The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-04-26

MIXED UP IN THE
ARMY SCANDALS
Evans Was Formerly HonoIulan
But Has Made Money in
the Philippines.

The firm of Thomas Evans & Co., OF
scandals which are now being 1nvesti-
gated by the army authorities, and the
firm bids fair TO go out of existence
when the investigation is concluded.
The firm of Evans & Co. was organized
by Thomas Evans, formerly of Homo
lulu, but who has been engaged on
big government contracts in the Phil
ippine capital since the beginning of
hostilities there in 1898. Evans figured
somewhat prominently few months
since in a Connecticut town, where he
was suing for the hand of an heiress,
young lady just out of ner teens.
who was totally unaware that Evans
had a wife and family in Honolulu.
A telegram from Manila dated April
Is, has the following statement con-
corning the scandals there:
A court-martial has been convened and
will meet tomorrow to try Lieutenant
Frederick Boyer, charged with the en-
bezzlement of commissary stores. Cap
tain Frederick J. Barrows of the Thir-
tieth Volunteer Infantry will be tried
later. A civilian named Fletcher, accuS-
ed of unlawful conversion of commits
sary stores, will be tried by the provin-
cial court tomorrow.
Speaking of the commissary scandals,
a prominent Army officer said to the
representative of the Associated Press
that he had every reason to believe that
Colonel Woodruff, head of the subsist-
ence department at Manila, was not i'm
plicated He said that Colonel Woodruff
was one of the ablest men in the service
and that his honesty was unquestioned.
He asserted that Colonel Woodruff was
| ignorant of the fact that Harold NJ.
Pitt, manager of Evans & Co., the Ar
my contractors, was leasing him the
house in which he lived for much less
rental than Pitt had paid therefor. On
! discovering this Colonel Woodruff imme-
I diately vacated the house Pitt is alleg-
ed to have said that Captain Read of
| the commissary department deceived
! Colonel Woodruff, VINO thought Captain
| Read thoroughly honest.
! The Irregularities in commissary mat
! tiers were first attributed to Captain
| Reads unfamiliarity with commssary
! work. Colonel Woodruff was reluctant
to believe that frauds were being perpe-
| trated, but the facts disclosed caused
him to give Captain Read a most severe
reprimand and to begin an investigation
which may involve, according to the
! PiOiiilil Amy previously iC-
ferred to, the examination of Captain
Davis who was the depot commissary
before Captain Read, but who was sent
home on sick leave.
Evans established an office in the
street just across the way from the
Spanish palace, which is now the
headquarters of General Macarthur
and the military and civil government
Evans gathered about him a group Of
men who knew the ropes, and govern
ment contracts fell into their hands
which netted them handsome profits.
! The Office was within handy distance
/ from where the contracts were let. and
the firm was in a position to know just
when to reach out for the government
gold.
The Harold NJ. Pitt, spoken of in the
! dispatch, is a former resident of Salt
Lake City, Utah. who went to Manila
as a private in the Eighteenth United
! States Infantry. He was formerly
manager of Bradstreet's agency IN Salt
Lake City. He came to Honolulu on
the transport Arizona, now the
Hancock, in August of 1898; with Cen
! eral King and General Merriam, and
was CHARTERED for several weeks at
| the Kapiolani race track. He was COM
pany clerk, ard was a bright fellow,
his former business training giving him
a good insight into matters connected
with the commissary. He met Evans
in this city. Pitt was high roller
as far as his limited means and posi-
! ton would allow, and he made many
friends while here. He was frequently
at the Hawaiian Hotel Soon after his
arrival in Manila he secured his re-
lease from the army and went into
| business with Evans, and still owns a
controlling interest in the business.
One of their first ventures was to es-
tablish a refrigerating plant near Ca
Yite.