Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-13

Adjutant General n. ii. Mclean, who
made a report against HURT and the
rest of the parties, included, and also,
to the case of Gen: Hartsuff, the Pres
ident of the First Court, ordered
to try HURT, were called for.
We published a few days
ago synopsis of the revelations in
this case made by the Washington COR
respondent of the Cincinnati Gazette,
and it Will be remembered that they
were very damaging. The Gazette says
editorially: This chapter, shameful
as it is, is but glimpse into the ramifi-
cations and operations of this conspir-
acy, and it reaches but small part of
the plundering practice of the time
and place. but it reveals the most
shameful feature of the whole; for it
shows that the character and magni-
tude of this combination; and the
standing of its members, were such
that Secretary Stanton felt it a mill
tary necessity to prevent the trial, dis
miss the court, order the testimony to
be sealed up and sent to him, Danish
the officer who had taken the evidence;
and then to eliminate names from the
accused, diminish the charges, order a
trial while the principal witness was
out of the way, make a scapegoat of
Quartermaster HURT for all, and keep
from the public the knowledge of the
character and extent of this plan,
and the standing of the men who
were thus plotting to rob the
country" 1t is right and pro-
per that the name Of every man con-
nected with this conspiracy, however
high he may stand, should be divulged,
and be made to bear the odium if not
the responsibility of his crime. We are
told that ''the chief actors in all these
transactions are men well known
throughout the country" which makes
it all the more important that the part
they played in this conspiracy to plum
der the government should be laid bare
to the whole country. If men in high
places are involved in this conspiracy,
let it be known that they may be
marked for all time to come. Here was
a man (Hurtt) who, according to the
evidence already published, had pro-
cured an appointment to the Office of
Quartermaster through political infiu-
ence, and through the same influence
secured the removal to distant fields Of
the only men who stood in the way,
that he might enrich himself and his
accomplices by robbery. From this
base adventurer, for whom such high
influence had been exerted," says the
Gazette. Eve find letters, written DUR
ing that which seemed TO be the ma
tons mortal struggle, to his partners,
notifying them to forestal the market
when he was about to make great pur-
chases of army supplies, instructing
them how to raise the markets upon the
government, so as to sell their own
purchases at a great advance, and off
ering to take such speculations
for government account at a large
profit. We find him notifying his
partners what class of vouchers" to
buy-that is to say, informing them
that he would prefer certain classes of
vouchers in his payments; we find him
writing letters to them, actually ex-
pressing his regret that the prices of
things he was buying for the govern
ment were declining, and speaking of
the fall in the gold premium as mis-
fortune, because it carried down the
prices of these articles. In short, we
find this highly Endorsed person defl-
ing everything he touched with fraud,
thieving, and plumber" Now let us
see whether Congress Will shrink from
exposing these robbers and their co.
conspirators and aiders and abettors
for the reason that Stanton screened
them-political necessity. The Wash
ington correspondent of the st. Louis
Republican writes, March 10, of these
developments as follows:
'Gen. Boynton's recent revelations
in the Cincinnati Gazette concerning
the once famous HURT case, and the
scandalous completely of Henry d
Cooke and Senator Sherman in the
matter, are the exciting themes of Cos.
sip at thescapital Just now. The uni.
versal belief is that this expose and Its
necessary consequence will crush Sena'
tor Sherman utterly, as well as knock
what few slender props still totter I'M
der the fortunes of Henry D. Cooke
This case possesses a peculiar interest
to the people of St. Louis, because Maj
Dickerson, the leading victim of It's
operations, was well known in that city
being connected by marriage with some
of her Oldest families, his wife being
the niece Of Senator Bogy. The way
. in which these documents became pub
: lie was a curious one. Sometime
ago young man came in the Capita
Office, and after some prellmInarles
asked Dom Piatt if he could be induced
= to let up on Mr.. Leggett, Commits
sioner of patents, against whom he haC
+ been making serious charges. Dom
replied that he could not. The young
man then informed Dom that he haC
been employed as stenographer of tn,
court of inquiry in the HURT case, anC
= that he still had his notes In a gOOC
state of preservation. He then wen
: on to say that if Dom would agree Il
l let ND on Leggett he would TRANSCRIPTS
, the matter for publication, adding tina
, it would raise a damned sight bigger
row than the Credit Mobilier. Dom
then tried to buy the matter, but tn
man refused to sell out or to let Dom
( have it for any consideration other THAI
| the one named In his first proposition
! This being peremptorily refused b!
Piatt the man took his documents ant
went away. and a few days after the!
I / aDnearad in the Cincinnati Gazette