The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-10-24
Treasury Department,
Gann 49,. q 49, Co., o, D.. 81

"Sir-It has become my official duty
to invite your attention to the following
facts, which | am prepared 10 substan-
tiate in every particular, and TO ask that
such action be taken by the secretary Of
the treasury and by the president as
those facts seem 10 warrant:
i. Mr.. w. ID. Owen. superintendent of
immigration, Is unfit and incompetent 10
perform the duties of the Office which he
holds.
- He is thoroughly Enthusiastically in
the performance of his official duties.
IS. lie has been guilty of circulating
malicious SANDERS against his superior
officer in the department
-. His ideas Of official regularity and
integrity are slipshod, reckless and
source of Serious risks 20 the public funds
partially within his control.
-. i hand you certain papers, marked
exhibit A. which shows that on the pod
Of February. 1892. John b. Weber, United
States commissioner of immigration AT
the port of New York, transmitted 10 the
secretary of the treasury certain bids
received in answer TO advertisements for
furnishing Instruments, books, hospital
clothing and druggists glassware for use
in the medical department Of the imm-
grafton service Of New York, said letter
clearly showing that all the bids received
We're thus transmitted. Said letter fur
Their recommended that in each case the
lowest bids be accepted and the artiSes
purchased, such lowest bids being clearly
set forth and recited, with the names OF
the several bidders and the amount OF
each bid. Such lowest bids recommended
to be accepted aggregate S62S.05.
ION Feb. "a 1892. w. ID. owen, as super
intendent Of immigration, caused 10 he pre-
pared. checked with his Initials, and sent
to my desk for signature, a letter adj
dressed TO John =. Weber, commissioner
of immigration, authorizing him 20 accept
all the bids he had received, reciting said
bids in full by names and amounts, which
amounts aggregated S1,6l9.14, or more than
$50 per cent. IN excess OF the aggregate
asked for by the commissioner at New
York. Said letter was signed by me on the
strength Of superintendent owens check,
was transmitted to Commissioner Webber.
and its character only discovered by me
upon my arrival in New York day or
two afterward
Attached to exhibit a is my letter to
Superintendent Owen based upon this
transaction. dated March /. 1892, and de-
Ginning thereafter TO sign letters from his
office authorizing the expenditure of pub
lie moneys unless accompanied by the
original papers upon which they were
based.
SO also hand you certain papers
marked Exhibit b, which show that on or
about the 1st day of January 1892, Will
lam D. Owen. superintendent of immigra-
ton, joined Frank II. Larned and other
persons in a persistent attempt to put
through the department and collect the
for $l1750 for the alleged service Of a
person not in the employ Of the govern
ment, and who, TO Mr.. Owens previous
knowledge, had not rendered the service
for which said voucher was presented. SUI
perintendent Owens official approval and
certificate that said service We're rendered
are attached to said fictitious voucher, a
certified copy whereof forms a part of
Exhibit a. When said fictitious voucher
came to my desk for approval it was
ont tod IN
the 18th of January, the day after ii
came TO my attention, / called upon Mr..
Owen in writing for an explanation. (See
my letter of that date. forming part Of
Exhibit 3D. On the goth Of January Mr.
Owen responded in writing, furnishing
such explanation, which admits the entire
transaction (see his letter of that date,
forming part of Exhibit b, and gives no
lntimation that he did not then regard
the voucher as still in force. The original
voucher is in possession of the department
with Mr.. Owens approval uncanceled
which fact should be considered in con-
nectlon with his subsequent statement that
at a certain stage he had abandoned the
| attempt to get the voucher allowed and
paid.
1T is left to the proper authority or
| tribunal TO decide whether the transa ction
in question constitutes a criminal offense
under $40, Revised statutes. In any
case the moral standard and fitness Cor
| responsible station of a bureau officer
who is capable of engaging in such an at
tempt and then submitting such an eX-
phantom are left TO the judgment of the
secretary. Ever since Mr.. Owen assumed
his Office, in July, 1891. have been COM
PEELED as his superior officer, by your as
| sgnment, to call his attention very fire.
| quently 20 the blunders and irregularities
| committed in his office, and for which he
was directly responsible These blunders
| and Irregularities, if permitted to go I'M
corrected, would have brought the de-
partment into ridicule, entangled the
| government in annoying complications
and. in certain instances, as herein shown,
would have resulted in the wrongful alb
straction of money from the public treas
| ury. Respectfully yours,
"A. B. NETTLETON,
Assistant Secretary.
1.-THE honorable the secretary Of the
| treasury"