Chandler, Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury, sent me a note this evening, stating that a pardon
had been proposed for Pasco, recently convicted, after long struggles and
delays, of a series of outrageous frauds and villainies upon the Government.
Pasco was master plumber in the Philadelphia Navy Yard, one of a combination of
thieves, cheats, and rascals. He was the principal scoundrel of the gang. He
acknowledges that he had signed fraudulent certificates; in one instance admits
that a party had delivered 20,000 pounds of copper, for which he was paid, when
he actually delivered but 16,000; in another instance for 25,000 when only
19,000 was delivered. He received $8200 for the last false certificate, or one
third of the swindle, the Government losing or being cheated out of about
$26,000 in a single transaction. So of the former. Specifications of eleven distinct
cheats similar to these, some of them of larger amounts, besides cases of
actual theft, were proven on this fellow. He plead guilty, and was a week or
two since sentenced to eighteen months imprisonment. Judge Cadwalader gave
light punishment for the alleged reason that Pasco plead guilty and had made
restitution when he could not escape conviction and fine. How much he may have
cheated and defrauded the Government without detection cannot be known.
I called on the
President after receiving Chandler's note and stated the facts. He was a good
deal disturbed and seemed unable to express himself. He is evidently surprised,
and I apprehend has blindly committed himself for a pardon. He says a large
portion of the Pennsylvania delegation applied for the pardon, the district
attorney among them, also a portion of the jury.
Senator Harris had
quite an interview with me. Our principal chat was on the great question and he
expresses himself as concurring in my opinions.
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