Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-08
THE LUXURIOUS RATHBONE
HOUSEHOLD EXPENSES PAID OUT OF
THE PUBLIC TREASURY.
His COachman's Boots Cost &15 and q
RaH II %2e-rhe Total D,.allor-
nnce by the Auditor $72,G31.

A statement prepared by the auditing di-
vision of the War Department, showing the
expenditures made by E. G. Rathbone late
director of the department of posts for
Cuba, was made public yesterday afternoon
by Senator Plat of Connecticut, chairman
of the Senate committee on relations with
Cuba.
The statement is included in volume of
291 pages and covers the period from Janu-
airy 1, 1899, to April 80, 1900 There are
no remarks and the book is solid mass of
figures, showing not only the disbursements
made by Rathbone, but giving the items
disallowed upon REORGANIZATION, as well as
those allowed. The total disallowance for
the sixteen months were s72,631.
Stable and Coachman.
The first disallowance was on account of
an expenditure of $3.50 for Duchess car
riage, made on the 2Sth of February, 1899.
After that time there were frequent dis
bursements for the director generals car
rage service. March 20 he paid 500 for
set of harness and carriage "auxilares;'
April So for a Jipigaha hat and for an
other hat for his coachman with rosette
and on the same date 1906 for harness. etc.
Rent for the coaChman, stable, etc. seems
to have been regularly paid out of the pub
lie funds at the rate of $110 a month and
IN one or two instances the hoster's salary
was thus supplied. All the coach furnish
ings were provided in this way. In May
1879 uniform costing $40. a pair of boots
costing S15 and another hat costing 50 were
bought for the coachman. June 9 a rain
coat costing SIG was supplied to that in
dividua The coach later was supplied
with rubber tires at an expense to the pub
Tic or S11O. In addition there were many
miscellaneous charges for stable rent and
for carriage and car hire.
All OF the DaymPntS made IN
Nicely, chief of the financial bureau of the
department, appear to have been carefully
scrutinlzed and many of them were disal-
lowed. Most of the payments made to him
apparently were made on account of Of
nee furnishings, freight, drayage moving
advance in salaries etc.
Ihere are two or three items in his &C.
counts of from $40 to $50 for the payment
of laundry bills for the director generals
coachman. On October IA, 1885, s. 123 was
PAID to Nicely on account of loss on Span
lSh gold taken to the United States and
this was disallowed, as were several minor
charges in connection with the transaction.
Nicely made a trip to the United States.
going as far as his old home in Indiana.
unaer me direction, 1t is stated in the re-
port, of the director general, and many of
ms charges in the connection We're disa-
lowed upon denomination, but not, of
course. until they had been paid He also
made advances to Rathbone and to W. E.
Wilmot on account to trips to the United
States, which We're not sanctioned by the
auditor Some of the items in this con-
nection amount to as much as $500.
An Unauthorized Trip.
In April, 1899, Mr. Rathbone made a visit
to this country under the claim that it was
made in obedience to the orders of the
Postmaster General, and the auditor finds
that the trip was not authorized and re-
fuses to sanction the entire expenditure
which was an even $500. Similar action is
n ha MR. l,1S Of
enameled bath tub for the department OF
posts, secured at a cost of S42. Attorneys
and notaries We're paid $40 for services in
connection with Mr. Rathbones residence
There were also charges for plumbing and
paper hanging at the residence and for
chandelier in the billiard room of that es-
Punishment. In ore case the rent of the
house was paid from the public funds. The
house also appears to have been furnished
at the cost of the public.
Several Household Bills.
In December of 1899 and January of 1900
several bills were paid to New York and
Washington firms by Rathbone. one aggre-
eating 1929, another $685. one s133 one S121
and another S1.356 This last bill includes
240 entries and covers many articles of do
nestle use. such as cloths, gloves scarfs
toilet articles, cuspidors, champagne and
other wine glasses, table ware kitchen
utensils, bedsteads, bed room SETS bed
clothing, etc.
There were also many disallowances on
account Of office furniture purchases and
In some cases portions of the payments are
found to have been Legitimate and others
not so. In some cases shirts, collars and
cuffs were charged to the government.
All the payments made to Cowan & Co. Of
Munc!e, Ind, for printing and stationery,
aggregating several thousand dollars are
found to have been illegitimate. Mr.. Nelly
seems to have bought several hundred dol
lars worth of photos at government ex-
pense. and also a great deal of stationery
outside of that ordered from the Munc1e
firm, but these items are all pronounced
The auditor recommends the disallowance
of $12,2S1 spent for repairs on the depart
ment building. and also a deposit of $1,000
Enormously credited to Rathbone."