Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-01-13
THE SUGG FORT CLAIM.
Proceedings 90 be Commenced in the
q. 3. Circuit Court Here.

q. 3. Circuit Court Here.
In response to a resolution of the House,
the Secretary Of the Treasury has sent 20
that body letter in relation to the Sugg
Fort claim, in which he says:
Gas appears from the records Of this De-
partment, the papers in the claim were
filed in the Office Of the Third Auditor on
the afternoon Of the 30th Of June last; they
were forwarded from the Office of the Com
missary General, recommended by that Of
hcer, who is specially charged by the law
Of July 4, 1864, and the joint resolution Of
July q, 1866, with the investigation Of
this class Of claims. The claimant, Sugg
Fort, and Hon. r. r. Butler, member Of
Congress from Tennessee, accompanied the
papers, and as shown by the affidavit Of the
Third Auditor, upon the urgent represen-
tatiOns Of Mr.. Butler, respecting the validi-
" Of the claim, the necessity for immedi-
ate action and the peculiar hardships Of
delay, after some hesitation, the &C
count was made special, and stated
by the Auditor so that it might 90 to the
Second Comptroller that afternoon. The
papers were transmitted according to the
Second Comptroller, and were followed by
the claimant and Mr.. Butler. Such repre-
sentatiOns were again made by the latter
gentleman as added 10 the favorable action
of the COmmissary General and the Audi
tor, induced the Comptroller, after an ex-
animation Of the papers, to affirm the re-
port Of the Third Auditor, carrying into ef-
feet the recommendation of the COmmissa-
~ General. A requisition from the War
Department was then obtained, which was
countersigned by the Second Comptroller,
registered by the Third Auditor, and such
further proceedings had in the presence Of
Mr.. Butler, and on his request, as secured
the preparation Of the warrant, although
the afternoon was then far ad yaneed. The
warrant was signed about o'clock P. NJ,
by j. +. Hartley, Assistant Secretary Of the
Treasury, and cOuntersigned by the acting
Third Comptroller, in accordance with the
usual course of business
The Secretary further says that Mr.. Hart
ley states that there was nothing whatever
70 arouse his suspicion in performing what,
at most, after the action Of the accounting
officers, he regarded as an ordinary minis
terial duty. The warrant thus executed
was presented to the Assistant Treasurer,
Mr.. Tuttle, without delay. He drew his
draft for the mOuey-S23, 23.50-On the
Assistant TREASURER at New York. The
draft was registered the same evening by
the Register of the Treasury, and was paid
by the Treasurer Of the United States the
next day, July 1, 1874. The draft is en-
dOrsed by Sugg Fort and Il. r. Butler, the
money having been received by the latter.
Subsequently, the attention of the Secretary
having been called to the fact that the claim
had been rejected by a committee Of the
House, and other circumstances having
been brought to his knowledge, he, on
the 2lst Of October, requested Henry II.
Smith, clerk Of the House Committee on
Claims, and Charles Benjamin, clerk Ofthe
Commission Of Claims, to investigate the
claim thoroughly, charging them to in
quire into its validity and history. The
report was submitted Dec. >, 1874, and es-
tablishes in their judgment the fraudulent
character Of the claim. The report was
submitted to the Solicitor of the Treasury,
who, on Dec. ., informed the Secretary
that he had completed his inquiry, and, be
ing Of the opinion that the facts developed |
by the investigation, on the whole, estab- |
lished the fraudulent character of the |
claim, he had directed an action Of
assumpsit TO be brought against the claim |
ant in the United States Circuit Court at |
Nashville, TO recover the money. Further |
civil proceedings will also be instituted |
against other parties, if IL shall appear nee /
essary or advisable. The Solicitor has also |
invited the attention Of the United States |
Attorney Of this District TO the case, with |
instructions to cause the same to be brought |
before the grand jury, at tie earliest day, |
for inquiry and action.