Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-12-22

y ETOSs
the first regiment to be paid to him, and ten
per cent upon the gross amount of the other con-
tracts / know nothing of that kind. Frank
Murphy told me upon one occasion that he had
been charged with such thing as that; but he
told me- too, that Geissendorff had agreed 10 do
nate for the purposes of the war some small
AMOUNT. provided he found at the termination OF
his contracts that he had made sufficient profits
He paid me at one time, think, SIS. GeisSen-
dorff did not pay me, according to his understand
ing with Frank Murphy, five per ctnt. upon the
gross amount of the first contract. and ten per
cent. upon the subsequent ones | know nothing
about Geissendorff leaving money at my store for
Frank Murphy, or for anybody else. He told me
upon the street that he had left money with my
clerk at the store. He stated that be had left a
package or letter at the store he said it was not
for me; that it for Frank Murphy He said
he left it with one of TIE boys Says l, q have
nothing to do with il; | suppose the boy will de-
liver it.
The letter never came into my possession. do
tot know what were its contents. No clerk IN
my establishment called my attention to il after
ward. / did not understand that Frank Murphy
received any money through that channel The
SIS paid me was for the benefit of the soldiers,
and was in no wise, directly or indirectly, con-
nected with the contracts, aud that money was
applied to the purchase of various articles tor the
soldiers There never came into my possession,
or passed through my hands from Geissendorh, or
any other member of that firm, any sum of
money except that SIS. That money came from
Geissendorf, the agent OF the firm.
Such was the testimony of Quartermaster
General VAJES. 1t is in direct conflict with that
of GEIssENDoRFF. The latter in his examination
says that the proposition was made to him by
FRANK MURPHY. in behalf of Col MURPHY and
VAJEN, that if GEIssENDoRTF would give him five
per cent upon the gross amount of the contract
for clothing one regiment, and ten per cent. on
the next, that they could have them, and that the
last proposition was made by VAJEN and FRANK
MURPHEY; they consulted together. They both
spoke to him about it, and sand it was necessary
to secure the Job. VAJEN himself, GEIssENDoRFF
says referred the ten per cent. and to the fact
that the award of the two regiments was
to be conditional upon the payment of that
amount. GEIssENDoRFF also swears positively
and unequivocally that the money for both lots
was enclosed in an envelope addressed to Mr..
VAJEN, and was deposited in his store. This was
a part of the programme between the contracting
parties. There is an issue of veracity between
VAJEN and GEIssExDoRFF. They are as wide apart
in their testimony as the poles. The late Quar-,
termaster General swears, in positive terms. that
no such arrangement made with him, and
that he never received any commission or bonus
in connection with any contracts for furnishing
supplies to the army while he was officiating in
that department of the public service. IL is for
them, not us, to settle the question as to which
tells the truth.
We have a word further to say about
"the man raised up for this particular
crisis" Ec makes great professions of
official purity generally and especially so in
reference to the contracts for army supplies which
were made through the State Quartermaster's
Department. 1t will be recollected that the
Governor, early in the summer OF 1851 received a
present of very fine carriage and pan of splen
did horses. with the necessary equipments, which
were reported at the time to have been gift from
his old friends in Wayne county token of
their personal esteem for His Excelency. But
it appears that the costly turnout was subscribed
for by army contractors. One gentleman from
the East, who had received some contracts and
laboring for more. was handed the subscrip-
ton paper and he put down and paid one hundred
dollars. Of course the public will attribute this
gift of the army contractors entirely to patriotic
considerations, disinterested tribute to the pri
vate and public virtues Of the Governor, and not
expression of thankfulness for past favors
and gentle hint that further continuance of
His Excellency's influence would be duly appre-
ciated. Mr.. WAsHBURNE, the Chairman of the
Congressional Committee, when here. had the
pleasure of visiting the camps and our public
institutions in that establishment of the "crisis"
man, but presume the Governor did not
inform him that it was gift from shoddy con-
tractors for army supplies, it appears no ques-
tons were asked the witnesses by the committee
in reference thereto. They did not tell how
much BRIDGLAND or. how much VAJEN sub
scrbed.
THE sULGRovE cNNTRACT.