The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-20
DISREGARD FOR THE LAW
Republican Devotion to Civil Ser.
vice Rules a Delusion.
II. Il. Chcnowith, Dismissed for Gross
Fraud While n Collector of Gus
toms, Renppointed to n Lucrative
Position in the Treasury Depart
ment - The Facts in the Case

The reappointment in the Treasury De-
9ariment of H. X. Chenowith, who was
emoved from the position of collector Of
customs in Arizona for alleged gross
fraud in Office, has greatly exercised the
! Civil Service Commission. Last April
Chenowith was appointed a special agent
in the Treasury Department notwith-
standing the criminal prosecution pending
against him before the Attorney General
Up to the present time there has apparent
ly been no inclination on the part of the
Department Of Justice TO press the case
against Chenowith, who halls from Cleve-
land. the home of Senator Hanna. 1t is
said that owing to past political services
and for services to be rendered Chenowith
is to be protected by Hanna and the Ad-
ministraticn. Chenowith's case is thus
dealt with in the last annual report of
of Civil Service Commission:
Charges were made that the coIlec-
tor of customs at Nogales, Ariz, had per-
petrated a fraud in connection with the
civil service examinations held at the
custom house. In April, 1899, represen-
tative of the Commission proceeded to
Nogales to investigate the case. From
the evidence obtained it appeared that
the envelopes containing the examination
papers. which were forwarded from the
Commission under its seal. were opened
in advance of the examinations. in viola
tion of the regulations of the Commits
sion, and certain competitors instructed
by the collectors cousin, the principal of
the schools of Nogales. in regard to the
method OF answering the examination
questions. Among those SO instructed
we're the collectors wife and brother-in-
law. The evidence showed that the col
lector was chiefly instrumental in perpe-
trating these frauds.
IN June. 1893, the Commission, upon
che report OF its examiner. transmitted
the evidence to the Treasury Depart
ment recommending the removal of the
collector end those. who were appointed
TO the service as a result of these
frauds. Those implicated in the frauds,
including the collector. were removed
as recommended by the Commission,
last July. Subsequently, upen appeal by
the collector to THE Treasury Depart
ment. a further and exhaustive investi
CATION was made by two special agents
of that department. who sustained the
report of the Commissions examiner
with regard to the fraud in the examina-
ton.
1.-THE Department has Informed the Com
mission that as result Of the examina-
ton it is probable ether changes will be
made in the near future, the Department
having preferred charges. of delinquency
and misconduct against several employees
in addition to those concerned in the
frauds in the above named examination
In this connection it is deemed proper to
state that as a result of other investiga-
lions conducted by the Commission the
fact has developed as at Nogales, that
where public officials have violated the
Civil Service law they have also been Lax
in the observance of other laws which they
were appointed to administer
The papers in the Nogales case have been
submitted 20 the Department of Justice for
its action