The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-03-10
BELKNAP.
Impeachment Articles Prepared
Mrs. Belknap and Mrs. Marsh.

ImDeachment Articles Prepared
Mrs. Belknap and Mrs. Marsh.
The Committee on Judiciary Monday
afternoon completed the Belknap arti-
cles Of Impeachment. They are twenty
in number, specifically stating the vari-
Gus a mounts of money received by him
at different times from Marsh. These
articles are founded on the testimony of
that witness, but as he has fed the coun-
try the Committee will to-day, on max
ing their report, move its reference back
to the committee, so that further testi-
mony may be taken to strengthen the
case. Some days may elapse before the
articles shall be finally acted upon by
the House and presented to the Senate.
The committee will not act in haste, as
they wish to present a case that can be
maintained before the Senate. They
charge Belknap with having violated
Section 1871 of the Revised Statutes,
the penalty for which is imprisonment
for not more than two years and fine Of
not more than $4,000.
MRS. BELKNAP TO BLAME.
WASHINGTON, March THE friends
of General Belknap insist that Mrs. Bel
KNAPP is alone responsible for his fall
They saw that the true story is this:-
When Mrs. Belknap, then Mrs. Bower,
tempted by the ambition to rival the
gay DANES of our Capital, accepted the
Marsh bribe and used her influence with
her sister to secure the purchased Office
she concealed from the Secretary all of
the iniquitons transactions. After, when
she became Mrs. Belknap, the Secretary
was made to believe that the $4,000
that came to her from the policy on her
former husband q life had been intrusted
to Mr.. Marsh, who had been very sue
cessful in it's investment. He had in
creased it to 100000. and the money
she received was from that source. When
the Secretary met Mr.. Marsh he treated
the matter as any man would.
Now MARK THE EVIDENCES
in faver of this story: He not only in
dorsed the drafts, which he would not
have done had he known of the frauds,
but, when the charges were made, he in
sisted upon Marsh's going before the
committee and telling what he knew. 1t
was only when he appeared and the facts
were made known to him that he knew
and realized the horrible truth. At this
point his nerve and brain gave way. 1t
was we'll enough to say he would make
no defense in his wife's dishonor. 1t was
noble in him to so determine, but such a
course did not save her, and only added
to her misery the anguish of knowing
that she had dragged down her wretched
husband. One of the counsel Of Gener-
al Belknap said, in conversation to-
night, that he was a much injured man
and that Mrs. Belknap was the guilty
party. This remark has led to the in
ference that the line of defense will be
to prove that General Belknap was not
cognizant of his wife's dealings with
Marsh, and believed, as has been alleg.
ed. that Marsh was paying interest on
her money which which had been given
to him for investment.
THE RESULT OF RIVALRY.
New York. March III has come
out here that the exposure of Belknap
by Marsh was not because of the latter's
Spartan virtue, which permitted him to
steal but not to lie, but was the result OF
a qurrrel between the wives of the two
men. Marsh's wife il woman of as
great beauty and personal appearance as
Mrs. Belknap, and the two often had
those painful little differences arising
from social rivalry. Mrs. Marsh and
the present Mrs. Belknap were old friends
before the advancement Of General Bel
knap. About a year ago misunder-
standing occurred between them, and
Mrs. Marsh, considering herself 10 have
been treated with indignity, broke off
her relations with her former friend and
vowed vengeance upon her and hers
When the pressure Of the Committee
was put upon Marsh, his wife insisted
that he should no longer attempt to
screen the Secretary. The ruin Of Mrs.
Marsh socially is as complete as that of
Mrs. Belknap. Her husband is fugi-
tive from justice, and che has accompani-
ed him. Marsh is held in utter con-
tempt here by all who knew him before
his revelations, and, whatever may be
the feeling that he only did his duty in
the matter by exposure. he is none the
less despised for that act of disloy atty to
his confederate than the first disloyaliy
TO the Government. II is not believed
that Mrs. Belknap first suggested the
bribery to Marsh, but he was the origin
al tempter of the woman.