, 1861-11-27
The ALLEGED sWlNDlINo cnx.
TRACTS.


One OF the Accused Held for Trial.
| The investigation Of the alleged fraud upo
the Government, said to have been practise
IN supplying rations to the SD Regiment, wa
| eoncluded yesterdsy, tefore q, 8 Comrni.
aloner Hoyne, and resulted In reuuirin
deoEge +. Corwin, sutler Of the regiment, t
| ind bail in the sum OF $4,000 for tia
CHARLES B. Wells, Qusrtermaater Of the rep,
meit, Was also held to appear q. 4 witne,
| upon the trial,
| The following additional testimony uvs
taken hefsre the Commissioner 0
TESTIMONY OF COL JOHN s. WILCOX
ambient. Col Of the SD Regiment: f,av
1 peea serving In this capacity since Octobe
Know lantz d Tinsley the latter vera co1
Ilactors to furnish Subsistence for the regj
m@ent @ about the 14th Of last Ssptember C61
"n;~a, nJseI1 And Nj. Wells notified differ
enf parties In the vicinity Of Geneva that n
you'd receive bids for furnishing subsis1enc
sen+saR En'te n camp We met on about the 18th o
eighteen bids made in writing; their rate
ranged from 1871 to II ceuts; Lsntz d Tins
leg's being ethe lowest ibid, and offering re
1ponsible bonds, We concluded to let then
9aye the contract, which supposed We did
near the nth Of November, when heard thai
Lieut. Christopher, OF Chicago, had ai1Yer
tised for new contract; + came into
the city. to see the Lieutenant and
rode o1t to Geneva with him; we
had come conversation about the contract; be
said he had let it at Is cents thought there
was something strange about It; Major Stark
then came into Chicago-on Wednesday morn
ing-W1th the contract, {the 19c one,) and had
It approved; mentioned the matter to Col,
tent; he did so; We there had one Of the oriei-
nal contracts between Wells and Lantz &
Iinsley, and one Of those with Commfksav
webb; Wells said he knew nothing shout The
mat:er, more than Was known at the meetfnp
previously spoken Of; he said the L1ntz &
ddnsley contract had been sent to Chicago BIZ
CorRin, and Webb had said the contracf ras
nullity, as the Quartermaster had no author.
~ 70 let the contract, and recommended that
wells make new one in the vicinity OF 30 cts !:
then asked Wells If he had drawn monev
rom the company at 10 cents !; he said he flai:
aaked what be Old with it he said he had
paid Lantz and Tin8ley their l3 odd cents- The
remainder he had given to Corwln: Col. vii.
ton csme iD, and the conversation was d.
Iected to him, and letter he had received
from Webb WAS brought up he could not eay
1or CERTAIN that there wRs letter from Webb.
put #as sure that Corwin had brought word
20 me enect Of the alleged letter; be reco1-
1eesed that Corwin had been in Chicago, and
had brought out such instructions rega7I11np . =
new contract verbally or BY lettef: Wej,s
9ad received the rations from the contractors
Laatz u Iinsley, at Is odd cents, aud taken
pay from Government at 19 cents.
>, C5oS$ EIaznindtsoR-l do not mean to say
Inat Wells was defending either contract. b1t
IaaL ne vas acting from orders Of his superior
clncer; ne did not eeem to desire to cover up
any lac1e, out gave me fnl1 Information on all
eurjects upon which I questioned him: I
think saw Wells on the Sunday folloVinr
ne 14h Of September, and there VAS some
1nlpg SAID about the contract with Lantz &
IlneleJ not Jet being finished it seems to me
that they furnished their first rations on Tue6-
Gay, the 18th; Nj. Wells insisted that Lanfz
q Ilnsley should h2ve the contract, if they
could give bonds, &c they were the lowest bid i.
aeTs there was an objection urged to Tins
!ey; Wells said he had always dea't with him
honestly, and he would personally see that be
used The regiment propsr'y; I say Wells paid
g g Lsntz q TnsleJ, y Corwin's direction, st
remainder obtained from the Government; "a
receipt handed to witness j this-the body at
!east-ls H. Wells hand writing the signature
40 not knoW-I am not acquainted with Cor
wins handwriting.
