The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-29
Due TO His Publication of
Expenses of Staff to the
Inauguration
.iOING TO COURTS
FOR SETTLEMENT
Says Report Made By Examiners -
Governor Could Have Been Made
Public Many Months
Ago If He Desired
To the Editor of The Age-Herald:


Because the Times, of which I am edi-
TOR. printed the news of the expense ac-
counts of the governors staff to the in
augural Of the President, and called at
tention to some other military expenses
not believed to be lawful, the governor
makes a statement in regard to my ac-
counts in discharge of duties in the ad-
3utant generals office.
The suit to which reference was made
IN the statement of his excellency was
filed several months ago. in the spring,
and there was no secret about it or
EFFORT made to keep it from the public
on my part, and the report of the exami-
ner on my accounts was made in Decem-
Der, 1912, over a year ago, but was not
kept secret at my request or as any
friendly act toward me. My understand
ing is that the reports of the examiners
are public when filed, and in most cases
are given out by the examiners them
selves, and II the governor had done his
full duty in the premises, I would think
he should have made it public at once,
but he preferred to hold it over me to
crack his whip and make me dance when
1t best suited his purpose, and served his
personal ends.
He has been charged in some other In
stances as having used these reports In
this way, notably the Gunnels matter
The suit against me is for only 5000
and 1 am charged in the amount with
having received only 1915 for personal
services. Receipts showing overpayments
are enumerated in the suit. The vouchers
tod in fb1 .gr
are all included in the above amount of
1876
l have letter appointing me disburs-
Ing officer in the spring of 1911, allowing
per cent commission, and a contract
for additional special services and got
my commission as major. to be paid ac-
cording to my grade. These papers are
In the hands of my attorneys and viii be
IN evidence in the courts wherethe case
has been carried and where / propose to
try 1t and not in the newspapers
| deem it due my friends and the pub
lie to answer to the statement of his ex-
cellency to say that l did not get one
dollar to which I was not justly entitled,
tracts and fairly earned.
adjutant generals name to a voucher, the
governor endeavors TO leave the impression
that | got the money, by not telling in
whose favor the check was drawn. 1t
was paid to General Sculy for services
In Admission, and of which 7 did not get
a dollar. ] had absolute authority to
sign the name of the adjutant general
under any and all circumstances. as
scores of militia officers can personally
testify.
l always signed the name of the
governor to receipts for property and
for other class of papers and never
had the authority questioned or any
one of my acts brought into disrepute
in connection herewith. In the case in
point l made out the voucher and car
ried 1t to the governors office several
times and after having waited as long
as possible, no one having appeared
there to sign it. l signed ii myself
and sent it forward as the monthly
report had to get in by a certain date.
If | had committed such a terrible
crime as the governor would have us
believe I have never had any intima-
tion of 1t from anyone in authority.
and do you believe that the governor
would have all this time treated Ii so
lightly?
AS to the wrongdoing In my ac-
counts, the examiner has frequently
told me that he was sure had done no
Intentional wrong, and that the diff
ference was only technical, and that
he only desired to establish a precedent
for future action.
The governor for the first time to
my knowledge, actually repudiates nv
appointment as disbursing officer and
questions the signature to that docu-
nsent. That can be easily substantiated,