The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-12-24
SAFE OPENED AND MONEY ALLEGED TO Be
ABS1RhCTEO.
BLACK MAIL AND INTIMIDATION.
What Became Of the Money in the
Safe
Where are the $50, 900 or more Con-
tanned therein I!

| States Circuit Court, holding sessions at the Gus
tom House. Judge Durell presiding, exhibits some
| very singular and dsmsgin charges against Brew.
| Major General Mower, of the United States army,
| as well as against others of minor notoriety. A
| commission was issued by order of the court, ad-
dressed TO justice in q county Of Pennsylvania,
| to take the testimony of the widow of Mr.. Man.
deville, of this city, who died whilst holding
federal Office in the civil service of the govern
ment.
without further preface we give Mrs. Mamie.
vie's evidence:
No. 1894 Of the docket-U. S. Circuit Court.
| o. o. Howard commissioner freedmen'S bureau
| of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands.
State OF Louisiana, We. Edwin Gribble ct ais.
Before J. b. n. Herman, q justice of the peace
| for Bradford county, Pa, personally appeared
Mrs. Frances Vaudeville. who upon her oath says
the answers to the within interrogatores are true
| and correct, to the best of her knowledge and be-
lief. This 10th day of December, 1868. Signed:
| j. B. M. Herman.
Answer to ninth interrogatory:
/ Large piles of bank bills were taken out of the
| safe by Capt. DeGrass, which he put in a drawer
taken from desk for that purpose, and by him
| sent away. was not present wnen the money
was counted having been forbidden by Det'rsss,
| DR.. Avery and Gen. Mower to remain while it
| was done. While the papers we're being taken
from the desk was repeate dly ordered to let them
alone. i was not allowed to take paper in my
| hands or look at but one. When DeGrass began
| TO take out the papers, he took up package of
| vouchers which were nearly or quite filed out,
/ and showing them to me, said 'these all for
| gefies-they will have to be destroyed-keep per-
| feetiy Gpiet, for if Capt Hastings hears anything
you eye gone up" Hastings was at ms time quite
keep him SO until they were throuse with the in.
| vesiigation. When the money was carried OUT OF
| the Office followed short distance when they
stopped to give Hastings another drink, and pur-
1 ATxx,a uhoro in
| so anxious was ! about the money, fearful il
/ would be stolen. went to the headquarters of
the bureau, supposiDg they were then counting
the money. Learning, OF the guards that they
paired thither, taking with me T. Earhart,
Esq. We were not allowed to remain.
| Mr.. Z. was not allowed, being lawyer was the
| great objection 10 his presence. he went away,
but remained longer, asking the privilege of stay.
| ing until the money was counted. DeGrass said
| it would take until morning to do it. AS did not
| leave be said would be ruined woman if I H.
| sisted upon staying, and that L should know
| nothing of what was done. Gen. Mower and 1t.
4 Lee came ip, and Gen. Mower asked me into
| another room and then, by his threats and prom
ises of justice, realizing my helplessness aud the
faihessness of mankind, went back to my poor
! children. know not what was taken from the
safe or what became of its contents except that
the board reported 1851 %, and check for
| s60V0 over and above the indeotedness, winch
| check and money they said should have but did
| not
| Answer to tenth interrogatory:
| / am acquainted with Brevet Major General
Mower. saw him at our house soon after the
death Of my husband, for the first time. He was
| st that time commanding the fifth military dis
trct and also assistant commissioner of the freed
| me ms bureau. i had several conversations WITH
Gen. Mower in regard to my husbands decease,
at which time he urged, as Major Carroll had al
ready done, the immediate necessity OF opening
the safe, and agreed to give to Lieutenant Lee
the key to the outer safe 10 order that he might
take therefom the books In which my husband
kept the government accountable (Lieut. Lee
was then to return the key to me and bring the
safe 10 our residence, where / was to divide all
the money therein contained with Gen. Mower and
Major W. c. Carroll. If I did not do so, he said.
Mower would take all and would get nothing. /
believe Major Carroll was present at our first in
terview and Lieutenant Lee at the second, though
he could not have heard my conversation
with General Mower, as 1t was carried
on In sn under tone. but the generals
| manner indicated fear that he would do so. l
saw no alternative SO ! consented to his PROPOSE
tion hoping that some help would come TO me ere
the time appointed for Mower and Carroll to open
| the safe at my house. Gen. Mower was very eau
| tious and careful that none of his conversations
should be heard by any one except myself or Ma
Carroll; he would close the doors, look anxiously
about the room, and ask II any one was within
hearing. ! asked Mr.. Edwin Gfibble If the gov
ernment could hold my husbands private pro-
perry, and also Mr.. w. +. Trivett, if the govern.
ment could take possession OF 1t. l also asked
when lining, how / ought to proceed. Neither
seemed to know exactly. The general and Car
roll both told me that my husb and, they thought,
had about thirty thousand dollars In the safe.
Msjor Carroll stated to me that he kne,c. as
my husbands clerk, Mr.. Dollard, had
informed him few weeks previous. AS Mr.. Dol
lard as dead saw no aliernatye but to do as
| Gen. Mower advised, but when IL. Lee returned
me the keys Il had just returned from my hus
bands grave the evening of the burisl) he asked
me If l would have the safe brought that evening.
| replied, any other time would suit nae as well:
| Gen. Mower sent me word by Maj. w. q. Carroll
that 1t. Lee suspected something was going
| wrong and l had not had the safe brought az
} agreed, we would open the safe where 1t was
They proposed many plans and threatened that il
| did not open il they would blow IL open. / re-
quested the general TO call at my house, which he
did. He was very angry that had not had the
safe brought as he had ordered said be would ep
point new board as soon as Capt. DeGrass should
I arrive from Texas as the safe could not then be
I brought to our house. for Capt. DeGrass was Q
I man in whom he said he could place implicit con
fdence; that Il should De so d'Tdngedutdt DeGrdS'
should diuide the money and should hdce on,
third Of al IN the safe, but u there should De 6u
ten thousand should haze al. ne tcds ceI'l
much ercited and tcdlted the room. 1cosf fearful
:. trds 10 be robbed and not only myself and ciau
/; dren, b,d the goueiTmerd.
, Gen. Mower told me that be and Carroll had an
T interest in the safe, but be promised again anc
sgan to protect the interests OF myself and chill
e dren, but on no condition was | to go with Capt
/; Armstrong and Lieut. Lee to open the safe, not
{; wi,hstsnding they brought an order from him fol
me 10 go; for he said they would take possession
Of everything in the name OF the government. anC
n j could never recover anything, but BY waiting
:, | for Capt DeGrass should have one-third. TIT
y last conversation had with Gen. Mower was Q
y the residence of Mr.. Burchard, of which hav'
already spoken. a --st
Answer to eleventh interrogstory:
had many conversations with W. G. Carol
u during the interval of my husbands decease an'
It | the opening Of the safe. He brought me mes
Tram "a fInr nall onA ia
!. me in the name of the general that should SCI
and know everything the safe contained. but the.
. would not allow me TO 60 alone to the Office Ql
D. Saturday evening previous to the opening OF tn
ID safe be brought me Q note, written In pencil, Il
which was to request Gen. Mower to relieve tn
board consisting Of Armstrong and Lee, and ap
point a new board. I declined at first, bu
finally assented. copied and sent the note. DR.
r G. W. Avery. who attended my husban,
T. during his last Illness came to me on the evenini
r. of the day my husband was buried, and told nj