[Copy] Copy of Charges exhibited against David Ames Superintendant of the Armoury at this Post Springfield & handed to the Chairman of the Board of Inquiry some time previous to their filing — 1^st Some time in the year 179- Mr Ames proposed to a Merchant in this town, that if he would let him & his family, have goods at the first cost, he would purchase of him the clothing for the United States Apprentices & that he might put on them a good profit. & the said Merchant did pay to the said Ames a large sum of money, under assurances from Ames that he would give him the custom of the Armoury [strikethrough: illegible] 2- James Washbourn formerly an Armour employed in the Works says that some time in the month of May 1799 Mr Ames [strikethrough: proposed] [strikethrough: illegible] him that if he (Washborn) would take Alpheus Packard his [Ames's] Apprentice under [strikethrough: his care] the Month of June, & teach him the art of bricking Guns, that he [Washbourn] should have the benefit of his work — that he took the Boy accordingly & was made up on the pay Rolls of the Armorers for the Month of June $8. ⁰⁰/100 in addition to his former wages — being being for extra work done by the help of said Boy — & that the said Alpheus was made up besides Eight Dollars & 9/100 which money Mr Ames received as Washbourn says to the injury of himself & the United States — 3^d. It is reported that Jedediah Hammon an Apprentice to the Superintendants Father received pay & Rations while he was dealing for the small Pox & did no work — It is a well known fact that the custom in the Trade was, that if a man lost one day his Rations were Stoped — 4^th It cannot be the intention of the United States that the Superintendant of so respectable Establishment should injure or refuse to pay an Individual for services justly performed & work absolutely returned in — for back money secretly promised — which appears to be the Gun [strikethrough: illegible] of W^m. W. Sampson & Sam^l. Walker as per their Petitions to me will shew, aided by their testimony — [strikethrough: illegible] Joseph H Williams