The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-18
WELBURN'S
GHOST WALKS
ONCE MORE
Brokers Charged With
Being in the Steal.
GUILTY AS THE COLLECTOR
AGENT THRASEER ACCUSES
YoUNGBERG AND BARHAM.
A Shake-Up in the Los Angeles Of
fce-Suspended Officers As
sert That They Are
Innocent.
GUILTY AS THE COLLECTOR
AGENT THRASEER ACCUSES
YOUNGBERG AND BARHAM.

The internal revenue office Of Los An
geles received a shaking up yesterday
when Special Agent Burt NJ Thomas, act
ing under orders from Washington, sus-
pended from the service Gauger r. NJ.
Barham, a brother of the Congressman,
Albert D. Barham, and Flammer Pane
from the service, disqualified Guy r. Bar
ham, a broker, from doing official bust
ness in the Office and removing the Office
itself to the Government building on ac-
count of its proximity TO Broker Bar
hams place of business. The removals
are all a elimination of evidence col
lected against the men during the investi-
cation of the embellishments of o. NJ.
Welburn. The orders for this were is
sued at the same time that Broker
Youngberg was forbidden the Collectors
office in this city, and Special Agent
Thrasher is known to believe from his
Investigations that Barham and Young
berg were as guilty as the ex-Collector.
me order OF suspension is signed by
y. q. Scott, Internal Revenue Commits
sioner, and was based upon reports fur
nlSned the department by Special Inter
nal Revenue Agent l. A. Thrasher. The
charges brought against 4. Al. Barham
are that he made overcharges for meals
and generally stuffed his expense ac-
count, cefrauding the Government out of
about $3.50. Against albert Barham the
chief charge is that he is a paralytic and
that he participated in the alleged frauds
OF his father. The fact is that the right
hand OF young Barham is withered ow-
Ing to an attack of typhoid fever years
ago, but he has discharged his duties a.
storekeeper, and until Thrasher reported
against MN no one has ever heard 1t
mentioned that he was incompetent.
Guy Barham claims that Thrasher
b4ames him for assisting Internal Rev
enue Collector Welburn, who was recent
~ found to be short in his accounts and
SUSPENSION & of Saita
work and is due to his friendship for
Welburn.
Scott, Thrasher makes specific mention of
what he claims are fraudulent charges
but presents no proof and says that he
thinks an investigation should be made
but further on he recommends the sum-
mary dismissal of Barham. The exact
language of his letter to the Commission
er is:
IF investigated the charges might be
found as false
To those on the inside of the case this
rather doubtful attitude is taken by
IhraSher from the outcome of his in
investigations while stationed here Dur
ing all the time evidence was being COL
lected against Welburn number of in
applicable things were discovered in the
accounts of the Collector, and eventually
II was found that others were implicated
Youngberg and Guy Barham were sus-
pected, and some proof of their guilt was
found. Thrasher made full report to
the Commissioner of Internal Revenue,
anu an attempt was made to charge the
two brokers with embezzlement; but the
department thought the evidence insult
1cient The specific charges against
Noungberg were that under the dummy
name of Aiken he drew down $1,000 a year
from the Government Tor nearly two
and half years. Barham, Thrasher
claims, was fully aware of Welburn'S en-
bezzlements and aided him in making up
accounts which he knew to be false
When Agent Thrasher was transferred
from this division he was ordered to re-
washington a long
ence with the Commissioners in which all
evidence was gone over the agent was
requested to make full written report
OF every minute detail of the case, This
cas done, and after being considered by
the head of the department for over IL
month the orders suspending the gaugers
sued.
1t is asserted by friends of Guy B. Bar
ham, who is a son of K. NJ. and brother
of Albert d. Barham. that the charges
and allegations made by Thrasher against
father and son are not only false but
malicious, and Thrasher's motive is re-
Venge on Guy Barham, who is an inter-
nal revenue broker, and he has the larg
est business of the kind in Southern Cali
fornia. When seen this evening Guy
Barham made the following statement to
Call representative:
This party Thrasher swore eternal
vengeance upon me some months ago be-
cause was the friend of o. M. Welburn,
ex-Collector IN the days of his prosperity
When trouble came upon him | did not
desert him. On the other hand, I put
forth my best efforts to support him. /
went to San Francisco, secured his bond
and saved him from going to jail. In
my humble way l saw to il that he was
enabled to make defense of the charges
made against him and gave him a help
ing hand in every way 1 could. When he
was acquitted ThraSher was very mucr,
aggrieved and claimed l was responsible
publicly stated that l would rue the day
that put forth a hand to aid my friend
upon whom disgrace and misfortune had
fallen. But Thrasher could do me no
injury, so he picked out my father and
brother as his victims, striking me over
their shoulders. He has secured their
perpetrated. 1t will be rectified If II
takes every dollar 1 have in the world ana
every effort | can put forth as long as
there is breath in my body.
MY father has lived in California
forty-nine years, and in all that time
there has never been the slightest breath
in the public service for twenty years
and nothing has ever been said to his dis
credit
Yet, now in his declining years this
man Thrasher comes forward with allie
cations which are utterly without foun-
dalton and basely false.
AS to my brother, it is true that he
has the misfortune to be a cripple as to
his right hand. Save that. he Is in every
way sound in body and mind, and his ac-
counts. / have been told are the best
L.
Through Thrasher's influence my bust
ness as broker is being impedcd and
delayed. In this way he is trying to
ruin me. but he will not succeed We
will have our day in court, anu this is
all we want. The defense of my father
and brother has already been forwarded
to Washington, but | cannot disclose it, >
From another source il is learned that
every allegation contained in Thrasher'
statement to Commissioner Scott about
Barfiam has been disproved by affidayits
of a party who, of his own knowledge
has stated facts which show Thrasher'
report is not true. The affidavits are
about twenty-five in number. r. NJ Bar.
ham has resided in Los Angeles for about
thirty years. He has always been a re-
spected citizen, and the intelligence thai
he has been suspended from the Govern.
ment service for making fraudulent
charges to the amount of 1920 in five
years will be surprise to them.
Special Agent Thomas of the interna
revenue service declined to talk about the
Barham matter.
IL is very probable that unless Commits
sioner Scott acts an endeavor will bt
made to secure Congressional investiga
ton of Thrasher's action in this matter
Internal Revenue Collector John C
Lynch left Los Angeles for San francisco
last night with a full understanding Of
Mr.. Barham's position in the matter.
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Cardinal Steinhuber, project of tn,
L.