Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-04-30
Clerk Declares He Received Re-
ceipt Signed Geo, /, ShOup''
CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS.
Surveyor-Generai Seems 20 nave
Levied Upon His Employees In Vlo-
ia,ion Of CivlI service Law.

The federal officials OF this state are
manifesting lively interest In the In
vestlgating proceedings into the
charges made against Suryeyor-Gen-
eral Perraut of Idaho. There are sew
eral Boise people In the city and they
state that q very marked and wide
spread interest in the case Is eYlnced
at the Idaho capital city, where the
investigation is going on under the d.
rection Of Inspector Greene of the in
terror department Gen. Perrault Is
accused OF gross violations Of the civil
service law, consisting principally Of
leyying upon the clerks in his Office for
Republican campaign funds. Another
charge, which, If proven, will hardly be
taken kindly to by the people Of Idaho
Is that he has favored Oregon bidders
In the letting of surveying contracts.
The hearing at Boise has been going
on for two days and in that time sew
eral witnesses have been examined,
from whose testimonies the facts APP
pear TO be that all or nearly all the
clerks In the surveyor-generals office,
contributed to the campaign fund dur
ing the canvass Of 1900, and they did
II at the direct instance of Chief Clerk
Robb, who said he was performing the
unpleasant duty Of asking for funds
because the general wished him TO. The
clerks who have testified, however,
state that Gen. Perraut always treated
them IN a courteous and kindly manner,
and no time endeavored to force or CO.
cree them to do anything.
During yesterdays investigation
something of sensational ripple
passed over the proceedings when Clerk
Bell testified that he had contributed
SIS to the Republican fund and that
he later received a receipt signed Geo.
l.. Shoup." When asked IL he could
produce the receipt he replied that he
had destroyed 1t, and In answer to
subsequent questions 1t developed that
he destroyed the receipt on the very
day the investigation was begun. When
asked why he had saved II so long and
then destroyed II on that date he an
swered that II was merely q coinci-
dence. that the receipt was destroyed
along with several other papers that
he regarded as useless.
Mr.. Bell gave further testimony that
when Inspector Burke, who was in
Boise, desired to go TO Salt Lake, a
pass was placed in his hands by Gem
eral Perrault. Bell says he did not see
the pass, but as the general handed an
envelope TO Burke he said, Here's your
pass"
Bell had signed an affidavit affirming
that he had never given General Per-
raut any funds whatever, and when
questioned in regard TO the import Of
that affidavit and the testimony he had |
Just given he declared that he under !
stood the affidavit to Imply that he |
had never given the general any funds |
direct, but il in the contribution he |
had just acknowledged TO, II was to be
understood that he had given the gen. |
eral some funds then he wished to re- |
pudiate the AFFIDAVIT
Charles Paynton, clerk IN the tram |
scribing Office. testified that IN the fall |
OF 1900 Chief Clerk Robb called him into |
his room and stated TO him that he |
might contribute 10 the camnalgn fund |
II he desired A few days later he met
itoDu OH tue Street anu ndUueu MIN % |
for the purpose named Paynton de-
clared that no constraint was offered, |
that the matter came up purely as
request. and that the name Of General
Perrault was not mentioned. After
giving some further testimony in re-
gard to trouble between clerk named
McCracken and the general Paynton
testified that he had no complaints
whatever TO make OF the way in which
the general had treated him, that he
was uniformly kind and courteous, and
he never knew of his ever trying to in
any Of the men under him.
Yesterday General Perrault received
the following telegram from Theodore
Simons, the former chief draughtsman
In the surveyor generals office
Consider me at your service during
the investigation"