The Topeka state journal., 1897-11-04
Cy Leland's Latest Machina-
tiOns to Disturb
The Management of the Topeka
Pension Agency.
A TRUMPED UP CASE
Against Clerk j. P. Howe, Who
Has Been
At the Head of the Pension Of
flee 80 Years.

The latest story af1oat is that Pen
sion Agent Leland is planning to dis
place J. P. Howe, chief clerk of the
pension Office who has been in the Office
30 years and who is in reality the pen
sion agent. He looks after all the de-
tails of the office.
The investigation is now in progress
and the charges are that Chief Clerk
Howe has been guilty of violating the
rules of the office by divulging official
information. No one believes that
there is any ground for disposing of
Mr.. Howe and if he is discharged it
will be purely for partisan reasons for
he is a Democrat.
The fact that the civil service law
has prevented Mr.. Leland from inaug-
urating the spoiIs system has been
ranking in his heart ever since he took
the office 1t is no secret among the
politicians that he would jump at al
most any pretext for getting rid of
Democrat. Mr.. HOwe's friends do
not believe that even if Mr.. Leland at
temptS to Oust him he will be able to
do so for Mr.. Howe has a record with
the department of the interior as being
the best chief clerk IN any pension Of
fee in the United States and it is not be-
lieVed that they would listen to some
trivial trumped up charge
a Republican who has worked under
Mr.. Howe in the pension office said to-
day: 4 don't believe that Mr.. Howe
will be displaced. I know that he has
every department of the work right at
hand and that he is invaluable. I do
not believe that Mr.. Leland can get
along without him"
When the pension office was first es-
tablished at St. Louis 80 years ago Mr..
Howe was office boy. Then the agent
did all the work. In a short time it
was necessary for him to have a clerk
and the office boy was promoted He
was chief clerk when he was the only
clerk in the Office and he has continued
to be during all the changes of admins
tratlOnS until now when there are 33
clerks working under him. His salary
is $4,000 per annum.
None of the parties interested will
discuss the charges which have been
made but the fact that an investigation
| is now being made, having been COM
menced Tuesday, is not disputed.
The difficulty grew out of a complaint
made to Mr.. Leland bv J R McNarv
attorney for D. E. HoIcomb of North
Topeka, who was acting in the capacity
of guardian for the three children of
James Hurst, lately deceased
Some time ago Hurst arranged to
have the children cared for at the Or
phans' Home, agreeing to pay the man
agement a certain part of his pension.
Some difficulty was experienced in Sc
curing the pension, and soon after it
was allowed Hurst died The pension
stopped but through the efforts Of
friendly attorneys the pension was re-
instated in favor of the children. 1t
was allowed only a few days ago, back
SIdnQlng
the credit of the children, one of whom
has left the Orphans Home and is now
at the Soldiers Orphans home in Atch-
isOn.
Before the money could be divided by
the probate court and the matter set
tied up, the Orphans Home manage
ment presented a claim in court to the
amount of $3.50 for the care of the chill
dren, having received nothing under
the contract made by their father be-
| fore his death. Through Mrs. Howell
Jones' solicitation, Judge A B. Quinton
appeared in court on behalf of the Or
phans' Home claim. J. R. McNary, rep
resenting Mr.. Holcomb protested
against the allowance of the claim and
Judge QuintOn, after a lively contest
suggested to the court that the bill be
cut in two, allowing the Home S125.
Judge DOlrnan, however, allowed but
500.
The friends of the children were maxi
ing an effort to get the estate appor-
toned among them when this claim
was presented. It was a matter of con-
siderable surprise that the manage
ment of the Home should know that
the pension had been allowed.
Mrs. J. p Howe is one of the trustees
of the home and Mr.. Howe stands
the pension had peen allowed and it is
also said that he advised her to have
the claim taken into court. It is also
said that Mr.. Howe himself made out
the bill. As a part of the investigation
which Mr.. Leland is making he secured
from the probate court yesterday the
original bill for the purpose of cOmDar-
ing it with Mr.. Howe's handwriting II
convinced that Howe prepared it, Mr..
Leland'S desire, it is said, to make
room for Republicans in his office will
be responsible for Howe's dismissal
When the fact is considered that the
pension allowances are all published
these charges are more than foolish.