The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-22
RADICAL ROBBERY.
TRAFFIC IN POST TRADERsHIPS IN
THE TERRITORIES.


THE TERRITORIES.
A SUSPICIOUS ORDER BY PRESIDENT GRANT
-oRvILLE's PARTICULAR FRIENDS-sYs-
TEMATIC RoRBERY OF THE SOLDIERS BY
THE sCoUNDRELs.
The Laramie City correspondent of the
New York Sun contributes the following
to the developments of the day: When this
reaches you the excitement incident
to the development of Belknap's rss-
cality will in a measure have passed
away. will say, however, that many
persons are surprised that the whole mat
ter in the traffic of post traderships was
not sooner exposed. 1t must be remem-
bered that at the time Belknap came into
Office the general of the army bad the
power of appointing traders at
the military posts mot % in the
saw how prof. able the appointing
power could be used, and set to work to
have the law so changed as to give the ap-
pointment of traders to the secretary of
war. By sdroit maneuvering he accom-
plished his object, and Immediately the
shameful traffic began. A man from Iowa
by the name of Hedrick became the broker
tor the posts in the Western country.
They were all
and they went to the highest bidder. Not
a doubt was expressed here, even at that
time, as to who we're the persons who
shared In the profits OF these sales. While
Hedrick was the man who was generally
to be consulted, Orville Grant was the per-
son who did q great deal OF the talking
and working. 1t is only about year ago
that Orville Grant intimated that he could
have the post at Fort Sill If he could get
responsible person who would be honest
In dividing the profits. The persons who
heard Mr.. Grant make this offer are OF the
highest responsibility, and hold themselves
in readiness to testify when called
upon. Fort Sill is only one of the places
il was thought necessary to bleed. All of
the large posts are treated in the same
way, and they must have yielded enormous
plumber. Take the case of Fort Laramie.
w. 8. Bullock, q gentleman of respecta-
bility, had been post trader there Tor
about fifteen years. He. was generous,
kind hearted, genial man, whose first treat
ment of both officers and enlisted men
will long be remembered by them. Under
Belknap and the new law he was forced to
give up his business to a drunken poll
ticisn by the name of Mccormick, who soon
became such nuisance to the post that
common
DECENCY DEMANDED HIS REMOVAL.
At that time there was firm OF shoe
and leather dealers at Omaha, known as s.
81 J. a. Collins, particular friends OF Orville
Grant. A consultation was held between
these worthless, and it was agreed that j.
II. Collins should have the leadership al
Fort Laramie. To the surprise OF every
one here, the following order was very
oio hu n
the United States:
Give the leadership at Fort Laramie tC
J. III. Collins, in preference to all others.
(Signed) U. s. GRANT.
This order, from the executive mansion
the Collinses showed to q number of per-
| sons, and asked information as to how
| Trey mould manage things. They have
managed things nobly for themselves, as
| the poor enlisted men, who were the suffer
ers, can testify. They have accumulated
large fortune, and live like nabobs. Their
prices have been brilliant in the extreme
and as they have no competition at the
post they can well afford to pay $1,000 9
year, which is said to be the price. o.
/ course all this money comes eventually
out of the pockets OF the poor enlisted mer
and their families, since the more the posi-
trader
PAYS FOR HIS POSITION
the more he charges the soldier for tb,
wretched stuff he sells. Prices charged
for many of the necessary articles of sol
diers' supplies are so great that if they
were given they would hardly be believed
All the large posts are the same. For
Abraham Lincoln, Fort Union, Fort Fet
terman, Fort Richardson, and q scor
of other forts have a history o
fraud and corruption similar t.
that of Forts Sill and Laramie
Let Mr.. Dent step up and tell what h'
knows about Fort Union. Let Mr.. A. @
Leighton, trader at Fort Bedford, be med,
1 to give his experience on the witness
stand and then let Major Terrill pay
master of the army, step up and tell how
leadership in Texas was obtained for hl
clerk, one Wsllack, and how the man wht
had the post before Belknap's advent wa
plundered and finally squeezed out by thii
man Wallsck, who still holds the posi-
ton.
THE POOR SOL DIERs ARE ALSO ROBBED
by other persons in high official positions
When John A. Campbell (now a clerk il
the state depsrtment), was governor o
Wyoming, he subjected the post trader
in that territory to forced contributions
on the pretense that money was wanted
for campaign purposes, and few, II any
of the traders dared to refuse to pa,
over. Let Mr.. Campbell step up ant
, tell what he did with that money
T can give the names of trader
who sent the money to him. The trade
at Fort Sanders, a post not really wortl
81, 900 year, was called on for 500 by Mr.
Campbell and the money was sent to him
II the committee investigating the &C
counts of the war department be sent
thorough history post traderships in tn
territories, let them summon Major Gen
eral Hunis N. Palmer, of the regular army
and make him tell what he knows of tn
post traders business.
The report of the royal commission oI
vivisection has just been laid before tn
, British parliament. The commissioners
after having taken great mass of evl