THE SOLICITOR. 927 



CERTIFICATION OF FALSE VOUCHERS. 



There was reported to the Department of Justice during the period 

 covered bv this report an alleged violation of section 35 of the Criminal 

 Code of the United States on the part of William H. Brashears for 

 making and presenting for approval false claims against the United 

 States. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty. (Department of 

 Agriculture Miscellaneous Case No. 127.) 



In January, 1912, it was brought to the attention of the department 

 thut several ofiicials in the Ofhce of Experiment Stations had com- 

 mitted certain irregularities in the administration of the appropria- 

 tions for irrigation and drainage for the fiscal years 1909 and 1910. 



It was alleged that, fearing a deficit in the appropriation for irriga- 

 tion and drainage for the fiscal year 1909, certain liabihtics against 

 said appropriation were met by obtaining funds from individuals to 



Eay a number of expense accounts and pay rolls which were turned 

 ack to the Division of Irrigation and Drainage by the accountant of 

 the Office of Experiment Stations, and the persons advancing the 

 funds for the purpose were appointed agents and paid salaries out of 

 the appropriations for irrigation and drainage investigations for the 

 fiscal year 1910. It was not contemplated that the persons so 

 appointed were to render services to tne Government under their 

 appointments, nor did they in fact render services, although their 

 salary vouchers were presented and approved by the ofiicials involved. 

 It also appeared that, in addition to being continued on a salary basis 

 until they were reimbursed the amounts advanced by them, several 

 of the persons so appointed were to be continued on the pay roll until 

 they had received interest on their money or somethmg for their 

 trouble. In this manner the appropriations for the fiscal year 1910 

 were used to supplement the appropriations for 1909. The vouchers 

 submitted and certified to covering payments to the persons who 

 advanced the funds were false vouchers. 



After a thorough investigation by the department, in which the 

 ofiicials involved were allowed to present fully their side of the case, 

 the Secretary, on the recommendation of the Director of the Office 

 of Experiment Stations removed from office C. G. Elliott, Chief of 

 Drainage Investigations, and A. D. Morehouse, Acting Chief of 

 Drainage Investigations, who admitted in writing their complicity in 

 the matter, and furloughed without pay F. E. Singleton, accountant 

 in the Office of Experiment Stations, pending further investigation. 

 As it appeared that violations of certain Federal statutes (sec. 

 5438, R. S., now section 35 of the Criminal Code, and sec. 3679, 

 R. S., as amended by the act of February 27, 1906, 34 Stat., 48) were 

 involved, the facts were reported to the Attorney General, together 

 with all the papers in the case, for appropriate action. 



The case was referred by the Attorney General to the United States 

 attorney for the District of Columbia, by whom it was presented to 

 the grand jury, resulting in the indictment of C. G. EiUott, A. D. 

 Morehouse, R. P. Teele, formerly Acting Chief of Irrigation Investi- 

 gations, and F. E. Singleton. These indictments are j^ending in the 

 Soipreme Court of the District of Columbia at the close of the fiscal 

 year, 



