New-York daily tribune., 1866-04-06
The Indian Agency Libel Suit.

The ease of Henry W. De Puy agt. Oliver L.
Huiford aud another commenced yesterday morn.
ing in the Supreme Court before Justice Mason,
Mr. Il. Y. Cutler opening behalf of the plaintiff lie
alluded tho importance Of tie case from its connec-
ion with Department Of tho Government. The
coIrse of the defendant would compel him show that
the officers Of the Department had been guilty of grave
improprietiea 1t was all embarrassing thing to do.
and COUNSEL incurred great danger In impeacblpg
gentlemen high in political connection with party to
run counter to prudces. This from the character oil
the Judge did not relate to hlm, nnd he only INTRO
duccd II to the Jury t. diyest them OF all preju.
dces. The suit was for libel charging the plaintlh
with forgery and perjury in making up ms accounts
The plaintiff had been tho Goycrnment Agent to the
Pawnee Indians. He an applicant for rcappOiJt'
meni. He had had the promise Of such reapp'intmeut
lie had received letter stating that such re0ppoiBt
ment act II justice. In all human calculation his
reappOintment certainty when the hist OF these
letters was written Just at the moment TO arrest bis
appointment and was cnched 10y the second letter.
mis- OF course prevented IL. and he was treated
dofauer aud 10 this DAY the settlement of his accounts
was suspended and continues suspended to this day
In SIX months il agreed on al hands that tue
charges werc falsc WHY theD were not tue accounts
settled upf II forced to go further into the case
to explain this The policy Of the Government had
been TO the Indians OF projections. In May, 1851,
tie plaintiff agent just then the oiv war was On
tie point OF b. cakng out Some OF tho Indians on
tie ppirt of ak part against u.s. The ngenis received
special charge 90 look tfer aud be careful In their
treatment Of the Indians The Sioux war caused by the
frauds of white on the Indians showed that these
precautions were necessary MT DE fuy feceiied, as
other agents such Instructions aud he serupuousy fu
filed them. Where annuities of some $4,000 year
duo the Pawnees some S2 eco were to be drawn from
the funds Of the Bureau guartorly Tie bIst
of these quarters was Grawn by Mr.. Dc Fuy, bat
long nf.er due, for the Indian Commissioner had
Determined to ruin and remove the plaintiff The other
20 900 not forwarded 10 him. The Indians we're
starving 0r want Of it. Men went among them tehing
them that the agent had the money and advising them
To tie him up. The Indians came to him, and he re.
Iieyed them and Dacted them as well as he could In
February le62 the plaintiff started for Washington
but hcaring that the Commissioner was at
Leayenwolth. went to him, and after great
urgency telling him the danger in which he had
To his wife ana family. procured from hun n letter
To Washington. The plaintiff went to Washington and
laid the matters before The Department There they
astonished. and they at once directed him TO re-
turn "a his reservation win the funds The plaintiff
started on his return. Meanwhile the Commissioner
had managed to attend to charge againt Air. Dc Puy
that he had embezzed the annuity. Snd knowing that
the money had not beel sent, appointed COmms'
soner TO tho matter and ieegraphed to the
plaintiff, stopping him at Omaha. The indians were
ady ed to tie ND his wife, In order TO his return
His friends advised him to stay at Omaha. AT last
IS, OcO came to Omaha and by whomi BY the very
person appointed 20 investigate TIE charge OF en-
bc2ling the very money he was bringing. They, with
Others, started from Omaha about the cnd oi March
with tie $1,000 which should have been $4,000
Counsel went on TO explain the manner OF keeping
tie accounts There in the account charge for
flnnng.miil and also a charge TO Crowner Tor 80
This charge should never have been IN the account 1t
was A claim for which Crowner had received war.
rant which Crowner had sold to the defendants These
Mems and Others made mp the private account OF
tho plaintiff Of SEP After taking out these Items, the
pryate account Of tho plaintiff was SIG co. and IL was
this private claim about which there had been more ly
ing than enough 70 sink half world. There was, be
side a reservation account OF the defendants for
sO0 eo met by vouchers which had been taken out by
the defendants from tho general account, and which
vouchers had been paid. These were the vouchers
which the plaintiff charged with forging. There
WAS no possibility OF mistake. Tao charge was made
under no error but part Of the machinery OF the
ndan Commissioners to procure the destruction OF the
plaintiff and enable the plunder and robbing OF the
Indians to be- continued.
For sx months these letters were unknown TO the
plaintiff Commissioner Dole knowing the charges to
be false did not produce them but used them TO meet the
injuries Of friends showing them TO friends Of De Puy
and telling them that he De Puys friend and that
as his fren nd he keeping them que but his friends
ed letter not move in the matter Mr.. De Puy. in utter
noycrty STAYED at Washington trying TO get his ac'
counts passed finding friends growing cold At last
In July Mr. Dole called on him " yerliy has accounts
by oaih--uot a usual proceeding Mr. Lushbaugh had
not to make oath TO his; but then MT Lashbaugh had
nppoipted the Commissioners sOn-inaw agent. Mr..
De Puy verified the account and then wns met oy these
letters lie at denounced II as an Internal lie
and trick He compelled the defendants 70 reluctantly
that the charge was fase but then they
bring on this further lie, which he should ask the
Court to charge an aggravation OF the libel that
they lad supposed the money to have been received on
The sl0O was paid on a private account OF sl6 This
charge Of forgery had had such force not only to
suspend the plaintiffs accounts but 70 procure for the
defendants the payment Of claim OF ESQ which were
not In the bill charged 10 Mr. De Puy. ard iftbey had
been, should not have been paid BY the Governneit
He never has since been able TO obtain repara.
tiou, except by thisl letter charging him with o
further trick and fraud The case would bs tried
greatly on documents He regretted that there were
not more documents but their commission had been
sisted. They had been unable 70 get document from
Washington The clerks from tho Department were
ready enough for the other side but ey had been IN
able for the plaintiff 70 procure sipsls clerk.