Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-02-14
THE BOUNTY FRAUDS.

Trial of Hon. w. Ii. Stokes of Tennessee.
In the Criminal Court yesterday, Hon.
William b. Stokes, eX-member of Con-
gress from Tennessee, was arranged on the
charge of receiving fees for the prosecu-
ton of claims against the United States
while holding seat in the House of Rep
resentatiVes. Assistant District ATTORNEY
Harrington and Mr.. 4. b. Williams ap-
peared for the prosecution, and Messrs.
Riddle and Crittenden for the defense.
Mr.. Harrington said that the facts in
the case against Mr.. Stokes were that dur
ing the late war a military company
known as Beatty's Independent Scouts
was raised in Fentress county, Tenn, and
after the war had closed Stokes had secured
the passage of bill by Congress to pay
the men, receiving for his services the sum
of $4,000. Mr.. Harrington said that the
prosecution expected to show that the
company had never exceeded fifty men,
although the rolls as presented for pay
ment contained lO2 names. The prosecu-
ton also expected to show that Stokes
knew the claims to be fraudulent This.
however, was not material to the case.
Dir. Riddle, for the defense, said that
the only question was whether or not
Stokes acted as agent or assisted in the
prosecution of the Beatty claims. He pro-
posed to show that the claimants resided
IN the same Congressional district as Mr..
Stokes, that they were his constituents,
and would therefore naturally look to him
for aid in the matter. He only looked af-
ter the interests of his constituents as it is
usual for members of Congress to do. Mr..
Stokes made a trip back to this city TO look
after these claims, and at the time of their
payment, being seriously i'll, the claimants
presented him sum of money, but not on
account of compensation for any services
he had represented.
Captain David Beatty sworn Had been
..aa Nfain Of H.
his command varied from 10 to 102 men I;
never made any regular agreement or con-
tract with Colonel Stokes for the prosecu-
ton of the claims of his men but when
the money was drawn Colonel Stokes
charged the sum of 50, 800; this witness re-
fused at first to pay over, but subsequently
dld pay Mr.. Stokes -, 500 on the night of
the day the money was drawn from the
treasury witness had told Stokes that he
would lose nothing by assisting in the
prosecution Of these claims, and the money
paid Stokes was for what he had done ;
stokes understood prior to the passage of
the bill that he was to receive something
for his services. ..-.- go -........
Claiborne Beatty sworn: Is a son of Cap
tain Beatty; received 50 900 for his milf
tary services; paid Stokes some money on
account of services rendered in securing
the passage of the bill by Congress, and in
getting the claim through the department.
Eli Hatfield sworn: The whole claim
with the exception of that officers portion
amounted to about $4,000; witness was
concerned in the claims; recovered about
SO, 100 of the money; for their services
Strohmier got $4,000, Bowman SIC, 900,
Stokes $4,000, and Powell 5000; Stokes
put in claim for one-third Of the profits
-Sl1, 200, which witness refused 10 give
him, whereupOn Stokes said that he had q
writ, and witness could not get ont Of town,