Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-02-15

TENDER 10Th, 1918, and October 18th, 1920
When it was perceived thai, in one OF the let
tiers Of Major Handkerchief, TO wit, the one DAT
ed the 9TH Of August, 1918, and to which 'hey
here particularly refer, allusion was made 10
partner in the contract, whose name was 10
have been kept secret, they felt it 10 be their
duty 10 discover, if they could, who this secret
partner was, or, al any rate, to push the inquiry
so far as TO leave no room for suspicion ina.
the Vice President was the person ailuded
to. This branch Of the subject has been the
principal cause Of their consuming so much
time i'm the investigation; they found tina; they
were here led into wider field than could have
been a, first anticipated, and that At was neces'
sary, in order TO get full view of the whole
ground, to go thoroughly into the origin ana
history OF what is commonly called the MIX
contract The letters Of Major Vandeysnter'
above referred to, appear relate principally to
the private and confidential transactions be-
tween him and T. Mix, IN regard 10 the con-
tract; and there is no reason 10 believe or pre-
sumo that the Vice President was ever made &C
ouain,ed with their contents. The letter from
Col Armistead, written while he was at the
head of the Engineer Department, although ii
wears the appearance OF an official paper, and
was improperly intended, as the COMMITTEE be-
lieve, to bring the weight oil official influence 70
bear upon the private transactions between VAN
deven,er aud Mix, was not written with The
sanction or knowledge Of the Vice President,
and no copy Of it was ever entered in the letter
book Of the Department.
The committee will here remark, that they
place no reliance whatever on the testimony OF
Elijah Mix From the self-con,radic,ions, APP
paren, on the face Of his testimony, aud which
it is unnecessary here 20 recapituate, aside from
the infamy attached to his character, the COM
mittee were satisfied that lie ought not TO
be believed on his OATH The letters, however,
Just referred to, and produced by him during
his examination, do not rest for their authenti-
city on his testimony. Those from Major Van
deventer, excepting such parts as had been de-
faced or obliterated, were acknowledged by Ma
jor Vandeventer himself 10 be genuine; and he
was requested in every instance, TO state, with
the letters before him, what names or words
had occupied the obliierated places, when the
letters were written The letter from Colonel
Armis,ead was also acknowledged BY that 9th
Ger to be genuine But the three papers pur-
porting to be copies OF the substance OF a letter
from Major Handkerchief to Mr.. Calhoun, rest
for their authenticity on the unsupported testl-
mony of E. Mix, & are regarded by the commit
tee as having been fabricated by him. They
are also of opinion that The words or names de-
faced from the letters Of Major Vandevener
were so Gefaced by E. Mix; and The committee
have been unable to ascertain with certainty,
either from Vandeventer, the admitted author
of the letters, or from any other source, what
the words or names were, which have been
thus o5literaled.
The off for the contract appears TO have
been made by E Mix on the 23i July. 1918,
aud proposes 10 deliver al Old Point Comfor,
"from one 10 one hundred and fifty thousand
perches OF stone, al three dollars per perch. =
The contract as furnished from the War De-
bears date the 25th July, 1918. Ii
stipula.es for the delivery OF one hundred and
City thousand perc hes Of stone, at three dollars
per peroh--is drawn up in the hand writing
Of MAJOR Vandeventer, and by him alone wit
messed, and is signed by General Joseph q.
Swift, then chief Engineer, and by Elijah Mix
Mix here appears 10 have been the
only contractor, yet, from the evidence, there
is reason 10 believe, that at the time the con-
tract was made, or soon after, and before the
execution Of any valid bond for the performance
thereof, il was divided into shares, and that one
fourth belonged TO Major Vandeventer, one
fourth to Elijah Mix, one fourth to R. {. Jen-
nings, and the remaining fourth to a person
whose name was not TO have been mentioned.
The title of Vandeventer to his fourth, at the
time above referred 10, appears to have rested
on a verbal ano confidential agreement between
him and Mix, and SO remained TIL the 24ih OF
April, 1919. when he received written bill Of
sale Of one half Of the whole contract. Howes
s Co. subsequently became the
owners Of one fourth, by purchase from Samuel
Cooper, who had previously purchased from
Maj Vandeventrr; s they( Goldsborough & Co
were recognised at The War Department, by the
cousen, of F. Mix, expressed in letter sen,
by him to the Secretary Of War, and dated the
18th o. April, 1921
The first bond, received at the Engineer De-
partmeut, on the contract, is dated 5tl' OF An-
gust, 1918, and describes the contract as hav-
ing been made by Elijah Mix and George Coo,
per, for the delivery of one hundred thousand
perches Of stone, being fifty thousand less than
Mix was entitled to deliver This bond is
signed by E. Mix and George Cooper, as con
FACTORS; aud oy Samuel Cooper and James
Oakley, as surelies: the sureties were regularly
approved BY r. Riker, Recorder Of the city OF
New York, as appears by his certificate follow
ing imme dia,ely after the signatures, and dated