Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-11-03
A Commission Of the Int rior Depart-
ment Investigates, 6c.


The Interior Department and the Department
of Justice are now engaged in investigating seri-
Gus charges againsS Judge j. W. Wright, OF this
city, formerly OF Indiana in relation 10 the col
lection Of bOunties and pensions due Indian sol-
diers of the Creek, Cherokee, and Seminole
nations, who served on the frontier during the
rebellion. There were three regiments of these
Indians, known as the "Indian Home Guards ."
and at the close of the war, by order Of the War
Department, they were entitled 20 certain Ar
rears of pay, but no bounty. These arrears were
duly paid through the proper agencies In the
year 1865 IL Il alleged that bill was passed
Congress granting these troops si0O each. and
later resolution was passed giving them 500
additional bounty.
Soon after this legislation Judge Wright was
constituted sole agent for the collection OF All
bounty and pensions due these Indians and A.
such the amounts due them were turned over 10
hlm for disbursement. IL is stated that Wright.
IN order TO AVOID the adjustment of these claims
by the Second Auditors ONCE, made an ar
rangement with the Interior and Paw Depart-
ments whereby all payments might be paid d.
recty 10 himself as attorney for the claimants
There being some question as TO whether these
Indians were entitled to additional bounty by
the resolution OF Congress previously passed the
matter was referred 10 the Attorney General
who reported that, In his opinion they were 81
entitled. As soon as this decision was rendered.
payments aggregating hundreds of thousands OF
Il. Z n
forwarded part of the money TO his agent In the
Indian Territory, then a United States pension
agent, and was by him turned over 20 the mem
bers OF airing oftraders, (Wright's son beingOn }
whisky and gew-gaws from their stores II is
further charged that the Indians received but
about % per cent. Of the total amount of their
claims, and that this amount, in most cases was
paid in suffers goods, for which exorbitant
prices were charged. The pension warrants were
forwarded by the Pension Office TO the u. :.
Penslon agent In the Indian Territory, the
ONCE being in ignorance Of his relations with
wright. The pension money, 1t is alleged was
doled out IN the same way as the bounty
through the stores Of the traders.
Some OF the more intelligent Indians becoming
satisfied that they were being swindled, COM
planned TO Major Craig, an officer OF the regular
army stationed in the Indian country, who re-
Gently reported TO the Indian Office that i'm mense
frauds were being perpetrated, not onIy in the
payment OF pensions to bona fde complaints but
by the wholesale manufacture OF fictitious
Claims, backed up by forged affidavits. This
report was sent 20 the Pension ONCE. upon
which commission was at once appointed and
sent 70 the Cherokee Nation. They soon asrer-
tanned that Wright, through his SON and other
indian traders, were connected with nearly All
these frauds, and that sc Seral prominent officer
OF the Cherokee Nation were likewise Involved
in the swindles, among them being several
clerks Oh courts, who gave the use Of their seals
Information is said 10 be in possession of the
government that large number of the
nra-
pared in the name OF deceased soldiers. and the
money obtained from the Paymaster General
upon forged receipts in the name Of these same
dead men.
AS the status of wright's accounts with the
Indian ONCE were not deemed satisfactory a
quiet investigation was recently ordered nv tina.
office, which resulted in the discovery that his
disbursements were not properly vOuched and
he was called upon to produce bona fde vouchers
covering about s3S5, 600, the total amount az bis
disbursements being about $50, 900. The youch-
eIs, when Il was suspected were spurious, it Is
now stated have been surreptiouSly withdrawn
from the Indian Office within few weeks nast
It Is believed by some one I'm wright's employ
a simple llst or abstract Of these vouchers was
left IN the place Of the stolen documents
lt becoming apparent from these discoveries
that gigantic swindle had been perpetrated
the evidence in the case was sent TO the depart
ment OF justice that suit might be brOu yht 20
recover The amount for which Wright had failed
to supply vouchers. Nothing was done by the
department mentioned il Is said because an in
Sesugaton demonstrated the fact that wright's
bondsmen were financially irresponsible for the
amount in question.
Representatives Of the Indian soldiers came "a
TINS city some time since and laid the facts be-
lore secretary Delano. who at once ordered a
commission OF investigation. This committee is
now in the Cherokee nation, and their rep0rt
Will, 1t lie thought, confirm the statement above
given.
Most of the additional bounty due these sol-
diers was paid through the Second Auditors
once by warrants payable to the Commissioner
IL
these warrants were endorsed over % Wright 30
that he could procure the whole amount him
self. ~
To illustrate the manner in which additional
bounty was procured i'm many instances where
the soldier died before il was paid bv the ac-
counting officers of the Treasury, we give the
following extract from one OF wright's letters to
his confidential agent in the Cherokee Nation:
WASHINGTON, ID. c., August q, 1S69-Dedr
SANDY: L hold the receipt of the
widows in each case, but / fear il will not pass:
and If L file them in the Second Auditors NAV
lose them, so forward me II receipts with no
names on them but yours as a witness.
wish you would send me blank receipts in the
name of the soldiers. / think nv original
power" is sufficient 10 endorse them and / will
90 so, out say motif ing, and as soon as YOU send
The IN Will get the money" Here followed
list Of seventeen names of Indian soldiers all OF
whom were dead
In order TO get the money into his own hands
he, w, had the power of attorney filled uD as
though the soldiers were alive, and il is alleged
by the Indian Office that the checks issued by
he Paymaster General in each case 20 the order
Of the soldier, for 800 each, were cashed by the
Assistant United States Treasurer at New York.
upon the endorsement of these dead solgiers Hames
and j. w. Wright and his agents.
Major Craig has been called to Washington by
the government to aid in bringing the guilty
parties TO justice.