The Washington times., 1903-06-30
A New Role for Petty.
His Literary Talents Unfit Him for the
Drudgery of Accounts.

Oruogefy OF Accounts.
Auditor Petty may not shine as a
Treasury watchdog" But he fairly
scintillates as a moralist and a rheto-
rician. He may be charged in the
Watson case with mailing up the
stable door after the horse has been
stolen. But no one can dispute the
picturesque, almost heroic, fervor
with which he shouts "Stop thief"
Nor will his most captious critic
question that in the picture he draws
of Watson's insidious villainy the
District Auditor has delivered him
self Of an imposing literary master
piece.
Others may undertake the task Of
appraising Mr. Petty's apology from
a logical or legal point Of view. But
to us it Will always remain a monu-
ment Of exalted sentiment and illumi-
mating phraseology.
How subtle, yet vigorous, a pOr-
trait he paints Of Watson's ingratiat-
ing acts and deep-laid hypocrisies!
He won my regard and confidence by a pleas
ing address, appealing often for advice and
/ counsel in his private affairs IL he were my
own son, scorning. in speech, every unworthy
! sentiment, and displaying in outward manner a
seeming devotion 70 every duty.
require that I work nights az the Office, and
knowing my habits many a time when thus
engaged he would softly open the door and
come 20 my desk with offers Of assistance
and then 20 20 work upon his books with a
zeal which appeared worthy Of all praise. but
was, alas in the light Of intervening events, the
very acme Of unspeakable vice and criminality
I was left ensnared in the meshes of a
net spread for my feet by consImmate trick
ster and nanipulator Of accounts whom I -
implicitly trusted that on the day before the
discovery of his awful crime I would not have
feared 70 leave him alone with uncounted
treasure.
And again. sounding the depths Of
Watson's character:
Today, as I look bacl, over the bitter past,
in View of the failure of everyone upon whom
the duty rested Of putting me on notice. il is
not apparent how the government could have
been saved from his daring schemes and in
geuious Vaccinations. Possessing, as he did. my
full confidence. tho rest with such Machiavclisn
in crime. followed natural sequence. ] was
as completely at his mercy the householder
| whose hat rack is raided by a passing sneak
thief who finds an open door with all the
family AT dinner with me the result is the
same ss if, instead Of playing the sneak thief
and taking all in sight, he had essaycd the
role of footpad and with superior force held me
up and robbed me on the public highwav-iu
/ either case / WAS the hapless victim u an
unprinciplcd scoundrel.
Or still elsewhere, in commenting
on the failure Of the Commissioners
to act on information they had as to
Watson'- past misdeeds and to dis
charge that "soulless marauder:"
Major Sylvester. as have already said never
advised nor conferred with me respecting Wat
sons criminal anteccdcnts, but IS he did place
The official records Of these facts in the hands ~
the Commissioners it IS much 20 be regretted.
from every point of view. that they failed
10 exe-ca,sz their vested authority by summarily
disTnissing from the service, which his presence
polluted. a moral lcper and degenerate. lacking
every noble instinct u humanity whose cunning
trickery and studied betrayal of a sacred trust
have brought inexprcssibie shame and confusion
10 honest hearts and dragged in the dust Of
coutuHely aud rcproach the good name of an
office whose record was never before darkened
} by the shadow Of dishonor
We do not wish 10 judge the issue
which Mr.. Petty thus raises between
himself and the Commissioners. That
Is a matter of fact, to be fought out
IL matter-of- fact tribunals. Mr.. Pet