Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-19
James W. Boyd Charged With
Defrauding Government.
PLEA OF NOT GUILTY
ALLEGED MANIPULATION OF
VOUCHERS FOB SEQ 1000.
Civil Action Filled for Recovery Of the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Alleged
Admissions.

the public health ana marine nOspltal SER
vice. whose arrest on q charge Of mulctins
the government Of $4,000 by means OF false
vouchers was published exclusively in The
Star yesterday afternoon. was later in the
day taken before United States Com
sioner Taylor. where he pleaded not guilty
and was released on bond for $4,000.
furnished by the Title Guarantee and Sc
curity Company of Scranton. Pa
Boyd Is thirtythres years old and had
held his government position for seven
years. He is also president of the Co
lumbia Automobile Company at 112O 18th
enthusiastic motorist.
District Attorney Baker. for the United
States, also instituted civil action against
Boyd yesterday. through suit filed In the
District Supreme Court, to recover 9O90.3S
the aggregate Of five alleged false v6uch-
ers changed between November Z, 1904. and
June II. 1905. Attachments were at once
issued under this suit and levied upon the
Columbia Automobile Company. its deposits
personal account at the National Safe De-
posit. Savings and Trust Company. and hts
household goods in his apartments at the
bennington, at 14th and Clifton streets.
The amount named in the civil suit
brought by the government Is less than
half Of what Boyd is said to have obtained
on the fraudulent vouchers he Is alleged to
have Juggled. but a greater figure was not
sued for, as. In the opinion Of District At
torney Baker. Boyd's assets will not
amount to more than $4,000.
Boyd Is said to have remarked to Chief
Wilkie of the secret service when placed
under arrest that he was up against 1t
and needed the money"
Alleged Defective System.
An incomplete and inefficient system OF
auditing the vouchers for supplies pur-
chased by the public health and marine
hospital service Ii said to be responsible for
the fact that Boyd's alleged operations
were not discovered until after he had Sc
cured 10000 and then, in a measure. by
merest accident. According to the state
ment Of secret service officers, Boyd's
methods were audacious. but not particu-
larly clever. 1t was his routine duty to
receive all claims for supplies furnished tho
service, see to their verihcation and indorse-
ment. obtain the check In payment and for
ward 1t to its proper destination, the origi-
nal vouchers remaining in Boyd's office
According to the details of Boyd's alleged
confession to Chief Wilkie Of the secret
service and w. B. Worcester OF the hospital
service, 1t is apparent that his method Oh
voucher juggelry was simple IN the extreme
period but for the fact that Boyd became
i'll and was taken to the Emergency Hos
pital During his absence an unexpected
call for some old papers and search OF
Boyds desk resulted in the discovery OF
vouchers which had very plainly been tam
pered with. The secret service officials
were put on the case and Boyd's arrest
followed
In explanation of the method followed by
the claim clerk in his operations it is said
that Boyd extracted from his files vouchers
that had already been paid and which, OF
course, contained the various proper tn
corsements. He would then erase the orig
iIlal figures and fill In larger amount,
These false vouchers. having all the neces-
sary Endorsements as mark OF their gen.
uipeness, were readily paid when presented
to the disbursing clerk. 1t Is further al
legged that Boyd would forge the indorse-
ment Of the firm to which the check was
made payable and deposit the paper in his
own bank. When the vouchers again re-
turned to him he would file them once
more.
Discovered by Accident.
Boyds illness began last Saturday. and
the first discovery that there was some
thing wrong was made on the afternoon OF
that day The secret service men worked
up the case in quick time. aided by a num-
Der Of vouchers which had apparently been
tempered with but not completely altered.
and which were found In Boyds desk It
is said that there were twenty or thirty Of
these.
With those vouchers in his possession.
Chief Wilkie yesterday morning sent for
Boyd. and when the latter responded he
found W. B. Worcester, the distributing
officer of the marine hospital service. in
consultation with the head OF the secret
service. When confronted with the evil
dence. Boyd at first denied his guilt. but
later. 1t Is said, made clean breast OF the
whole affair. warrant was at once Is
sued, and Boyd was taken before Commits
siouer Taylor. There he was met by his at
torney G. L. Baker of Douglass & Doug
lass. The latter refused to permit his client
to answer any questions.
According to Boyd's alleged confession,
he usually picked out bills from five we'll
known firms which have a large annual
business with the government the five
being w. B. Thompson of Coalora, N. NJ.
who furnishes fuel to the government; L.
w. Talley Of New Mexico, who furnishes
meats; w. v. Pickett of New Mexico,
fuel; Benjamin Brown of New York. fuel,
and ]. G. Brown of San Francisco, fuel.
All these firms send in many bills to the
government annually.
Boyd Is married and has two children,
and. with his family, he lived at the Lean
ington apartment house, on 14th street. His
wife and children said to be spending
the summer travelling in Europe with his
mother and are not expected back for a
month
Native Of New York.
Boyd was born and reared in Westches-
ter county. N. Y. and was appointed to the
government service from that county. Inc
f1rst position he held was hospital steward.
in 1893. being detailed to Washington. He
served in that position four years when he
was promoted to his present place, as bill
and claim clerk. which carries with It q
salary of 81. 800. Mr.. Boyd was liber in
his expenditures and became involved In
debt, which was increased by unfortunate
stock speculations two or three years ago.
He Is we'll known about town. especially on
account OF his pronounced fondness for
automobihrg.
Surgeon General Wyman of the public
health and marine hospital service said yes
terday that as he had been away for several
weeks he was not as well acquainted with
the particulars of the case as others were
However. he said one of the bills which had
been manipulated was drawn upon the w.
B. Thompson Coal Company OF Coalora, N.
NJ. The original bill was for the sum OF
ST7o. but that had been changed to $3.013.5O
The check from the disbursing officer was
No. 35302 and was issued upon the sub
treasury at New York city. It possessed