New-York tribune., 1872-04-09
NEw-YORK DAILY TRIBUNE TUESDAY. APRIL y. 1917

certain Gatling guns belonging to the Govern
,,,ont. that soon afterward tho Ordnance
prroou nronosed to transfer nine OF these
cuns 70 the Colt Arms Company in exchange
for new ones of a later pattern, and some
"bodyn placed in Col. Crispins hanaS I"
deposit of $4,000, to be paid the Arms Com
pany when the guns were hnished. Inc DIT
cain was concluded. The gun carriages were
sent from the Watervlet Arsenal, not to
Hartford. but to New-YOrk, and delivered at
once IN Remington, and Gen. Franklin had
M doubt that everybody connected with the
affair knew perfectly well that Remington was
the purchaser "Was it not your purpose"
asked Senator Hamlin, that Gen. Dyer shouid
"not know anything about Remington In TINS
matter 2, "Not in the least" was Frank
Inns prompt answer; the ordnance officers
"knew lust as well where they were &c 60,
"and all about it, as did"
8. No evidence has been adduced that any
officer of the Government received money 10
influence these sales. Gen. ingalls,, VINO Is
understood to have been in some way con-
cerned in them, is not proved to have done
anything improper but suspicion has been
stimulated by the discovery that, at the time
of these transactions he was a stockholder in
the Remington Arms Company, although he
had sworn that he had no connection with
that Company during the FrancO-German
war. He will not tell where he got his stock,
and he will not say what he has heard on the
subject of other army officers being stock
holders. 1t is to be observed that the secre-
tary of the Company gave list of the share
owners in 1870, and that the name Of Gen.
Ingalls, did not appear in it, though Ingalls,
himself acknowledges that he owned stock
There is something dubious in this transac-
ton, so far as it affects Gen. ingalls,, and the
Committee has by no means. got to the bot
tom of it. There is also some curious testi-
mony about the sum of $4,000 used by Mr.
Remington to obtain Endorsements of his per-
sonal character and business standing from
Senator Conkling, Gen. Dyer, Secretary Bel
knap, and Treasurer Spinner; and though it
is not imagined that either of those four gen.
tlemen took any of the money, there is
natural anxiety in the public mind to know
what did become of it. The most direct evil
denco, however as to the use OF money in
these transactions is furnished by Mr.. A. L.
Markley, to whom POultney and Trimble, act
ing for Remington, offered $4,000 if he would
persuade Secretary Robson to sell the navy
rifles then making at the Springfield Armory
Mr.. Markley was q personal friend OF the
Secretary. IFe undertook tho commits
sion, and he pocketed the reward
Of course, he did not brbe the Secre-
tary; but Poultney and Trimble were
not fools, and Remington at any rate knew
how Government sales of arms were managed,
and if these experienced dealers spent $4,000
for the privilege of making this purchase,
they doubtless did it for sufficient reasons.
There was less color of justification for this
sale than for those made through the War
Department the President had ordered the
sales by the Ordnance Bureau to be stopped
altogether; the war was near its close, and
Remington would lose his market unless he
could obtain that particular lot of arms;
altogether there were unusual difficulties to be
encountered; but $4,000 smoothed them all
away. The moaus operandi, however, has not
been explained
The result of the investigation therefore
establishes thus far scandalous disregard OF
law on the part of Government officers, and
clearly dishonest evasion, by high function
aries, of the rules of neutrality laid down by
our own Government. These ofenses call for
severe rebuke, if for no other punishment.
Corruption, we arc bound to say, has not been
actually proved, but suspicious of jobbery are
strengthened by the testimony. and there is
need of much more thorough inquiry into
some points than the Senators have yet made.