The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-12-02
VOUCHERS ARE
UNDER THE BAN
Major Carrington's Papers
Overhauled by Insular
Auditor of Philippines
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Friends Say He Is Innocent
and Think Clerical Errors
Are Cause of Difficulty

The particulars of the arrest of Major
Frank de L. Darlington at Manila last
October have caused much comment
here in army and club circles. The
charge against Major Darlington is
defrauding the Government by falsify-
ing vouchers while in command of a
battalion of Native Scouts at Caloocan.
During the investigation the prosecut-
ing attorney offered in evidence five
vouchers for lumber purchased from
the California Manila Lumber Com
pany
The arrest was the result of a pre-
liminary investigation held at the in
stigation of the insular auditor which
was begun on October IA. Early last
spring Major Darlington was allotted
by the Government several thousand
dollars with which to get his provision
al battalion CT Philippine scouts out
fits for their trip to the ST. Louis Elk
position. 1t is alleged that this money
was not properly expended. The COM
plant filed by the prosecuting attorney
alleges that vouchers offered in connec-
ton with Major Carrington's accounts
were grossly Inconsistent with the
amount of goods really purchased. and
that in some cases vouchers signed by
the major for goods that had never
been purchased were PAID by the in
sular treasurer. When Major Caring
ton started for st. Louis with his bat
talon he was cleared" by the insular
auditor, and the alleged discrepancies
in his accounts were not discovered un-
til he had sailed for tn.s port.
The War Department was communi-
Gated with and Major Darlington was
ordered to return at once from here
to Manila to explain the irregularities
He, however, got a stay of proceedings
and accompanied his battalion as far a S
st. Louis. Here matters were dropped
for while and it was thought the Gov
eminent had side tracked the COM
plants. On May 10 Darlington sudden
ly disappeared from camp at st. Louis.
He was found after diligent search,
sent to this city and sailed from here
for Manila on the transport Sheridan
on June l.
Major Carrington's financial troubles
began in 1899, when he was stationed
at Vancouver, Wash. At that time he
was relieved from duty for a time, but
was afterward reinstated. He then
came to San Francisco, where he got
into trouble over gambling debts. His
friends, headed by William Greer Har-
rison, came to his rescue and by sub
,scription raised a sufficient amount to
clear him. Major Carrington's friends
claim that the apparent discrepancies
with%yhich he is now charged are cleri-
cal errors and they scout the idea that
he could be guilty of defrauding the
Government in the way alleged. The
report that Mrs. Darlington and family
had been living in luxurious style in
the Philippines is entirely erroneous.
The transport Logan pulled into the
stream at noon and steamed down the
bay to AlcatraZ Island, where she came
to anchor TO await the arrival of a bat
talon of Philippine constabulary,
which is part of her complement The
constabulary under command of Ma
jor Haskell, have been at the st. Louis
Exposition and are now on their way
home. The Logan will sail early this
morning.