New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-03
A PILFERING OFFICIAL.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY DOE PRACTICAL
LY DISMISSED BY COLONEL LAMONT.
THE AFFAIR KEPT QUIET TO AVOID A SCANDAL
WHAT AN INVESTIGATION SHOWED
DOE MADE RESTITUTION TO
THE AMOUNT OF 1900

WHAT AN INVESTIGATION SHOWED
DOE MADE RESTITUTION TO
THE AMOUNT OF $1,000
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.I
Washington. Nav I'm the last few months OF
the Cleveland Administration Joseph b. Doe, OF
GAINESVILLE Wis. who was Assistant Secretary OF
War held sInecure and people are just pegih-
ming to find out the reason why. He was de-
prived of all authority, was not allowed to issue
any orders or sign any but routine mall ana dld
not perform any other function OF MS oihce' nc
was not permitted to issue requisitiohs' sec
retary Lamont assumed all the labor ana respoh-
sibility. and did all the work that had formeriy
been done by his assistant except such as couid
be intrusted to the chief clerk.
The extraordinary circumstances were known
bv the employees and the people who are IN the
habit of visiting the Department, and were com
mented upon In whispers as OF much sishin-
cance but the reasons were not understooo'
There was also considerable comment concern
ing the unusual act of President Mckinley IN ac-
cepting Does resignation before the SELECTION ol
his successor. 1t is customary for the assistant
secretaries to hold over from one Administration
to another until the new members OF the Capi"et
have familiarized themselves with the duties Vi
their offices and in all the Departments except
are still retained But Does resignation was
accepted at once, and his desk was vacant uh'ii
Mr.. Meiklejohn. of Nebraska. was appointed.
This was due to a hint from Colonel Lamont
who, as already stat I'd. had practically made
vacancy In the office several months before
As early as he was able to find the time Sec
rotary Alger began an investigation of the Of
fetal conduct Of Mr.. Doe but soon discovered
7 ha antiCiDateQ
the only result Of his inquiries was the dismissal
Of Richard J. Whtton also from GAINESVILLE, who
was brought to Washington by Doe and served
as his private secretary for two years or more.
Whitton was then transferred to the supply di-
vision and as soon as he had familiariZed hlm-
self with the duties of the office was promoted
10 chief of the division, in the place OF captain
Thorpe, an old soldier. who had held the office
for a quarter of a century with credi; to hm-
self and satisfaction to the several Secretaries
Of War under whom he had served.
There were no charges against Thorpe, and no
complaint of his official conduct. He simply
forced out by Doe 20 make a place for Whltton.
with an ulterior object that was soon discosei.
Whtton's duties to buy the supplies of the
Department. and disburse the appropriations eX-
cept the payroll. Shortly after he came in Whit
ton endeavored to secure the dismissal of David
Cranmer another old soldier, WHO had been
storekeeper for the Department for many years
and had the custody of the supplies, but the
conspiracy defeated by Colonel Arsworth,
Chief of the War Records Division, who had
strong personal influence with Secretary Lamont.
About year ago Assistant Secretary Doe be-
gan to issue orders 10 the division Of supplies and
other branches of the Department that caused
considerable gossip among the clerks, and to
,,Citf for rtiC for lie ia
use which had not before been purchased from
the public funds. He continued to do so during
the frequent absences Of Secretary Lamont until
after the election in November, when that sort
Of business became active as to attract gen.
eral attention, and within few weeks the gossip
reached the ears of the head OF the Department.
Secretary Lamont at once made an investigation.
He called before him the clerks in the supply di-
vision. the storekeeper and other officials of the
Department. and secured statements from them
which caused him to require Doe and Whitton to
make restitution to the amount. Of nearly Hl,OOO
in cash, and to surrender to tn" Department a
considerable amount of property which, in Mr..
Lamont's opinion. belonged to the Government
II was disclosed for example, that in the alb
sence OF the Secretary OF War Doe had ordered
two bicycles one for himself and one for Whit
ton. which were returned to the Department and
are now stored In the basement The official
photographer OF the Departm. mt testified that
he had made two sets of prints, about
one thousand In number. from the mega
tives purchased by Congress some years
ago from Brady. thu celebrated war pho
tographer and Geors, *. Jenny, in charge
of the DepartnI ant bndery, testified that he had
mounted these prints and bound them in hand
some Russia leather albums. about l2XlS lnches
in size at the expense Of the Government. A. *.
Johnson the Department carpenter tesillled that
he had been employed for several weeks, under
the orders OF Assistant Secretary Doe, in making
and hacking furniture and other articles which
we're shipped to GAINESVILLE. Wis. Among other
p,adp tpn
cedar two of ash. and six of popiar for Doe. and
two chests of cedar for Whitton, which had been
ma ackcd with articles unknown and shipped away.
tIa nod also made a fine mahogany gun case,
which cost $40 for the matera! alone without
considering the labor twenty-five picture frames
and about forty packing cases. Which were
nacked full Of articles by Does messenger and
shipped to GAINESVILLE. Edward McQuaide. fore
man of the Department stables. testihed that ne
houIed two wagonloads Of packing cases and fur-
niture from the Department to the express Once.
which were shipped d. II. to GAINESVILLE WIS. in
an axnress car obtained by Joseph ;. Moss. a
cIork in the Department, whose brother Is the
oonerai manager Of the Adams Express Company
in this city. ,.-,. ..,,,,.o,,,, a;.oo,.
oad ono dav in the carpenters room large
80. eealed and addressed to Doe at Janesvie.
when opened by his ord ers it was found to con-
tsin large quantity OF fine stationery, sufficient
to last Doe the rest or MS IRE, Wnicn had peeh
nacked bv the storekeeper on Whitton's requsi-
lion colonel Lamont had the chest emptied and
ts contents restored to the shelves of the store
rnopo There was another box caught on the
o.. aIso addressed to Doe, and ready for ship
m,nt When opened by Colonel Lamorts order
T. was found to contain six fine United States
flags one of them was made OF SILK ana cost
,ha Department 5000 The others were of bunt-
inc and cost from so to $500 each. They were
,nnacked and returned to the shelves.
II was also reported TO Secretary Lamont that
q Quantity of fine furniture. bookcases. cabinets
and writing desks of mahogany had been shipped
IN Janesvile and he had an interview with Doe
on the subject What occurred is known only to
the two men Colonel Lamont is very secretive.
ond naturally wished to avoid a scandal during
the closing days OF the Cleveland Administration;
so he left no record on this point, and the in
yestigation was not pursued any further.
II Is understood however that Doe made res
titution In cash and that he would have been
dismissed in disgrace but for the intervention