Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-12-15

"a uran that condition. We had no alternative
but 70 gveii orreliuqui-h the contract The Ter
cent. Frank Murphy sid. wasfor hiIDsef, Vnieul
and Col Murphy aione. The contract MAS
awarded Us for the second regiment ssoon as il
wss known that we we're wiIlingto paw the bonus.
buf II wzx irstreported that n was awarded tou-
conditi0nally, that i. that the matter IN such
a shape- that they could have turned over the
eoa,rscs - any bods else they pleased. The
same process was gone through with on the next
cosisact. only that they run ~ up 10 ten per
cent. This proposition was made by Vajen and
Frank Murphy, both: thev consulted together
The terms were objected 20 ~ being too severe:
that It Gu, down our profits too much; bat there
was no alternative; We must either do that or
not have the contract, and we had to work mp To
the programme. Vaen aud Frank Murphy hrst
approached me about the ten per cent bonus. aud
said IL was necessary. At ten per cent. two reg
iments could be obtained. The award was
10 be conditional upon that amount. Colonel
Murphy was cOguizant of the whole
thing. Aftefward 400 suits we're awarded
20 us under the same understanding Nothng
was said about il. butjt was carried out and 50
understood When paid for the contract
which was in certificates. paid the per centage
in cash. | paid IL myself The FIVE per cent
was paid first. and aiterwaFd the ten per cent
deposited the bonus in both cases in Naien's
store. with Que OF his clerks I hat was part Of
done. The money was placed in an envelope
addressed to Mr. Vajen. and was instructed to
place il there by Vajen himself Said nothing
to Governor Morton about the matter. FOR felt
bound 10 honor not 20 mention IT, There
was no bonus paii upon contracts made
with Major Montgomery. United States
Quartermaster. With him the subject was
not referred to in any form. The general
understanding amongst the parties bidding for
furnishing the five regiments. was. that all paid
commission when the contract obtained from
the State Quartermaster's Department. ranging
from five % ten per cent was told that Chaser
& Co paid bonus for their contract at 81 80.
and that il was the bonus that brought the con
tract. Both Vaen and Murphy made the
plea excuse or.charging this per centace, that
the salaries paid To them by the Department
would not pay their expenses, and what they
charged the contractors to enable them 10
make something. and 70 divide little of the con
tractors profits, and not to take il from the Gov
ernnent. Nothing of the kind was ever
attempted in the United States Quar,ermaster's
Department, but Vaen approached me and
offered 20 assist US in obtaining contracts from
the Quartermaster's Department Of the General
Government upon the payment by me of per
centage. | demurred to the proposition, but he
insisted. and the matter is still unsettled. He
introduced us to Major Montgomery and the lat
ter gave Us a contract for 5000 pair of Kersey
pantaloons. mt 50 % par-a very low figure
We could have got IS cents more for them
shortly after Vajen insisted he was entitled to
) per cent. commission on that. Have not paid
it, Ha g not answered 20 myself whether ! will
pay il Vaien did not speak more than once
about il. but he looks hint occasionally. He
insisted upon the payment of per cent. if got
the contract. i told him it was a hard
matter that he should insist upon anything
OF that kind, but that if he did insist
upon il | supposed | should have to do it,
got the contract Major Montgomery was per
fectly ignorant of the whole arrangement be
tween Mr.. Vaien and myself. | could have got
the contract just as well without Vajen Va
jens influence did not assist me ut all
Thus testified j. c. GuIssENDoRFr, of the
firm of GulssENpoRrF Co. Is he one of the
''disafected contractors whom Gen. VAJEN
charges with having given testimony that may
cast reflections on his characterY
JosrPH STAUB was another witness before the
Committee. He testified as follows:
| am a merchant tailor in Indianapolis |
have had contracts for furnishing supplies to the
Government in this city. The contracts were
taken in the name of j. w. Geisendorff & Co.
Gesendorf manufactured the goods and our firm
made them up Helped fill all the contracts for
clothing. Geisendorff held back FIVE per cent
contracts. That per cent on the first two con
tracts, and ten per cent the last two. This
bonus was paid to Quartermaster Vajen. | sug-
gested TO ). &. Morgan, that in making our the
proposition he would have to take into consIdera-
ton the per centage to be paid. asI was informed
that was the only way a contract could be got,
and SO believed
William Glenn, of the firm Of w 4 H. Glenn
Co.. testified that he put in bid for 900 suits
OF Kersey all wool. at 81 So; another of Kersey,
all wool, at 81 90 per suit, and another of Union
cadet CLOTH BALI cotton, at 81 I'D per suit. each
offer accompanied with samples. The Kersey
equal TO what is called regulation cloth
There was no question raised TO responsibility
in getting the contracts. The contracts were
given out at higher prices than my bid. | felt
that our goods were the best that were submitted,
and other parties said so too There was one lot,
which bid for at 81 95 which was given out to
some Cincinnati firm at S. IS, and they were
made of halt cotton goods, it is said. VaJen. as
excuse, said the contracts had been given out
while he was i'm New York City. before the bids
we're opened Najen was here when the bids
were TO be opened, according to the terms of the
advertisement.
RICHARD ID. BRowS, State Librarian, testified
as follows:
Alder 4 Epstein put in bid for blue infantry
uniform, according TO advertisement. at SO % a
SUIT he contract was finally given 10 another
Cincinnati firm at So 80 a suit / examined
both samples of material and thought there was
not really much difference between the two
Adler Epstein conteDded that theirs was the
best. The uniform finally let out a cavalry
uniform. The reason afterward assigned to me
for it, and for the highest bid being accepted was
that there was a difference in the pantaloons of
the cavalry unform-that there extra
piece put upon them. and that Adler 4 Epstein's
offer had not that additional piece embraced in it
The increased expense OF putting in that ad
dtional piece would perhaps be half a dollar
seventy five cents would certainly cover it. That
would have made the cost of that uniform, upon
Alder 4 Epstein's bid. seven dollars suit 1t
let ut So IS suit. Quartermaster Naien
lei the contract. He commended that the goods
he received were better than Alder & Epstein's
SAMUEL {. MORGAN. merchant tailor, of Indi
annapolis. testified follows:
There was no comparison as to the quality of
goods between the goods offered by the Genns
and those furnished under the contract Would
have take. the Glenns' proposition at three dol
lars more than would have taken the others The
goods offered by Alder & Epstein were very good
The articles offered at So 81 | believe were bet
ter goods than those received under the contract
The additional expense between the cavalry and
infantry pants would be about ioIty cents
For the hrst contracts let put N bid The
day after the bids were advertised to be opened |
found that neither my goods or bids had been
opened at all. Najen said he had not time TO
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