"All the Devils in Hell Can't Get Me Out of This Position"

The steamboat men who some months ago preferred charges against Local Hull Inspector W. J. Bryant on various grounds, and who caused a three days' investigation to be made in March by Special Agent Cullom, at which time forty or fifty affidavits were presented to substantiate the charges made, and the result of the investigation sent to Washington City, have concluded that the whole matter has been pigeon-holed by the treasury officials. The men are beginning to believe that Bryant knew what he was talking about when he made the boast on the street:

"All the devils in hell can't get me out of this position."

They are determined not to let the matter drop, but so many obstacles have been thrown in their way by official red tape that they are almost at a loss how to proceed.

At a regular meeting in December charges of official misconduct were preferred against Bryant, and his removal from office was asked for by Puget Sound Harbor, No. 16, of Masters and Pilots. The charges were forwarded to Supervising Inspector General James A. Dumont, and also to Secretary of the Treasury Carlisle. About a month later instructions were sent to Inspector Bermingham, of San Francisco, to investigate the charges.

Secretary Richardson, of Puget Sound harbor, says that instead of investigating them personally Mr. Bermingham sent them to Bryant, failing to send any word to the harbor. Mr. Richardson continued:

"Bryant denied every allegation made and Bermingham indorsed Bryant's report and sent it to the supervising inspector general and secretary of the treasury. Nothing was heard of the matter for a long time and I was instructed to communicate with Inspector Bermingham at San Francisco as to what had been done with the charges. He answered that he had sent the charges to Bryant, that an answer had been had from him which was entirely satisfactory and that he had indorsed the same and sent it on to the supervising inspector general at Washington City.

"Upon receiving Bermingham's reply the harbor sent word to the congressional delegation, laying the matter before them and asking them to use their influence to secure a proper investigation. After considerable work by the delegation and other influential public men an investigation was ordered by Secretary Carlisle, and on March 21 Special Agent Cullom began a three days' hearing, at which forty or fifty affidavits were presented by various steamboatmen, substantiating the charges made. The result of the investigation was sent to the secretary of the treasury, and since that time nothing has been heard of the charges.

"The harbor, after these attempts, concluded that Bryant could not be ousted by investigations, and sought to bring criminal action against him in the United States courts for having defrauded the government by riding free, paying nothing for his meals and beds on the Sound boats, and including those items in his expense account to the government. The association claims to have witnesses who heard Bryant say he did ride, eat and sleep on the boats free and charge the expense up just the same, and thought he'd be a fool if he didn't, as the salary was small and Uncle Sam was rich. The suit would have been brought but for the fact that the association had no way of getting the expense account of Bryant and finding out the exact times he charged the government for riding, etc. On the advice of United States District Attorney Brinker, I wrote to Supervising Inspector Dumont and to Secretary Carlisle asking for a copy of the expense account of Inspector Bryant to use as a basis for a suit against him in the United States court, as Bryant falsified his account."

Mr. Richardson then showed a letter dated Washington City, May 28: "Referring to your letter of the 19th inst. in relation to certain charges your association propose preferring at the session of the grand jury to meet on the 6th prox., against W. J. Bryant, local inspector of hulls, in which you ask, at the advice of Judge Brinker, United States district attorney, that this office furnish you certain 'dates and figures' regarding Mr. Bryant's traveling expenses on steamers running on Puget Sound during the past two or three years, I have to advise you that the proper way for Judge Brinker to get the information asked for is for him to obtain it from the secretary of the treasury through the intermediation of the attorney general of the United States. This office has no authority to furnish such information either to the United States district attorney or to your association, except by direction of the secretary of the treasury."

About a week later the following letter was received from the treasury department, dated Washington City, June 6: "The department is in receipt of your request to be furnished with the specific dates during the last two years when Mr. W. J. Bryant, local inspector of hulls at Seattle, has charged fares, meals and staterooms on steamers on Puget Sound, with the amounts charged, etc., in order that you may present the same to the grand jury in support of charges against Mr. Bryant that he did not pay the fares for passage, meals and staterooms charged in his accounts. In reply, you are informed that under the regulations of the department, circular No. 88, September 16, 1888, the documents referred to by you, to be used in court, can be furnished to court only, and on a rule of the court requesting the secretary of the treasury to furnish the same."

Mr. Richardson then went on to say: "The harbor would commence suit at once if it were not for the red tape in connection with securing the data desired. That some influence must have been brought to bear upon the secretary of the treasury on Bryant's behalf before this letter from the department was written there can be no doubt, as a letter written to me in Washington City on May 21 by the secretary of the grand captain of harbors says: 'Bryant has been offered the secretary of the treasury to appear with his counsel and file his answer in the matter of charges made by tugboatmen and harbor No. 16, at Tacoma, and to submit the matter to the secretary of the treasury in a few days.'"

It is the opinion of many prominent steamboatmen that Dumont and Bermingham are protecting Bryant, and that it is wasting time to endeavor to depose him.