Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-12-01
Cotton Trnnsa cIiOns I'm AIabaImn@
The Government Defrauded Of
Millions OF Dollars. "

Cotton transactions I'm Alabama
The Government Defrauded OI
! millions OF Dollars. N
lFrom the st. l.ouis Republican,
From a gentleman who has just arrived
from Mobile we get some information In re-
gard TO cotton transactions IN Alabama,
that may be considered startling, even In
these days of wholesale frauds and rogue
ries. They have been initiated too, doubt
less to a great extent, II not equalled, In
every State In the South, in which CORES.
ponding facilities for the commission o.
frauds have existed. They seem to have
arisen under Mr.. Chase's treasury agent
system, and date from the earliest occupa-
ton of the State by treasury and military
ofiicials-the n0duS operdndt being the same
as that pursued little earlier at NatcneZ'
Vicksburg, New Orleans, &C. &C. whlch
ended in the dismissal and Imprisonment o.
q few of the knaves and the enriching o.
nearly all of them. Their plans were Vari-
ous, Consisting of stealing, forging papers
false swearing, collisions and conspiracieS
between Government officials and pretend
ed owners of the cotton. l.- ..p. ..n
Soon after the surrender of Mobile, 1t be-
came evident that these sharpers were al
full work in that vicinity. A supervising
agent, Mr.. W. Z. Miller, arrived there moi
long ago, and instituted an investigation
1t was a hurried and superficial one, and, al
all events, resulted in no disclosures o.
malpractices on the part of sub-agents anc
their assistants. The President designing
a closer scrutiny, soon afterwards sent down
Colonel j. II, TOmeny, and this gentleman
conjointly with Major General Woods, who
is in command there, began more thor
ough search into the matter. They soon
''struck lie" In the case of local agent
named Carver, and he was sentenced to one
years imprisonment and to restore $90OO'
in money. which was adjudged to belong
to the United States. General Woods prom
ised to remit the sentence, IT. in giyeI
time, he would pay over the money, Carver
complied with this condition, and savec
himself from the first part OF the sentence
The investigation was still in progress
when our informant left Mobile, and inter
esting and important developments were
being made daily. Enough has been dom
by those who were prosecuting it to enable
tnem to fOotup roughly, this amazing grant
total, namely, that of 10000 bales OF for
feited Confederate cotton in the State o
Alabama not one-tentlI has ever gone Il
) the use and benefit of the United State
Government. The remainder of 5000
bales, worth more than $l5,O00,0OO, ha
been appropriated by official and non-ofii
cial rascals and sharpers.
Dispatches from Mobile of later dat
than the departure of the Republicans in
formant, state that S. c. DEXTER, Treasur.
Cotton Agent, had been arrested by Gen
WOODS, for alleged malieasance, who con
vened a Military Commission for his trial
that DEXTER had sued out writ of hdbed
corpus before Judge BUSTED, of the U.
District Court; that the writ was served ol
Gen. WOODS and his Provost Marshal; tha
Gen. WOODS declined to obey the writ
whereupon a rule was entered requiring
the General to show cause why he shoulC
not be proceeded against for contempt
The rule was served on Gen. WOODS ana h
declined to appear, whereupon the Judg
declared his intention to maintain the au
thority and dignity of the United State
District Court; observing that he beins
compelled to 90 Immediately to Montgom.
cry, he would make the writ of attachment
against Gen. WOODS returnable on Monday
January IL, 1866. And thus the matter was
standing at the last date, the military au-
thorities claiming that commission had
been organized for the trial of DEXTER, and
that they would proceed with the trial and
not permit any outside interference.
We are opposed to all trials by Military
Commissions, except for military offenses o
those in the military service-and yet il
cases like the above it seems very likely
that the guilty will 60 at large unless some
military tribunal arrest, expose and punish
them. M ...--Cy -., "a.