The times., 1901-06-25
A sCATHING REPRIMAND.
Secretary Long to the Paymaster OF
the League Island Yard.

One of the severest official reprimands
ever delivered to a naval officer Is con-
tanned in a letter sent by the Secretary
of the Navy yesterday to Paymaster John
r. Martin, at the League Island Navy
Yard. who recently pleaded guilty 10 a
charge involving the issue of Government
money in advance to himself and : broth
er officer. Tne court sentenced Paymaster
Martin TO be reprimanded. the lightness
of the sentence being due to the fact that
no attempt to defraud the Government
was charged Secretary Long does nor
endorse the action OF the court-mar-
tIaI In imposing such a light penalty In
his letter he says:
The general court-martiai before which
you were recently tried at the navy yard,
League Island. Pa. found you guilty or
violation C section 1898 OF the Revised
Statutes OF si:s United States. and SEN
fenced you to be reprimanded by the Sec
retary of the Navy.
THE proceedings, findings. and sentence
of the court have been approved subject
| to the qualifications contained In the fol-
| lowing remarks, which viii be embraced
/ in the general court-martial order in your
case. and are regarded as a compliance
/ with the requirement OF the sentence that
you be reprimsnded.
THE sentence does not appear tc be
ADEQUATE to the nature OF the offence.
| which is a plain and hagrant violation
i of a very salutary provision OF the law
with which every officer is assumed to
| be familiar. The court has. In disregard
of a regulation (article 1910. paragraph
q made in pursuance of the authority
conferred upon the Secretary Of the Navy
by statute, stricken from the charge the
words that characterize your offence. al
| though YOU had already pleaded guilty.
| 'scandaIOus conduct. The department
4 gives full weight to your good recoro-
| You are. however, guilty of a serious Of
| fence committed in violation OF law ana
regulation. The acts charged we're, IN
| fact, an appropriation 10 your oNn use
! of public money held Dy you IN trust
| Il was not even a case of money due you
but not yet payable. Had you died OF
otherwise left the service there Eoolo
| sources or funds elsewhere at your COM
mand is of no consequence.
! You refer TO certain Of the advances
| as trivial You also state that oyerpay-
ments to officers have been the rule
rather than the exception throughout the
service II so, and the department IS
advised that IL Is not so. you are hereby
| notified that such practice must stop at
once. Nothing can be more demorallzing
and conducive TO fraud and defaication
| than to open the door. ever so Snghtiy, 10
| such misuse of funds. Every paymaster.
every officer must understand this II
! rigorous action were not taken IN your
| case the entire service might lnIsr thal
such violations and abuses are winked at
| The department cannot understand now
any paymaster with a proper sense OF his
/ duty can thus put to his own use money
| of the Government II $500 Is miSapplied,
| then $, coo. and the next step is en1bez-
! element which indeed might have been
| charged in this case
| Your previous good character and rep
utatiOn cannot for a moment be regarded
| as a Justification of your misconduct II
| NAV be, and is, considered by the depart
ment in judging your motive, but not IN
its condemnation of your offence
You are hereby released from arrest
| and restored TO duty and VIII acknowledge
- the receipt Of this communication