The New York herald., 1875-11-08
McCann Scrapes Off the
WhiteWash.
How He Was Made Scapegoat by
the Indian Ring.
CHARACTER OF THE EVIDENCE.

their anmOSity Is evident ne 10 q CONTRACTOR loF
transporting supplies, and, even Il disposed,
he has little chance 70 deraud the govern
ment he is not a member Of the Ring
Bosler, whom the committee fully vindiCated
is the chief the Beef Ring Those who knc OF
the contract system agree thai the frauds in beef alone
exceed all the others in the Indian Department AS
evidence against Bosler and the other members OF
the Ring was SO conclusive they thought 70 save them
selves by drawing public attention 70 an outsider like
Mccain. The tone Of McCann's statement IS exceed
ingly mild considering his proofs OF innocence II it
will call out reply from Boslers friends and force
McCann to tell all he knows Of the beef frauds the
charges made BY the HERALD and Professor Marsh win
be fully sustained. The following is
THE REPLY.
To WHOM Ir MAY CONCERN The reply OF D. J.
McCann TO the report OF the commission appointed TO
investigate certain charges relating TO the adninstra
tion Of affairs at the Red Cloud Indian Agency so far
said report refers to him. and the recommendations
OF the commission in his case;-
The report was published on the morning OF October
IS and the statements and recommendations sub
scribed 10 by majority Of the members OF the COM
mission Of such nature as TO render Il inexpe-
undersigned 70 make any denials or challenge
the truthfulness OF any OF such statements
until all OF the accounts rendered by him
contractor for service or supplies during the last
four years could be re-examined by the accounting
officers of the government and compared with the con-
tracts under which such services rendered and
such supplies furnished This labor has now been
complished involving the examination Of forty-one
accounts rendered from August 1871 10 OCTOBER 1885,
amounting in the aggregate to the sum Of $2T0 600,
and embracing charges for the transportation by rail
and wagon OF more than 10 600 600 pounds of goods
This examination has been made not only IN one but
swo, departments Of the government, and has
demanded care, diligence and patience upon
my part to the various expressions OF
public opinion till could, with propriey, offer my
defence to charges calculated TO ruin and prove
source OF lifelong sorrow to my family and friends
The result of the Official reorganization Of all my
counts against the United States during the period
above named may be very concisey stated by quoting
the words of the highest officer in the Accounting De-
psrtment of the government dated October 90 1875,
CERTIFICATE OF TIE ACCOUNTANT.
have carefully reviewed all Of the accounts Of Mr. Nc
been cverpaid any bis he
engaged IN fraudulent transactions in connection with
might stop here II tho only consideration involved
that Of dollars and cents ls due the public, and
especially to those who interested in securing
honest and faithful performance Of obligations to
Indians that should reply 10 the specifications Of the
commission separately. find my name IN the report
In the following connection
Thirdly-I improper in the Commissioner Of Indian
Affairs 70 sanction the act q D Mccann BY which be
weighing eghtyegh pounds the the ex
pressy pfeyded that : should oe delivered n IT, pound
fraudulent results they bad not been frustrated here
after mentioned
the contract provisions stated. But the con-
tract, which is the best evidence to its own stpu-
latiOnE,
amined, provides no such thing y calls for $3.50 coo
pounds OF Xxx aour In double sacks and leaves 70 The
contractors Judgment the size Of his sacks (See con-
tract file IN Office OF the second Comptroller Of tho
Treasury. The censure bestowed by the commission
would be inst I any person sanctioned violation
Df a contract. But here was no violation Of the
contract or any provision Of the same and
was intended. II is admitted by the commission
that the 2o2 600 pounds OF -four filled the contract that
the actual weight only paid tor and that the
was carried both by rail and wagon, AT the actual
weight But it is intimated that fraud might have
been intended; and tho commission further say that
When refer TO the testimony Of Major Loug and learn
from him that his insructions we're simply 70 test the
quality Of the -FOUR and weigh IS. and that after
tesng its quality he should deliver the nou to the.
goye5nme1t IN Mt possibly aI Adequate explanation may %
Ii such instructions had been given Captain Long by
the Indian Department confess should be unable TO
suggest any plausible reason therefor. If such in
Etructions were issued, asserted, they must have
been in writing. Did the commission call for the
sameY We do not ind from the testimony that any
such demand was made. Did the commission, on
returning to Washington examine the record Tor such
instructons2 They did not; for an examination would
develop the fact that the instructions furnished that
officer we're full and explicit He was also furnished
on the same day blank certificates Of inspection,
requiring the weight, as well the quality TO be
stated. See instructions 10 Captain Long, dated
September 2 ls54) Again, on September 20, when
his first report received and his certificate
was dcleclNe ne was required 70 perlect ~ tSce
telegram Of Commissioner Of Indian Affairs, OF that
date This adequate explanation OF the commIs-
SION seems 70 lack ground 70 rest upon The commits
sion state that this -four contract however filled,
and that 'there fraud pcrpetratcd in the filing
OF it," But the next sentence Il 4 severe consequent
in view Of the fact just stated II Is as foliows:-
without pronouncing concusvely upon
Martin aud McCann evidence sufficient
with ne action q The latter in the matter Of transportation
nnce Of another contract
But what would be the duty or the "Indlan Bureau
and the Board Of Commissioncrs'' after the above
proofs from the record that this commission msstatcd
the provisions Of the contract and the Instructions
the inspectorsi McCann was not hour contractor He
was only authorized TO purchase 2020 900 pounds Of
-four TO m the contract there being Just that amount
required to make up $50 lie was the contrac-
tor Of transportation only If he presented account
for the transportation Of more than the actual number
OF pounds OF hour purchased and paid for, If he sug-
gested to any inspector stOrekecpsr agent or other
person that this nour should be paid iCr or trans
ported received Al than Its actual
weight this sentence would be just Hrs only
connection with this -four matter was TO order
its shtpment ana 10 hasten its delivery al CHEYENNE
where he had waiting % load the and con.
vcy IL to the agency where II was greatly needed lie
asks a revocation Of the sentence The report refers
asuspicion Of fraud, and a letter Of Commissioner
Roberts to superintendent White, November 4, 1874
which would seem to refer 10 me in this connection
! am Informed, however, by Commissioner Roberts
that this refers 70 the substitution OF an inferior sample
Of -four for the originally furnished BY the conrac-
tor and has reference only 70 the maDuacurer q the
nour. could have wished, however, that the com
mission could have been explicit In this remark
able paragraph and stated to whom this suspicion at
tached II certainly i not specific
TRANSPORTATION
The findings Of the commission the subject Of
transportation are not 10 accordance with the record
Comptroller Of the Treasury where all original
tracts fled hcCann not contractor for trans
porAton q indian supplies from cheyenne 70 the hed
Cloud agency In 1871 and 1872 stated in the report
The records show that another contractor performed
tins service IN both those years and that the distance
was established by the agent Of the government did
not enter upon any duty a. contractor on that route
until July, 1873 and then transported only three
loads of supplies 70 the old agency, tor which !
pad for the already established distance the
as paid former contractors The question Of distance
had then never been raised and the distance reported
by the arst agent had always boon allowed In July
and August 1873 the agency removed az reported
by the agent IN charge "eghty miles north OF the old
locatonp new contract entered INTO with me
the goth day Of October for the Transportation To
the new agency (which would necessarily have u 81
dee mostly In winter at 81 % per 100 pounds per 100
mics; and the distance was 1xed by the government
AZ 2l2 miles, and inserted IN the contract This was
already established and being eight miles less than
General Francis Walker, late Commissioner of In.
dian Affairs had allowed to the old MILESTONE Agency