The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-12-22

made by special agcnts TO the Indian Territory for
the examination OF the irregularities, aud wncn
win be inculed among the documents lately called
Tor by Tue House 0. Representatives.
PENSION OFFICE. May 0, 1871.
Hon. c. DETANO, Secretary OIL the lnteror:--
SI-ln compliance WIN your oral INSTRUCTIONS of
yesterday present herewith report supple
mental 10 that submitted by MS 10 the commissioner
OF Pensions. detailing me results OF oar recent mis-
ca the istn oi November last we were detailed
from tue Pension once 10 investigate the titles or
lnulau applicants Tor pensions, ana taxing with Us
all the books and papers in tnis bureau apperain-
4, Ing 10 snch CLAIMS we proceeded 10 Fort GIBSON.
n There also entrusted TO us by tie second Au.
dtor certain ciatns TO aadillonat bounty received
from that iocalty. MI. Webster mad been appointed
agent or paying pensions III Fort Gibson. suppressed
ing Alexander Cappcrion, WHO mai been suspended.
Inc results OF nat investigation were a. mas been
above ihtima,ed, reported 10 the Commissioner vi
Pcusons. Accompanying such report was
son.auc showing lno ACTS ene.'ea 1y our q INQUIRIES
aud papers taken by US rom the onlcc, with
entries ana endorsements indicating our action.
Wnilc attention was directed par lculary to the
merit OF The individual claims, II was unders ood
atanabe relative TO certain alleged irregularities
Attending the prosecution Ol claims against tnc gov.
ernmcnt. and whatever else IN connection wi Ii the
business or our department when might be con-
sidefcl preu'hcai 70 The Interests Of the Indians or
the nation.
cAlLlSa THE INDIAN CLAIMANTS TOGETHER.
:. Upon arriving at Fort Gibson we lotnd mat
iWe renson agent Agent mad been n se,'ea BY the
coiumindanl ut that post Inc same inciud-
ing private cores lonucucc, records oil bHsl-
ness transactions. &C., besides the documents
ieg,t!malciy belonging TO The agency. These were
At once turned TO us. Major !. n. Uraig, ato
United States Agent tor TOE CneroAecs ana his
cessoI, ]. y. Jones provided an Interpreted, ana We
= WIN these facilities at our command we caused 70
DC published III Inc Chrokee Adtocdte weekly
PAPER published nj 1olcquon. The names OF all
those VINE. Il appeared from The documents III our
POSSESSION were III any way Interested ia Claims
against the government. some weeks OF continuous
anu conseqlen lcavy roads aud ias delayed the
sppeaance OF The scattered inhabitants Of that Wild
country. i,ui subsequently our presence became
knowntGroughoul Tie Cherokee and creek nations,
and Il was wun difficulty We we've able to answer
tsc calls upon our lime. The llcls cliciica and lhe
conclusions attained thcrcrom we here give bIieny,
Icierrtng 10 our previous report ana accompanying
documents including copies OF our correspondence
Tor details. We woad premise, however. that the
action taken ny the Scctelar, al Tie Interior in
1885, ordering the names OF all claimants III the Ter
rttoty 10 be placed uron the pension rolls and
authorizing the payment at the discretion OF MI.
Geotge Y. Whining, who was ihcn actins as SPECIAL
agent OF he department III that country, seriously
embarrassed US. |; was nnaly Determined 70 pay
thoic already so placed upoh the rolls upon ac-
ceptane testimony ut an e4uaplc lille, hut that all
pending claims should We subjected 10 The scyeTest
scrutiny
TnE COMMENCEMENT or ALLEGED STUMBLING.
i hnsi-'t appears that, walc acne a. tmcd
States Pension Agent al Fort gibson, Alexander
Csappction tai, duilng the whole o, his residence
"a inc TERRITORY, nccn emp jyc's ~ ohn w. wright.
OF Washington, y. e., as his ciera Ia tie prosecu-
ton q ciams or pensions aud bounty, ana had re-
3 NE s,s'sl wrs
an, Capleiion, by Iappctton's returns 10 The
,-sla,ms themselves. Whether tn,s employ neni was
vocation Of the act approved June 10, 1861, pro-
compensation ior The prosecution assistance IN
the prosecution OF such claims, AMI rs such cnied
10 notice u Is Tor the department 10 dctcrninc.
PRACTISING FRAUD WITH A SEAL OF TUE CHEROKEE
Second-The claims winch mad been filed In the
Offices o the commissioner ol PENSIONS ana second
Auditor, while IN most cases on ncnall OF parties
ton and prosecution glaring irregularities, ana IN
some respects lnpudeft fanrlcatiuns. In order 10
elect au apparent compliance WIN she statute re-
curing Tie execution OF declarations before an
officer Of court Of record having custody Of lis
81 TIM ttx m l. ll.n "a
Cherokee Nation was devised, manufactured and APP
phcd by ani N The interest OF J. W. Wren, AMI hls
agents. Its Impress VIII he found upon nearly all
the papers lied 10y said Wright, III the department.
