Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-10-11

'0OO to $l,OOO, which was never &C.
for; that he had been in 4
formed by several former comrades /
If his son that the latter had said he /
had deposited money with Hayes, the |
names of two of whom are furnished
that he wrote to Gen. Hayes about it, |
the money as the legal rep
resentative of his son; and that the
general not only refused 10 pay but
denied all knowledge until threaten
ed with a suit at law.
This is James Leroy's statement,
which is unsubstantiated by any legal
evidence. What the Hon. Mr.. Will
son says and what William Waite
makes affidavit of amount to nothing
and need not engage our attention.
To James Leroy l beg now to pay my
compliments, and before am through
shall hope to convince everybody
that not only is Leroy's statement un.
founded, but he is open to the charge
of having attempted repeatedly to
blackmail the Governor of Ohio in
1869 and 1870, and also in 1876, when
the Governor had become the candi-
date of the republican party for
president. This, although new to the
public, is All old story to the friends
of Gov. Hayes. Care has been taken
to have every fact VERT fed by the Off
cial records and testimony that cam
not be gainsaid, all of which are in
the possession of Gov. Hayes. From
these is presented the following sum-
married. statement
NpYonx ypox-,;, c,,x,,,,, .n ,,n~,x.
|. James Leroy, now of Sparta,
Wis.,, father of Nelson j. Leroy, de-
serted his wife, Amanda M. Leroy,
of Willoughby, Lake county, o.,
some time prior to the war, and il
was supposed left with another wo.
man, leaving Mrs. Leroy to raise Mel.
son J. Leroy, then an infant. Mrs.
Amanda NJ. Leroy, the mother. sup.
ported and had full charge Of Nelson
from tho date of said desertion mp tt
the beginning of the war.
| 9. Nelson J. Leroy enlisted on tho
22nd of May, 1861, as private in
company L., 23d O. vi. He re-en.
listed on Jan. 1, 1864. and was killed
at the battle of Winchester, Sept. 10
1864. He was entitled to Sill pay pei
month from the date of his enlist.
ment to the 9th of August, 1861; tt
$l3 per month from August 5, 1861, tt
May l, 1864; to SIG per month from
May /, 1864, to Sept. 10, 1864, thu
date of his death. He was entitled
to 800 bounty by reason of two
years service; to 81 premium for the
month of his re-enlistment; to $4O(
bounty on becoming a veteran, and
to local bounty from the town o.
Youngstown, o., on his rc.enlistment
3. The records of tho treasury de.
partment show that Nelson j. Lero.
received his monthly pay up to The
Both of April, 1864; that he received
his 500 bounty, his 81 premium, anG
$l1O of the 500 veteran bounty due
him, and which was paid in two in
stallments. The total amount Of
monthly pay received from May %
1861, to April 30, 1864, was $440.63,
veteran bounty $40, and 500 add
tional bounty; total $65O.63.
The records also show that on Jan
-, 1866, Mrs. Amanda M. Leroy
mother of Nelson J. Leroy, received
tho pay due her son from April 80
1864, to Sept. 10, 1864, (date of Leroy's
death) amounting to $3.50, and also
$3.50, the amount unpaid of the $4O(
veteran bounty, making total OF
$265.7O received by Leroy's mother
Mrs. Amanda NJ. Leroy also received
the local bounty due Nelson J. Leroy
from the town Of Youngstown, o.
4. James Leroy, OF Sparta, Wis.
prior to the gubernatorial election in
1869, when Gen. Hayes was a candi.
date for reelection, made claim OF
$500 or 81, 900 on Gen. Hayes, stating
that his son, Nelson J. Leroy, had, on
the evening preceding the battle of
Winchester, deposited that sum with
Gen. Hayes for safe keeping. James
Leroy drew on Gov. Hayes through
bank for the amount of the claim
and threatened that if Gov. Hayes
did not settle it, he QLeroy) would
publish the whole matter. The Gov
ernor Endorsed on the back of
the draft, "This is an attempt at
blackmail," and returned it. The
sum of money said to have been de-
posted with Gen. Hayes was claimed
to have been received by Nelson Le-
roy as follows: 500 for special
bounty. 500 for veteran bounty and
the local bounty received from
Youngstown, O., besides some money
for monthly pay,
WHAT HAYES DISCOVERED.
Gov. Hayes investigated the mat.
ter and found from the records:
That Nelson J. Leroy did not re.
ceiye his local bounty due from
Youngstown, o, but that his mother
collected it after Nelson's death.
\ That Nelson j. Leroy did not re.
ceive $500 Us veteran bounty but only
$llO, the remainder being collected
by his mother.
That Nelson J. Leroy was paid his
monthly pay in full up to Jan. 81
1864; was paid his 800 bounty and
$GO, first installmcnt of 800 veteran
bounty, all on the 3lst Of January
1864.
Il That in February, 1864, just after
being paid he went homo on veteran
furlough, and that when his time ex
PRED he had spent all his money ex.
cept what he had delivered to hi.
mother, and wrote to comrade in
camp, who sent him money to return
with.
| That Nelson j. Leroy, after his re.
turn to camp and before his death
only received $50, $50 as second in
stallment as veteran bounty and &S
as pay from Jan. 81, to April 80, 1864
| This amount was paid him Aug. 90
1864, just three weeks before hi
death.
4 That Nelson j. Leroy always sent {
Iportion of his money to his mother
and Mrs. Leroy had received all the
back pay and bounty duo her soon
after his death.
| LERoY's LETTER.
4 In 1876, when Gov. Hayes was 9
candidate for the third time, James
Leroy wrote the following letter:
ToMAH, Wis, Sept. 20, 1S75.-R. D.
HAYES, EsQ.-Sir:-I see by the pa
pcrs that your nano is again before
the people for governor, and wishing
to assist you in your election, deem
it my duty to place in the hands of the
opposition the entire correspondence
between you and myself in regard to
my dead sons money, as well as the
letter with all contradictory state.
ments, SO that the same can be used to
your advantage at the polls all over
the state on the day Of election. If
you should not desire such help, full
telegram sent to me at this place on
the receipt Of Thu, from some respect.
able bank in Ohio, that the amount
SO wrongfully withheld has been dc.
posted to my credit, will show your
appreciation Of my good intent, and ]
shall be satisfied to desist. Yours,
JAMES LEROY.
But Leroy's story did not then find q
market. The opposition in Ohio
knew better than to put before the
people who knew Gov. Hayes and
who had learned to love and respec,
him for his high character and stcr.
ling official principles, such an infa-
nous accusation. Gov. Hayes having
been nominated for the presidency ii
1876, this same James Leroy turns nr
again and attempts to levy blackmail
II ia Needless To say that Gov Haves