Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-04-26
ARMOR PLATE FRAUDS.

A Congressional Investigation May BE
One of the Results of the Startling
Allegations Made-The Statement of
John McLuchie, Who Tells How the De-
fective Plates were Treated Sunday
Nights When No inspectors were
Around.
WASHINGTON, April 20 What Secre-
tary Herbert proposes to do concerning
the new charges of fraudulent prac-
tices in filling government contracts
for armor plates at the Carnegie mills
is not known. The affidavits of the
Homestead mill men are now in his
possession, and it is supposed that he
is giving the allegations careful con-
sideration.
Congressman Cummings, chairman OF
the house naval committee, has intro
duced resolution calling for con-
gressional investigation of the whole
subject of the manufacture of armor
plates by the Carnegie company, and
the expose may hasten the lnvestiga-
ton.
THE FACTS LEAKING OUT.
Little by little the facts are leaking
out in connection with the first inves-
tigation by Secretary Herbert. 1t has
now come to light that the secretary
prepared a statement based on Capt.
Simpsons report of the investigation,
in which the secretary indicated his
intention of FORGETTING the Carnegie
contract. in addition to demanding a
rebate of $3.50, 900. subsequently,, as is
known, Messrs. Carnegie and Frick APP
pealed to the president. The president
then directed the secretary to rewrite
Il ID <1o o1,of 10
to be required of the Carnegies should
be 10 per cent. on the price of the ar
NOR manufactured in the period dur
ing which the irregular practices were
continued Thus the Carnegies were
not only saved their contracts. but got
off cheaper than Secretary Herbert in
tended they should.
THE PRESIDENT CRITICISED.
The president has been very sharply
criticised by members and senators
who have taken an interest in this
matter, and it has been said more than
once that had the president accepted
Secretary Herbert's recommendations
and assessed fine for the entire
period during which plates had been
manufactured, there would have been
no further scandal.
1t is now probable that congress
sional investigation, as we'll as an in
quiry by special naval board, will be
made into the charges brought by Nc
Luckie and his associates, and numer-
Gus plates will probably be taken off
the new slips and put to ballistic
test at Indian Head, in order to de-
termine whether they are up to stand.
ard.
McLuckie's Statement.
PITTSBURGH. Pa, April 1s.-John McLuckie
one of the men who has made affidavitS con-
corning the alleged frauds practfced the
government in making armor plates in the
Carnegie steel mills, tells an interesting story
describing the methods employed in doctor
ing" the plates He says:
HAS BEEN COMMON PRACTICE
when detective plate was discovered to lay ii
aside and cover it over with other plates until
a convenient season Sunday evening Is usual
ly the time selected for retreating or plugging
one of these defective plates. The government
inspectors are never present Sunday nights
TWO OR THREE TRUSTED MEN
would be selected to doctor plate One OF
the superintendent and these men would han
die it on a Sunday night. II the plate con-
tanned Il large blow hole it would be placed on
the drill and it's hole drilled its entire length,
sometimes two or three feet. Then steel
bolt would be made the exact size of the hole,
and this would be hammered in. have seen
superintendent welding the sledge on these
occasions.
WHEN THE HOLE WAS PLUGGED,
the plate would be placed q planer and the
surface carefully planned of. Then it would be
creased and polished and wiped of dry and
then q little water be thrown the doctored
part In the morning it would be almost i'm
possible to discover the trace of any plugging
even if the rust which had formed had not ef
Hive rod II fha foil ole
SOMETIMES In WORKING A PLATE
in the finishing shop during the day one of the
mill inspectors would discover q blow-hole so
deep as to render the plate useless. The men
would be told to suspend operations. and a"cob
ble would be dropped into the hole. cobble
is q piece of metal which would partially stop
up the hole. leaving it perhaps or inches
deep from the surface. Then a wire would be
got, and when it was placed in the hole it
would show Of course, only this depth Of or
hole and the wire. and when told OF Its alleged
depth he would naturally say: We'll,
THAT'S NOT SERIOUS: PLUG IT Up
The orders in the mill always have been to
call the inspectors whenever defective plate
is discovered. II the inspector declares the
plate too defective to work it is ordered laid to
one side. Instead of being thrown away, how
ever, it is treated on Sunday night in the
shaping shop.
In our afidavits we do not charge colIus sion
between the inspectors ana Lno company. Inc
fact is, however, that they have been careless.
to say the least. They have always been pleas
ant fellows. who
CHUMMED WITH TEE SKILLED MEN
in the old days before the strike, and every
body was making plenty of money. None OF
them was ever duty in the mill after dark,
although the furnaces and shops worked night
and day. Chief Inspector Wilmer, who has
been in charge since september last, lives in
Pittsburgh He has room on Penn avenue,
and takes his breakfast and dinner at the Pitts
burgh club. The inspectors from the start re-
lied upon the men to furnish them ', n the
proper metal for testing. and the men. under
orders from the superintendent, have sys-
tematically deceived them"
FORD'S THEATER DISASTER.
Col AinswoFth Arraigned for Man
slaughter In Washington.
WASHINGTON. April 20l-Col F. c.
Ainsworth, of the war department, was
arraigned for manslaughter in connec-
ton with the Fords theater disaster
last June. He waived the reading of
the indictment and entered plea of
not guilty with the privilege of with
drawing that plea. and was given ten
- 90 80 f0 bo