The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-03-03


cation from the President announcing
the resignation Of Secretary Belknap to-
gether with copy Of his letter accepting
the same.
The Committee submit this report and
demand that VIM. W. Belknap, late Sec-
retary of War, be dealt with according
to the law OF the land, and to that end
submit the evidence and a rescript of
the record Of proceedings of the Commit
tee. The following resolutions were
submitted:
Resolved, That W. W. Belknap, late
Secretary Of War, be impeached OF high
crimes and misdemeanors in office:
Resolved, That the testimony in the
case of W. W. Belknap, late Secretary
OF War, be referred to the Committee ON
the Judiciary, with instructions to pre-
pare and report without unnecessary
delay suitable articles of impeachment
OF VIM. W.. Belknap, late Secretary OF
War.
Resolved, That a committee of five
members OF the House be appointed and
instructed to proceed to the Bar of the
Senate, and there impeach VIM. W. Bel
knap, late Secretary Of War, in the name
OF the House Of Representatives and Of
all the American people, OF high crimes
hand misdemeanors while in office, and to
peachment will in due time be present
| ed, and request the Senate to take such
action as tney may deem proper in the
premises.
MIR. Clymer then proceeded to read
the accompanying documents. The first
as The testimony OF Caleb 2. Marsh,
the report commencing as follows:
| Tuesday, Feb. 20, 1576.-The Commit
tee met at 1880 A. NJ. Present, Clymer,
Blackburn and Robbens. Mr.. Caleb 2.
Marsh, one of the witnesses ordered to
be summoned by the Committee, being
present. was duly sworn according to
law. Question by the Chairman:
| Q.-M here do you reside? Al re-
side at No. 80 West Fifty.seventh street,
| New York; have resided in New York
about eight years.
Q.-Were you or were you not ap-
| pointed or rendered an appointment as
uost trader at Fort Sill, Indian Terri
tory, in the fall OF 1870 by the Secretary
| of War; il 50, under what circumstances
was such appointment secured to youi
State also il you were commissioned by
the Secretary as such post trader, and
lif SO, who was so commissioned, and il
any other person was so commissioned
give his name, the reason why he was
Commissioned, and If any agreement
was made by you and appointeef State
it or produce it II in writing, and was
said agreement made with the know
edge of the Secretary OF War, and state
circumstances connected with making
that agreement and all that transpirst
hereunder fully and particularly, as il
YOU were especially interrogated in re.
gard to the several transactions, and &C
i fully as to save the necessity Of repeat
ing interrogations.
10 this Marsh submitted writer
statement stating in substance that II
1.-The summer OF 1870 he spent som
. time at Long Branch, and on his returl
= to New York Mrs. Belknap and Mrs
Bowers went to his house, and Mrs
Bowers, on account Of kindness sh0wi
her, asked witness if he would not like
post traders position.
He replied that he thought these POSI-
tions should be given to honorably dis
, charged soldiers, besides, he had no pc
: litical influence. Mrs. Bowers said sh,
. could secure it, but. suggested to Mr
Marsh not to mention the matter to tn
: Secretary. He had threatened to kicl
Appleton down stairs, she added. Tn
post at Fort Sill was about to be aban
doned, and she could obtain it for Ml
Marsh.
b He then made application for the pos
n at Fort Sill, subsequently saw Mr.. Evans
former post trader, and he was alarmed
: at losing the place. After consultation
with Evans It was agreed that Mars
should secure the place, that Evans wa
. | to get commission, and that he was t,
.. pay Marsh $4,000 annually. After re
ceiving the first $4,000 he sent one-hal
, of it to Mrs. Bowers.
The next payment was sent to the Sec
retary OF War himself, and he had con
ltinued to send 1t down to the last pay
ment in 1875. Marsh also said be al
Itended the first Mrs. Belknap's funera
while there he went I'D stairs to see he
body, when Mrs. Bowers explained tina
all the money sent was in trust for th
baby.
Alter reading the above, Mr.. Mars
was examined at length. The following
tquesti0ns and answers indicate NOR
fully the contents of the paper:
Q-By Chairman: State how the pay
Iments were made to the Secretary o
War subsequently to the funeral or hi
then wife, in 187C-whether in cash, b,
check, draft, certificate OF deposit
bonds, or by express or otherwise
iA.-The money was sent according t,
. the instructions OF the Secretary OF wa
I-sometimes in bank notes by Adams
lExpress; think on one or more occa
sions by certificate OF deposit on the Ma
tional Bank Of Commerce, New
York; sometimes / have pal,
/ him in New York III person
except first payment In. fall 1870 an,
the last In fall 1875 All were made Il
the Secretary in the modes I hay
stated, and unless, perhaps, on one o
!. two occasions at his instance, nav,
+ bought Government bonds with moneys
in my hands, arising from contrac
which either sent or handed to him.
Q.-By Mr. Blackburn: Can you statl
the sum In aggregate received by yol
under contract with Evans, and whal
portions thereof have you paid to the
Secretary of War in concluding the fret
and last payments, which yot
say were mot paid to him;
AL have no memorandum whatever
on which to make answer. 1t is very
simple calculation, however. The fret
payment to me by Evans was made in
the fall OF 1870, at the rate of $4,000 0
Year, be paid at that rate about yeal
and half, and since then at the rate ol
", 900 year. 1t would aggregate about
SAL, 900, One:halfof which / have disposed
OF as above stated.
Mr.. Marsh went ON to state that the
money was generally sent to the Secre-
tary OF War by express, although he had
sometimes paid il to him personally.