found also that
in tho case OF the sponsons the govern
mcnt regulations were ignored. 4
sponsor is an armorod projection fitted
with 4 gun portfolio and naturally OF q
peculiar formation. Tho steel company
met tho Same difficulty here, in temper
ing after shaping up, that hnd been en-
countered with the Immense armor
plates. 1t therefore adopted the prac-
tico Of tempcring the corners to tho
necessary limit and treating the balance
OF tho sponsors TO solution OF oil in
landed To contribute hardness and
finish.
OF course it was necessary that all tho
steel made, OF whatever shape, should
pass tho naval inspection. How the in
spectlon was made has been told. Tho
inspection is made piece by piece. II
the end OF q piece is found to come uD
TO tho required tests tho whole piece is
approved. The approved plates arc
placed together Tor shipment. l. is
claimed by the three men named. how
ever, that at night, Mhen tho naval in.
niN al H., 81,
had not passed the inspection were SUB.
stituted for those which had and were
duly shipped. To ascertain Just what
was going on at night it was necessary
10 takc another man into the secret,
and Harry Is. Williams, brother-iu-
law OF Sill, was chosen ior this duty.
SUBSTITUTION OF PLATES CONFIRMED.
Williams was employed as an engineer
and Is still with the steel company. His
duties are such that he has spare time
TO wander out into the mill yard OF n
night, He discovered nothing new, but
what no saw confirmed his companions
charce-that there was a substitution
OF nlntes, the inferior taking the place
OF the inspected superior plate.
The four men all this time had not
devised use for what they knew. and
two other workmcn, Charles Craig and
one named Acslein. were taken into
the secret 10 keep their eyes open in the
mill, while Frank b. Perry, private sec.
rotary TO Manager Schwab, was added
rs being in 4 position where he could
DO OF peculiarly valuable assistance in
securing inside information. The seven
men compared notes daily and tried to
hit upon some plan for using their in