The morning times., 1896-03-28

Tor years ihtlhiqi ana competent eIptOSeS
of the office. Tie Secretary's act has been
commented on very caustically by the old
soldiers in office and out OF office. and it is
not al all unlikely that the storm will
increase III intensity as the matter con
tinues to bediscussed.
On the 24h OF March, Mr.. c. II. Perry,
who has been sergeant Of the watch. was
reduced in pay from $3.50 to $720, and
about the same date Captain OF the Watch
Watson was reduced in rank and pay from
$40 10 $720. Behind this there is a
story.
1t is evident To all the employees that the
saving OF $50 Il year in the case OF Perry
could not be a serious consideration with
Secretary Smith, nor could the mere mat
ter Of SO Il month he such Il matter with
the Secretary, considering the service and
capacity OF Capt. Watson.
The story is this: Some months ago it
became current talk that one OF the char
women had been shown quite Il number of
faVOrS. She had been relieved Of duty
many days last summer and the records
showed that she had been marked for alb
senCe ostensibly for duty at the house OF
the Secretary OF the Interior. This was n
| serious discrimination, because when an
| absentee is marked being so employed
or so accounted for he or she is entitled 10
| pay for the day off.
MESSENGER BROUGHT THE WORD.
Where the woman went or why she went
| is not material but there is the evidence
| of several OF the employees that she was
| absent frequently ana IL is the fact accord
| ing to such evidence that she went away
| in obedience to requests made for her
| daily leaves OF absence conveyed Ia the
| officers OF the watch by 4 messenger, who
| was. or represented himself to be, from
| Secretary Smith.
When the woman was so relieved from
| duty memoranda were made on the books
| OF the watch, which read, Secs house"
When this began 10 be buZZed around
| Captain Watson began TO be interfered
| with. II was learned that Il chief of di-
| vision came to him and wanted him to make
disposition or his men which was not
| agreeable to Captain Watson. The cap
| tain OF the watch declined and the chief
| of division told him he would have him
| fired. Captain Watson told him that that
| could not be done without good cause, or
| words TO that effect, being conscious of
| knowing his own business best
Shortly after elis the captain of the
| watch ana Sergeant Perry were summoned
| for So-cailed investigation before SeCre-
| tary Smith. They were asked about the
| absence OF the woman, presuming possibly
| that the story got out through these two
1 dlllOuEu llitTt were IUdHy UIDtIe
| in the office who knew il to be fact.
| The upshOt of the investigation was that
| the woman denied the absence, the mes
| Sengcr cleared himself, and, OF course, the
| secretary had not sent for the woman.
| When the men were before Mr.. Smith
| the books OF the watch were sent for and,
| 10 and behold, when they arrived there
| were no pencil marks in them 10 show the
| Us when the woman was absent.
l.
In consequence OF THIS the two soldiers
! both of. whom have splendid war records,
| Perry having been at Bull Run, wounded
| and re-enlis1ed, and the other having served
| throughout nearly the whole war, were
| evidently assumed to have given false tes-
| timony. Therefore, on the oath OF March,
| they rcceaved letters signed by Secretary
| Smith, reducing them in rank and reduc-
| ing theml in pay. Captain Watson was
| virtually iremoYcd from his office. as il
! is now flled iIy an appointce from Penn
| sylyania, lsHid 10 have been put there by
| First Depaty Murphy.
There was II good deal Of looking into
This busiRessl yesterday by two Senators
| and their representatives. Both Perry and
| Watson have splendid regulations for YER
acity aud-honorahie conduct, and from the
evidence obtained about them it is hardly
| possible that they should have made II
false statement.
Judge Faulkner, OF Indiana, private sec
retary of Senator voorhees,, spoke in the
highest terms of Sergeant Perry, and Cap
tain Watson is equally weil v0uched for
Sergeant Perry is Il member OF Hiram Lodge
of this city, aud belongs to the Veteran
lodge, to which there is admission only
after tweuty-one years Of probation. Cap
| tain Watson is everywhere regarded as q
man OF probity and veracity.
| 1t is limited. or il came through the
| doors Of the trial room, that Secretary
| Smith said that he would rather believe
| the woman and the messenger than the
| TWO soldiers. Whether this is a fact or
not, it is evident that Secretary Smith
did believe the persons who were charged
| with irrcgularity in preference to the two
| soldiers who had no interest in the out
come of the case.
CASE WAS RUSHED THROUGH.
Capt. Watson and Sergt. Perry were
called on yesterday and were asked tC
make a statement OF their position, but
they declined They could not talk, as
| they were employees.
| Bat another empl0ye did talk. He said
| that the case was so hurriedly gone through
that the soldiers did not have time tC
| submit all that could have been adduceC
in their favor In the first place, he said
| the re was not the slightest reason tC
challenge their ycracty. Their reputation
| was sufficient. In the next. place, Secre
| tary Smith ought tn know that if he do
not send the messenger for the woman
| that the messenger took it on himself tC
| convey the messages, and that. therefore
| ne was in Sclf-defenSc expected TO deny
| that he had delivered such messages; anG
| that To make his defense complete tn,
| woman also was suspected to sustain him
| although that was not necessary beCauS,
| SHE had a perfect right to go according
| to the manner in which she was released
| from duty 1t was, however. neceSsar,
| either 20 show that she did not go a
all or that she went to Secretary Smith
house as indicated by the record.
1t was learned last night that there il
evidence that will prove outside OF th'
records that tue statement Of Watson ant
Perry is correct and that this evidence vii
be forthcoming in very short order. Friends
| OF the two men will assist who have beer
| informed that Secretary Smith said, al
most i'll so many words, that the soldier.
were liars ana faiSifiers of the records.
PUzZLING PART OF 1T.
1t is claimed that the Slight pencilling
may have been rubbed off the records frou
the frequent handling as is often the cas-,
Or that they were otherwise obliteratcd
II puzzles Il great many of the office hold
ers TO know what interest Secretary smitl
| has in proving that the woman was not ab
sent when SO omany know that ste was.
1t is atto aeitating great many t.
reconcile tie i:ction OF the Secretary Will
| the facts. il he believes them TO be as ht
| said they iWere. If he believed. as he said
that the soldiers were liars why were the!
| not dismissed from office? lit would an