The times., 1901-06-03
QUESTIONS SEEN IN ADVANCE.
Alleged Violations of the Civil
Service Law in Ell PasO.


Service Law in Eel PasO.
NEW YORK, June 2.-The committee
appointed by the National Civil Service
Reform League to enquire into the alleg-
ed violations of the. Civil Service law in the
customs service at Ell Paso Tex. has sub
mitted its report to the council of the
league. In the report It is stated:
"In July 1895 competitive examinations
were held for the purpose Of establishing
register of eligibies for the customs ser
vice al that place, and it appears from
the evidence obtained by an examiner sent
there by the Civil Service Commission
20 investigate alleged frauds, that prior to
this examination, Moses Dillon, the Col
lector, told w. c. Holmes, member OF
the Customs Board of Civil Service EX-
aminers, that there were four applicants,
Z. NJ. Fink II. f. Bloom, one McDougai,
and a son of the collector. whom the col
lector desired to pass the examination;
that the collector ordered him to COM
municate this desire to w. A. Race, Sec
retary of the Board of Civil Service EX-
aminers, with the injunction that it would
not be wise for him to refuse; that there
upon Holmes communicated this desire to
Race. and on the day before the examina-
ton. Race gave him copies of the ques-
tions to b asked in spelling, arithmetic,
and letter writing. and that Holmes took
these copies of questions to the residence
of Bloom, one OF the candidates, and there
saw Bloom and Fink, another candidate
at work on the questions This Is shown
by the affidavit of w. c. Holmes, given
to an examiner of the Civil Service Com
mission on October %. 1900.
David j.. Creswell. Inspector of Gus
toms, gave his affidavit to the Commits
sion. October 25 1900, stating that Fink
had told him that the examination pa
pers in July. 1898, had BEEN opened and
that he and Bloom had the papers or
blanks before the examination
"E. NJ Fink, Inspector of Customs, one
of the men examined, gave signed state
ment to the Commission. October "a, lS0J
stating that on the afternoon before the
civil service examination. Bloom met him
on the street and asked him to come to
his house that evening; that he went
there and found Bloom and Holmes IN
the house, and the copies of the exanina-
ton papers on the table; and that he
looked over some Of the questions in
tended for the examination next day
Bloom and Fink passed the examination
| and were appointed.
Mr. Holmes gave his testimony to the
representative of the Civil Service Com
mission with much trepidation- He ap-
| parently could lose much and gain moth
| ing by his affidavit, which implicated the
| collector. Mr.. Race, the former secre-
| tary of the board. was then in the Gus
! toms service at Gibara, Cuba The evi-
| dence would appear to show very clearly
| that the examination was fraudulent, and
| that Moses Dillon. the Collector. as well
I as Holiness Race. Bloom, and rink were
| concerned in the violation of the law
| The collector at El Paso also received
| contributions for political purposes IN ms
| office at the Federal Building Nllham
| T. Kitchens, one of the inspectors, gave
| the Civil Service Commission his afi1daVlt'
| dated October 20, 1900 stating that on
! Sunday February H. 19eJ, q meeting Of
| inspectors was held at the Office OF the
| collector of customs in the Federal BulId-
| ing to consult and devise means Tor con-
| trolling county convention so Ihat Ger
| tain delegates. among whom was the col
| Iector might be selected to represent the
| county in the State convention to be held
/ later at Waco, Tex. Some one present
| suggested that it would be necessary to
| raise money to carry out this purpose;
| that thereupon the collector SAID ne
| would head the list with S25. upon which
| Kitchens took IS out OF his pocket ana
| placed ii on the table of the collector
/ that the collector took the money, and In
| like manner one other contribution OF
| IS was made and received by the coiiec-
/ tor. The others not having the money
| OF hand. contributed afterward and the
| convention was held and controlled by the
| collector against all rival interests, and
! the collector sent as delegate TO tiie
State convention
| 'Davjd L. CreswelI an inspector Of Gus
toms, stated on October 22, 1900, that ne
| attended this meeting, that he arose about
l1:30 TO take his departure, wher some
| one at the table suggested that funds
ought to be raised; that ne authorized Mr
| Holmes to pay s. to the committee toi
/ oil Il
| Another inspector, John G. Richards
! stated that he was present at this meet
ing, and that the collector said IT woulo
| be necessary to have funds, that ne
| would head the list with a contribution
| of s25 and that this took place In thf
| Federal Building
| James Mari another inspector o. Cus- C
! toms made affidavit November 3, lAsl, tha
| Henry F. Bloom (the man who had beer
| appointed under fraudulent eXemlnatloI
| at the special instance of the collector
| requested of him a contribution for pro-
| noting certain political business in con-
| nectfon with the Waco convention. the
| principal object being the selection OF
| the collector as delegate: that he told
quest of the collector.
This case was laid before the Depart
ment of Justice and an effort made 70 Sc
cure an Indictment of the guilty parties
but the witness Holmes was dead. and tht
others refused TO testify upon the grounc
! that their evidence would lncrlminatt
| themselves hehcs no ii'uiS''iis"N We"
found. 900. =,
facts in this case were submitted by tht
chairman Of your committee 10 the sec
retarv of the Treasury, who said that a!
the office of collector was a Presidential
office. the complaint should be made e
the President and that he would be giat
to investigate IL If referred by the PreSl
dent to his department,
Accordingly, the above facts were com
municated in writing to the President OF
| mittee. but up to the present time, so IA
as your committee can learn. no furthe
steps have been taken to punish the guilt!
parties"