Evening star., 1900-10-04
BARGE OFFICE CASES
THREE EMPLOYEES DISMISSED By
ASSISTANT SECRETARY TAYLOR.
Charges Against John Lederhtlger
Are Dismissed N Not Having
Been Proved.

Assistant Secretary Taylor today took ac-
ton In the cases OF four employees of the i'm
migration office at New York who had been
charged with various offenses of more or
less serious character. Four other cases
now under consideration will. 1t is expected.
be disposed of in few days The action OF
Mr. Taylor Is the result of a recent tnvesti-
cation conducted at the barge office in New
York.
Three Dismissals.
Emil Auspitz gateman, is dismissed for
violent and profane language and generally
rough treatment of immigrants. The COM
missioner at New York recommended that
he be reprimanded but retained In the ser
vice. The commissioner general recon-
mended his dismissal. The appointment
division referred the matter to Assistant
Secretary Taylor for direction. Mr.. Taylor
returned the papers with the following In
dorsement, and Mr.. Auspitz was dismissed:
Il dissent from the recommendation OF
the commissioner at New York and concur
in that of the commissioner general. There
Is a large amount of testimony to the ef-
feet that Mr.. Auspitz Is violent in his Ian
guage, profane and often roughly handles
immigrants. His general treatment of them
amounts to pronounced brutality. Imlni-
grants arriving here are ignorant OF our
customs and language, often excessively IA
tigued by the hardships of the trip and be-
which they have to pass. They each con-
tribute 81 to pay the expenses of inspection.
This fund goes to pay the salaries of those
employed in the inspection service. The
Immigrant is in all cases entitled to fair
and kind trea atment, and brutality either in
word or action will not be permitted, but
will be considered sufficient ground for re-
moval. Mr.. Auspitz makes no satisfactory
deIenSe- or the charges against him.
Karl E. kumpf messenger for board of
inquiry, is dismissed for accepting money
from the friends of immigrants
j. Ross Stewart, messenger, is dismissed
for receiving money from the friends of i'm
migrants.
Charges Dismissed.
The charges against John Lederhilger
were dismissed at the direction Of Assist
ant Secretary Taylor, who made the fol-
lowing Endorsement on the papers:
Il concur in the recommendation of the
ly dissent from the recommendation of the
commissioner general in this case. The
committee investigating the charges against
Mr.. Lederhilger summoned very large
number of officials and employees of the
barge office to testify to the charges of
brutality and improper treatment of female
immigrants. Several of these officials tes-
titled that they had seen Mr. Lederhilger
behave in a brutal manner toward immi-
grants, and had seen him improperly search
the persons of female immigrants and ask
them i. sulting questions. The greater num-
Der OF ftcials and employees testified that,
although closely associated with Mr. Leder-
hilger and afforded constant opportunities
To witness his conduct, they had never seen
him do anything which they regarded as in
any way improper. The three matrons of
the station, who are constantly associated
with Mr.. Lederhilger in the examination of
female immigrants, and whose desks are
so located that he is under their observa-
ton all the time, testified that they had
never known him to be guilty of improper
treatment toward immigrants, either male
or female. All of the missionaries and rep
resentatives of the various religious and
charitable organizations. both men and wo-
men, nearly twenty in number, who are
stationed in the office purposeiy to see that
immigrants are not badly treated make af-
tidavir that they have regularly observed
the conduct of Mr.. Lederhilger and have
found no cause for complaint in his treat
menf Of the immigrants coming in contact
and being examined by him.. Mr.. Leder-
hilgers defense is exhaustive and satisiac-
tory.
Henry Molthan. jr. who was chairman of
a board of inquiry that admitted certain I'm
migrants who should have been deported
was discharged some time ago. A messen-
ger named Gilbert Taylor. charged with
accepting bribes, was acquitted.