Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1881 — Capt. Howgate’s-Profligacy. [ARTICLE]

Capt. Howgate’s-Profligacy.

The Washington Poet, of Sunday,, made the day before- to give hail for Capt. Howgate, the Signal Service officer, under arrest for embezzling from the Government, goes on, to say : The developments of Friday-itt the Howgatq. investigation, showed, that the original amount of 140,000, would be ultimately increased to 9100,006. 1 * The speculattonf-are fo«|*d nqtto hhyd *r been confined to false relegraph bills, but extended to -nearly every 1 branch of the expenditure of « the $600,000 annual appropriation: for the Signal service. The book In whichtheao counts of the steam yacht Storm Signal were kept Is- being examined by experts. This vessel, formerly the Modjeska, was sold by Howgate to the government for, it ia said, s2fi,ooo. Its. ostensible destination was to lay cables but th* practical man in the office did] not have to wait until the costly and luxurious appointments were furnish-' 1 ed.to see that the boat was not,intend- / ed for any service of the, kind. The most expensive rags, carpets and fur- ‘ niture to be found in the warehouse' of W. B. Moses; supplied at Jiis prices, Were obtained. The table was also covered with the very best silver - and' crockety. ware andllnen that oould tej. bought. Thpn a flrst'rate catertr and assistants having been engaged, the true purpose of the purchase of the boat was disclosed, s. Jtn conjunction with the famous Uppity-Witchity / Club, -gay parties were given. on theriver and excursions • made to the island owned by the olub at the metath of the St.-Mary’s river. Here; the name splendid repasts were served as on tne boat, bat in a frame house. This house was once upon a time a fixture .in the rear of the signal office. It was later taken down by a messinger named Washington, under orders from Captain Howgate, and removed to the Island. Here it. was found to be in need of a new coat, of paint. This was given it by a painter named Chamber lam, since dead, apd charged to th* Signal Servioe fond. The medical stores for the Signal Service men are all furnished through the regular army sources, yet a bill appears in Captain Howgates accounts for “medical appliances," bought of a city druggist, amounting to about S6OO. This, it is said, Was for mediaal Stores for the Gulnare. A bill for boiler repairs on the storm signal is also said to nave been for work done on the boilers of the Gulnare. Among the matters which have not been fully investigated are the bills for This was all furnished by a brother-in-law of Howgate’s named Rogers, living in New York. The . goods supplied are said to have been of such inferior quality that much had to oe thrown away* and the bills were high in inverse proportion. The defense of the accused is said to be that the checks given were either forged or raised by others. Against this will be urged ms weekly bank statement furnished the Treasury, of which he retained a duplicate. ,