Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-10-12
THE HODGE DEFALCATION.
Meeting of the Cour. Martial Tor the
Trial OF the Accused-A Plea of en- i'll Y
EBtcred-Stafem of the Prisoner
Affecting scene,


Trial Of the Accused-A Plea of entity
Observation-Disclosures of the Prisoner
Affecting Scene.
The Court Martial recently ordered
fo1, the trial of J. Ledyard Hodge, the
defaultlng Paymaster, convened at
Fort McHenry, near Baltimore, on the
18th, with all the officers detailed for
its composition present. Major Gen.
Meade called the Court to order and
Mr.. William Schley was Mt once adj
mitted and allowed to appear as coun-
sci for Major Hodge.
A few moments after one o'clock the
prisoner was brought in and arraigned.
He at once pleaded guilty. Dir. Schley
then said that the plea offered by the
prisoner must be received with some
qualifications. Whereupon General
Meade remarked that any statement
that the counsel desired to make would
be received. Mr.. Schley then sub
mitted the following statement:
HODGES CONFESSION.
Mr. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN OF
THE CoURT-As | had nothing to offer
in defence which would be available III
law az a justification or excuse, |
pleaded guilty to the charges preferred
against me and specifications annexed
to those charges | shall rely on the
real facts in the case in mitigation of
your sentence. This was partly done
in my confession which accompanies
this paper as a part of my defence.
Whatever punishment the Court may
deem it proper to adjudge, either as
part of punishment for any miscoduct
or as an example to persons engaged in
the public service, | am prepared sub
missively to endure. Personally, no
physical punishment which any treat
ment could impose would or could be
as painful ana excruciating as the men
tai agony which | have suffered since |
found that my private means We're not
sufficient to make up the deficiency in
my official account. Every subsequent
endeayor on my part to make up the
deficiency only augmented the magn-
tude Of my losses; but, while | ask
for neither mercy nor charity on my
own account, for / have no such claim
to either as this Court could hardly
recognize, and am prepared to
endure, as | have said, without com
plant any penalty which the law and
your sentence may award-still, as a
husband and father, | humbly ask, for
the sake of my innocent and distressed
wife and for my infant children, such
merciful action on your part as you
may find consistent with your duty,
and | find real comfort III the knowl-
edge that this Court Is composed of
officers OF high grades, honorable and
brave men, such as are always generous
to the vanguished and to those who are
powerless and unresisting; gentlemen
who could not find any pleasure III i'm
posing cruel, unusual or vindictiye
punishment In the confession hereto
fore made by me, and which / affirm to
be true, | have stated truly and hon
estly the main facts in relation to my
deialcation. Inow desire to add II very
few remarks based on facts 10y way of
clearer and fuller explanation of the
statements therein contained. | now
state as matter of fact, and which a
thorough examination of my official re
ports and accounts will show to be true,
that not one dollar of the lost money
was expended in my household,
nor was any amount, even to
the value of one cent, appropriated to
my own benefit or to the use or ben
eft of my family. My salary and the
income from my private estate were
more than sufficient for the wants of
my family and for my personal wants,
ard somewhat for the payment of losses
in my speculations. No credit was
ever claimed in any of my accounts
for money disbursed which was not
based on an actual payment of the pre-
else amount for which credit is claimed.
No complaint was ever made, nor was
there any grounds for complalnt that
persons to whom payments We're made
in any case received less by a single
cent than the amounts for which they
receipted. No receipt or other voucher
was ever procured or presented, which
was not scrupulously correct III every
particular. No false or fraudulent re-
turns were ever rendered by me or my
officer DESTROYS to make all the repair
alton in my power, [ have turned over
to the government all my remaining
private estate, to be applied IN the re-
duction of my indebtedness, and
my noble wife, against the advice and
demonstrations of honorable and consci-
eutious persons, insisted ON surrending
her potential rights therein. 1t will
afford no pleasure, I am sure to any
member of this court to learn the fact
that neither my wife nor | have any re
sources now remaining, and that we
have three destitute children wholly
unprovided for, with the prospect of an
early addition of another child, My
counsel, who, at the request Of my
family, has conferred with me as to the