IMPORTING a locus JundA TO siGS uNswoRN
STATEMENTS
Thod~Dcclara,ions and aIidavits were sauc-
uencd hy what r,tipottel 10 be the signature OF
Judges o District Courts, whom We know 10 have
been uiiabc IL write, sald signatures having been
wr,l'en hy ohcr parties aud often apparently
by the agents o wright. AL one time Judge was
imported rom another district FOR the special pur-
pose Of antlcutica'lng claims ana testimony
clerical labor IN wngnt's Office. II was customary
Tor HE Judge clerk TO receive al night The deposi-
Hona written during the uay aud To hitlX rs slgua-
tnre thereto. he having never sworn or seen The
parties. these statements arc established by the
deposiiion~ al ciaimanls who appeared before us
aud VINO positively asserted thai neither Judge nor
clerk Of fh",ouil were present when their papers
III the correspondence OF Wright ana Ilapperun.
ATfAcuiSG FICtiflotS sIGSAiC.Es.
Eofu-td-Aiany OF ;hc signatures, purportng TO
10 those OF a'ieStng aud Identifying witnesses, are
= entirely fictitious ana 10 some cases represent
The ono han1 ~ inquiries Of living parties rcpc-
scented, on The oinc, ~ The failure III the most per-
SSlen, elfurtS ~ discover trace oil these parties
who must ~ so small community nave been well
known had incy ne.n other than myths
AN 0HGANilEp SYSTEM OF rLuaDEKING INDIANS.
Ftrhlnat the disbursement OF pensions and
hounlcs was 50 managed snat payment was de-
ierrc uutti ~ large proportion rs possible had
been ausorird ~ trade NJ The stores OF the mcr-
cpauis ~ connection win whom Wright aud Cap
peron were opc'al'ng Many suggestions Of tins
conduct arc IL bc found IN the correspondence he.
fore alluded to- am II Is certainly established Ivy
a M
orally.
claimants was allowed or applied ,nr their CLAIMS
were Npo hrcatcd Ivy trading tnereupon ~ mo
slorcs ol Ross linnici & CO. ana Ross Brothers Il
GO Notw Outstanding his knowledge OF wucn
wright. as attorney, 'aused the applicants 70 Sweat
as required uy law. that they had m no manner
sold Transferred assigned OF IN any way pared
with then interest IN salt bounty or aly pait
thereof. a. hr same time II was stipulated between
+sal merchants ana wright that he shond have leu
pc, cent OF me iul amouai ny nm secured TO them
when such bnuniics shonil he PAID.
TrAnrLENr AsslGNArioN or CHFs0KEE CLAIMS.
Scr'a'hIha on the failure OF the firms above re-
indian clamanis were assigned TO their creditors Ia
ST. Iors ~ asses AMI that thcrcupoD salh trcdi-
mrs engaged wlih wright ahrougu hts SOM that for
All vi san Indebtedness tDat should be I" them lald
through the influence Of SAID Wright he should re.
ceivr ten per cent. rs had been previously agreed
~S,rrwccn nm ana TIC Gi,'scn merchants
INDIANS pFNiEp gnR otNttrsNrss OF RECEIPTS.
T,ggih--rral. II any Ieiancc can TIC placed uron
tne tcslmnny Of Inc indans themselves large
proportion oi tue claimants nave ueen deirauneu oi
lien back pay 0rplcation Tor whch VhouBh u'i-
kurun To- tue,nl was included IN their claims Tor
bounty. III The many cases into winch we inquired,
ana tn wnich Wrtghi's pooAs showed me coleSGon
al these dues very few were FOUND m watch The
claimant could he induced u acknJwiedgc inc ic'
Ccpf Of the money or us oguiNalebl.
TIE REp uoRsE GUARDS Nvlvfbn Ihhvt6uos !,
Ninlh-- That Wngnt Obtained rom INC ules 81 lhe
Cover nment complete Transcripts o. aic lecV!u ~
services OF ln,,an soldiers, 10 when ueclaihlloMs
were mace 10 conforms lot that, ~ relation 10 par
tcnlars moi therein included, the ciaiinauis VIE
made 10 swear 10y the venest Bcucns. ~ haiaN
case dd the deposition maze ~ = chlntu. oe,Vle
Us agree with The allegations Vi tie Original aAesa'
ton. :,
Yfuh-That John w. Wright was maintaining ~
teresis IN Inc lndan Icrritciy III defiance oi Uc
provisions OF tho Intercourse laws, encalTa geu oy
y sbe hope 81 IN cary disruption vi the Ctel1h'c
Nation ana by present prunt reai.zed un lhg iiapS-
hrrpf ORR IN