Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-02-16

the REQUEST in the letter OF the l7tp Oh oe'ooe.'
1900 about the bond, referred 10 the procure
ment If the certificate Of the Recorder, as ~
m. sufHcieney Of the securities; and Gehera,
swift swears. that the second bond was loogeu =
in the Engineer Department, in the ran %
1918, before he left the Office ofcChiei Engi'
neer.''.. ee
It i evident, therefore, that the. whole OF
Mix's testimony, relative 10 the execution VI
the second bond, in 1920, ls,wanlonly ana ma
llciousy false, and intended to discredlt V an
deventer. 49,,
The las, piece of the testimony Of Elijah
Mix, upon which the Committee deem IL ne
cessary 10 pronounce a separate and sPecinc
oninion. is the letter of Major Handkerchief, OF
the Sd of August, 1918, with the accompany
ing explanations. This letter was produced al
the close of his second examination, alter ne
had repeatedly stated that he had no o'her let-
ters of Vandeventer in his possession. ne
letter was mutilated in several places by cut
ting out words, and as these mutations render
the letter nnintelligble 10 certain extent, the
Committee feel it their duty to express their
opinion, both as to the person who made them'
and as to the object for which they were made.
They have no hesitation in saying they were
made by Mix, for the purpose OF exciting sus-
picion against Mr.. Calhoun, and that ne IS not
10 be credited when he says II was done oy VAN
deven,er Tha, the House may have the means
of estimating the character OF this Witness,
the Committee have thought il expeGient to
state briefly and distinctly the circumstances
connected with lais part OF bis testimony
Near the close Of his last examination, he vol
UNFAIRLY stated to the COMMITTEE, that, since
his frs: examination, Major Vandeventer had
come to him, and requested 10 know whether
he could find the letter Of the Sd OF August,
stating that he desired permission 10 cut out OF
erase certain words thai were III II; that he
| Mix found the letter the next day, and carri-
ed il 10 Vandeyenter, at the Department oi
| War, who requested him not TO speak about II
there, for that they were watched, anc would DC
overheard, and proposed TO goto The house OF
! Mix, that night, TO converse with him on the
| subject; that Vandeyenler came 10 his house,
accordingly, and prevailed upon him, by I'M
purtunity, 10 permit the letter 10 be muulated,
and that it was mutilated, accordingly, by Van
de,enter In answer TO repeated questions,
seeking TO ascertain the words cut out, he al
WAYS answered that he did not know any thing
OF them; vet stated that the words cut out IN
Two sepsrale places, were, he believed the
same,
Major Handkerchief, on being recalled, stat
ed that he had never seen the letter in question
since he wrote IT; that Mix never had been to
see him at The Department Of War, since his
| first examination.
independently Of the established iniamy oil
Mix's character, and the positive denial OF Ma
! Tor Vandeventer, this story has all the charac-
teristics Of a fabrication. Nothing is more i'm
probable, than that Major Vandeyenter should
have placed himself completely in the power oil
an enemy, who was using every effort to de-
stroy his character; and if he had ever done so,
he would rather have obtained possession OF
the letter. and destroyed it, than have left it ia
the hands Of his enemy, just SO far mutilated
as TO excite suspicion, and no farther. For it
is 10 be remarked, that The word "the" is art
fully left immediately preceding two or three
of the excsIons, with the view, no doubt, OF
making the impression that the word Secre-
| tarv" existed in the space cut out; though Mix
repeatedly said that he did not know what were
the words cut out. The Committee, therefore
cannot en,ertain doubt, that the mutilalions
in the letter were made by Mix.
This contract, though formed on the 25th OF
July, 1918, between General ] G.. Swift, Chief
Engineer, on the part Of the United States, and
Elijah Mix, Tor himself, for the delivery of one
hundred and fifty thousand perches of stone, at
the Rip Raps in Hampton Roads, was soon al
forwards divided into four parts. as will be
shown by the letters of Major Vandeyenter,
bearing date the Sd aud 9TH of August, 10 Is, in
the manner following: One fourth part to Mix,
one fourth part to Vandeventer, one fourth part
to Jennings, and one-fourth part TO a person
whose name was II be kept secret.
The only explanation of this part Of the sub
ject, which it is in the power of the committee
to give is, that they believe the erasures and ex-
cisions in the letters Of The Sd Of August, 1918,
and the 9Th OF October, 1890, contained the
words "the General" or General Swift" as,
at the time of writing item, Major Vaudeven-
ter believed General Swift was conceI ned in the
contract; which impression he now swears was
made by the representations oil Mix, and was
retained, until pending the investigation in ! g.
%, when the General made oath that he never
had been interested in that contract. Mr.. Jen.
nings also swears. that he was informed by Mix,
that General Swift was interested in his con-
tract. Mix also admits that he might have
told Handkerchief so.
Immediately after this contract was closed, a
bond was given for the fuIfilr,ent Of its condi-
| - 1C LII.