Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-27

plication, of which the following is copy:
B. & o. R. II. Co.. BaltiAore division.
Division Superintendent's Office
BALTIMORE, July q, 1898.
Subject: Application. ersa,
J. T. Petty, Esq. Auditor. District of Co
Sir: 1 respectfully apply herewith for a
position as an accountant and bookkeeper.
l have had eight years experience In
handling corporation and mercantile ac-
counts, and assure you that will use my
utmost s,SS s to give
ty-four years of age, any have served sue
cessfully as messenger. clerk, yard clerk,
manifest clerk, bill clerk, cash clerk and
interchange clerk for the Pennsylvania
railroad in Washington, p. G.. and as gem
eral office clerk, private, secretary of the
general agent at Washington of the Bal
timore and Ohio railroad. and am at pres
will perceive that by this. record 1 have
a great deal of accounting to do, and have
occupied positions necessarily confidential
can refer with pleasure to any of my
previous employers and to my present
one as to my ability, accuracy and hon
esty
am a stenographer and typewriter and
general office clerk.
Pennsylvania railroad. Washington D. c.;
William Alvey, eX-general agent. Balti-
more and Ohio, Washington, D. c.: Lin
coin National Bank, Washington, D. CT;
c. W. Galloway, trainmaSter, Baltimore
Nd: R. G. Bright, sergeant-at-arms, Capt.
toll. District of Columbia
Hoping my application will meet with
your approval, remain, very respectfully
j. M. A. WATSON,
1874 street northwest, Washington, D. c.
P ST. am the young gentleman Captain
Beach was speaking to you about.
1.-THE postscript to this letter clearly
%11o wa nnfi ro1I
known that he considered it necessary to
identify himself to me as the young gen.
tleinan Captain Beach was speaking to
you (me) about.
Relied on Commissioner Beach's In
dorsement.
"Relying upon the Endorsement implied
by the nomination of Commissioner Beach.
I did not look up Watson's record, since,
in my estimation, it would have argued
disloyalty to my official superior, unless he
had invited me to such an investigation.
In that event it would have been rigidly
and thoroughly conducted without fear or
favor.
also a stranger to me, brother to J. M. A.
Watson called upon me to urge his broth
er's selection, being accompanied and in
troduced by a friend OF mine, OF high
standing in this community, who was in
timately acquainted with Watson and with
every member of his family. The brother,
who, OF course, had known Watson all his
life and was necessarily familiar with
every material fact in his history, spoke
of him in terms of highest praise as an
expert accountant, as well as man of
blameless life and irreproachable charac-
ter My friend, who introduced Watsons
brother, Endorsed every statement of the
which left nothing to be desired. SO that
had 1 contemplated an inquiry into Wat
sons antecedents, which, In view OF the
circumstances already mentioned, did not,
the commentator of these two gentlemen.
voluntarily given, would then in my opin-
ion have met every reasonable require
ment.
WATSON together with eight other can
didates, was directed to present himself,
November g. 1898. at the rooms of the
United States civil service commission for
examination, which he did, with the re-
suit that he was rated as No. 1 among
the competing applicants, and later, De-
cember g. 1898, received the appointment
and became my confidential clerk and book
keeper, In sole charge of the deposit and
assessment fund accounts "N
"Since Watson's appalling crime was laid
bare to the gaze of the people of the
District of Columbia, 1t has transpired that
he had previous criminal record, which
was known to the authorities, having
been sentenced in the year 1890 to the re-
form school during minority for forgeries
to the extent of $3.50, committed by him
against DIR. A. P. Pardon, while employed
In the doctors office. In an interview be-
tween Commissioner West and myself on
the 9th instant, he stated that he had been
advised of these facts months before by
Major Sylvester chief Of the metropolitan
police, and that he in turn, and the major
as well, had communicated the information
to me.
II told the Commissioner then and re-
peat the denial now. that I never received
either from him or from the major of po-
lice. the slightest intimation to the effect
that Watson was. or had ever been, a
criminal. l never spoke to either of these
gentlemen respecting Watson. except upon
one subject: namely. that of his connection
with a publication called the News, which
was then November. 1902 conducting a
contest having for it's object the award of
prize watch to the lieutenant OF police
who should succeed in securing the largest
number Of coupons, printed daily in the
paper which was the method selected for
determining the successful competitor.
Watson Complained Of by Mr.. West.
Zone day, during the month of November,
1902 as nearly as 1 can recall, Commits
sioner West sent for me and complained
that clerk in my Office. named Watson,
by means of an official salary, paid from
public funds, had acquired ownership of a
dirty sheet known as the News, which
was seeking by underhand methods to build
LEGATION of reputable standing in the COM
munity. which was sustained by legitimate
private enterprise. and expressed the opin-
ion that 1t should be stopped. He also con-
demned In strong terms the watch contest
as being injurious in it's effect upon the
morale of the police force. I replied that
while I heartily concurred with him as to
the improperly of the, coupon contest, 1
was not clear as to my right to interfere
with the ownership of the paper, that being
a matter of private business.
Returning Immediately to my office,
summoned Watson to an interview, in the
course of which he agreed. at my request,
to abandon the watch contest and also to
retire from the News. assuring me, how
ever. that the latter was a concession to
friendship for me and not a surrender to
authority which he did not acknowledge.
l then directed him to report to Commits
sioner West at once. and. after a short
conference with that official he returned
with the statement that he had reached
satisfactory understanding with the Com
missioner, Whereupon I again sought the
latter In his office. and received his assur-
ance. corroborating Watson's report, which
closed the incident.
MY interview with Major Sylvester was
exceedingly brief, consisting merely in
asking him, at Watson's instance, to grant
the latter hearing in order that he might
explain to the major his connection with
the watch prize contest.