Re: Ezansinat:o1- the conversation in our
~AAA~~A
conversation on the subject Of the contracts
Major Stark and myself urged that the fraud
ought to have been exposed when first
inside known to us; Wells said he had not re-
ce1ved cent from the Government, but had
expended large amount Of private funds for
ans : .,es Goy1 l mme9s; said I could not see how
man Y no had done 60, could stand bY and
see that same Government defrauded bv
another man ), I believe he did nav o11t bis
money for freights and other expenses.
TESTIMONY OF MR. CHAs. STEVENS REsuMEp.
first heard that CorWin was our subsist.
enee contractor on Tuesday last. [Contrart
shown him. NY name Is attached to ttie.
which is the - cent contract, as q witness: 1
dad no more than witness Corwin's signature,
and Gid not know whether it WAS affixed to q
DEED or some other similar document.
The counsel for the prosecution here offered
Is evidence two abstracts Of rations furniahed
the SD regiment Of volunteers in the months
Of September and October, 1861; the gross
amount dus Mensrs. Lantz & T,nsley upon
these was S3, 451.51. 4 voucher VAS given for
this amount by Mr. Wells on Frid,y last.
AT. btesens-These papera have been on file
IN my office; returned to Geneva last eve.
ming and obtained them.
The documents referred to were read b7 Mr..
Wells, and we're - follows:
TEE UNITED STATISTIC Geo. E. Corvtu. Con
tractor.-0ct. !, 1861, To 1851 complete ratfons
o% tes ssd; 1t day Sept to the soh ncusive
Received OFT. 4th, 1861, Of Charles B. Wells.
Quart aud Acting Commiassry of III
Lincoln Regiment, No. 81 III. Vols, eight hundred red
y na III rMnet5-one and l0 dollars, the above bill
OCTOBER q, 1861.
rnxc s1Pr7Aszn 80, 1851.
To George s. Burr, Dr.,
Fog rations Issued to recruits under com
1on,eta mano o. Ioij rotons :. e. Wilson, IL at deneEao
Received from Charles B. Wells, Quartermaster
$40, in full Of above account. 1'''''
evnrr. o.+ g. 81 $; eB1uRR. Special Contractor.
The staten ents attached to the abstracts of
rntfons alluded to, set forth IS follows: Tint
Of Nov. 18th shows the amount due Lsat1 and
Tinsley At that date to hzve been Sl,s10.5 Sc
No. of Nov. 18th, also, s., ,429. 81, from Oct
10th to S1st inclusive.
TEE EA.31D STATES
oct III a9 19Soe @ . y Lantz and Edwin Tnslsy. Dr.
sued TO the United States troope under
Goi. !eaac 8. Wilson. at Geneva. H., the
b2d regiment e. Illinois Volunteers, at IS
cents and 1n1la for each ratien. 5d161
certify that the above is correct and Just that
Inc services were rendered stated and that theY
we're necessary for the public Service
CHARLES 3. Wk11s.
Quaetezmsster, aud Asst Com OF Sub'st'ce
TESTIMONY FOR THE DEFENSE.
MR.. LANTz's TESTIMONY.
The testimony elected here pointed mainly
toward the e1culpation of Quartermsster
We'ls, snd showed that he acted readily for
Mefsrs 1sntz and Tinsley, that they might
receive thei- money in full from the United
sfatee. The abstracts Of rations before a1lud-
ed to we're also introduced in this conuact,on
COL, WILSON'S TESTIMONY.
lrecollect the date upon which the contract
Has declared a given to Lsutz s. Tiuslev: nv
is that it Tas on Thursday evening"
put psInaps It was On Friday; On MondaT.
the lotn OF September, if remember r,gnt'
they commenced furnishing the ra,ions. fhs
leller nom Capt: Webb By the hand Of Cor.
E1n WAS fecelFed TWO or thres days after this
declaration OF the contract; my answer to
Webb Was written on the Tuesday fo5loE;ng.
Capt, Webb sent directions per lette. for
me to have the contract relet and sent
10 him lot his approval he also stated that
Wells had no authority in such matters tha
rate for rations was fixed at 10 cent? We1ls
did Is directed +; the substance Of Weho,e |
STATE meet Was that my Quattermsster, Mr.. C. |
g. Hells, had no authority to let contracts: |
the rate Eas not to .zceed 20 cents. In regard |
TO the statement Of Lieut. Col. Wilcox. II tha |
tent came there 4s he says and found the |
peleons he names togather 1t was tha first I I
aad heard OF the tEo contracts now recol-
lect all about Capt Webb,s 1ettar-hnt then