New-York daily tribune., 1864-04-14
THE FRAUD PRACTICED ON RE
CRUITs.
Letter from Gen. Dix-The Case OF 1Inw-
ley ID. Clnpp-The Lafayette Hall
bounty Hrokers-Rccruits Dcfrnnded
ont Of over 100000.

The following letter from Gen. Dix to the
judiciary Committee was received to-day:
HEADQUARTERS DRPARTNTgT or THE EAsr
NEw-YoRk CRY. April II, ls6i.
Hon. CuAs j. FoLGER, Chairaan Of the Senate Judiciary
Comnitees
DEAR SIR: Your note Of the 9th inst was received,
Yesterday and IL affords pleasure 10 furnish you
with the cs and circumstances attending the arrest
and imprisonment Of Hawley ID. Clapp
when your note came n hand was completing q
report 10 the Secretary of War "a copy Of which with
accompanying papers inclose), giving detailed state
men of the atrocious frauds committed upon recruits
in this city and particularly at Lafayette Hall where
Mr.. Clapp was the principal bounty-broker-one OF a
class Of agents who brought into existence by tho
~ stem adopted By the Committee Of the Board Of Su-
peryisors for procuring substitutes whose services
we're entirely unnecessary, and whose principal yoca.
ton either by their direct action or through con
feeraes was cheat entering the service out OF
their bounties. The Committee, when the frauds had
become too palpabie and too extensive 10 bo borne,
obyiatrd the evil far as they could, by the adoption
Of proper precautions but not until military order had
been issued requiring the full amount OF bounty to be
paid TO the recruit. 80
Nv rerort 10 the Secretary Of War enters into full
detail Of these Transactions, alike dsgracciu to those
who were concerned in them and to the community IN
the bosom Of which they occurred. MI CIpp received
from the Committee OF the Supervisors the bOuntis for
large humber Of recruits $500 each. who. shown
by testimony satisfactory 10 me were cheated out OF
the grenter part Of il by him, or the parties cOnieder
ated with him IN the business IA the money was PAID
into his hands consider hm responsible ior IL and
have deemed IL my duty whenever clear case OF fraud
vas made out 10 the soldier rodressod II possible
IL is only by the summary process Of military arrest
that tbrse fraudulent transactions can be renched III
hey are brought into the Civil Courts, G remedy IL
homeless The recruits the only Witnesses and me
exeencies Of the country viii not permit them to be
kent from the field.
ihe 0nly alternatives therefore were 10 allow these
stnpcndo,s frauds TO go unredressed TO the patriotic
men who are Offering their lives tho altar of their
country De robbed OF the provisions which their eios.
citizens have made for their families and TO suef the
plundcrcrs TO escape with their igoten gains or 10
lake as have DONE some OF the principal agents In
these frauds into custody TO be held TIL they make res
ttutiOn. r 8, i,
The amount Of which recruits were defrauded at
Lafayette Hail where and while hr. Clapp was chlei
broker cannot fall short Of sl000OO have succeeded
Ia recovering about $40 600 and am not without hopes
Of adding largely 10 this am'unt-
am fully aware Of the responsibility nave thken IN
these cases and that the exercise Of the power oi arrest
s only warranted by the circumstances In when the
country Is placed aud the special facts which my report
10 the Secretary Of War discloes II has been eAered
IN few cases only and with tle confident assurance M
each that should be sustained by the Government ana
by the public Judgment.
Although II is technically true, as Mr. Clapp STATES
In his petition 10 the Legislature that he has not held
at any time Office under tie GOycrnment or had any
contracts With the Government" ITSELF lie stood 10 ls