Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1876-08-17

This at louisville, KY, while furn-
ishing stock at various times under
the contracts as above dated"
Specification 3--@In this: that said
e. A. Smith did, on Or about the
23d day Of February A. d. 1858,
while contractor for furnishing
supplies for the army of the United
States, defraud the government by
paying, orauthorizing to be paid, to
one William Wood, a Government
Inspector sof Stock, at Louisville,
Kentucky, one dollar per head for
passing defective and unsound stock,
under his said contract with the
Governments of the United States,
and did s,Sse with his said partner
in ig5f G. W. Hall, charg
inglMA 3 6 account four thou
sanSss Id and forty y-five dol
lars ($4,4 ~, THAT sum being one
dollar peiyhead for the horses passed
by said inspector at Louisville), as
having been paid said inspector by
the firm of Smith &c Hall as a bribe;
and did, on or about the 23d day of
February, 1853, authorize one Olney
Gould to say to Government Inspec-
tors at Louisville, Kentucky, Wood
and Taylor, that he had a clean
thousand dollar bill in his pocket,
and that it was for them This at
Louisville, Kentucky, on or about the
date above wiitten."
A full view of the evidence in these
cases was made at the office of the
Judge Advocate General, and under
date OF December IL, 1868. That
officer expressed the opinion that
"the sentence was warranted by the
testimony
At the very time that the above
frauds were in progress, namely, on
April A, 1863, Smith contracted to
deliver to the government by April
"a, 800 mules at $S7 per head, with
the provisions in the contract that if
there was any failure, the Quarter
master should buy in open market, to
supply the deficiency at the expense
of the contractor.
Smith furnished ninety mules, and
then dropped the contract, and claim
ed $3.50. But the Quartermaster
upon entering the open market to
make up the deficiency, was obliged
to pay about $4,000 over and above
Smiths contract price, and so the
claim of $3.50 was rejected under
the express terms of the contract it.
self In view of the discoveries of
general fraud and bribery, it would
have been quite just to have refused
payment, but it was rejected in ac
cordance with the contract instead.
ENTER THE HENDRICKS FAMILY.
After the general and systematic
swindling, for which these two wor-
thies had been tried ahd convicted,
had become.a matter of common no.
toriety. sthe1 assigned their claim to
William Henderson, of indianapolis,
a cousin of Senator Hendricks, and
the latter undertook to collect it. AT
ter two attempts in the War Depart
ment, and one in Congress, he sue
ceeded in obtaining the money. He
had the matter in charge for two
years while Senator of the United
States.
On the 18th of March, 1867, Sena-
tor Hendricks filed the claim of Hen
derson in the office of the Quarter
master General, with the following
explanation.
"The foregoing application l make
for Mr.. Henderson, as he desires me
to obtain the payment of this claim
for him.
Signed] "T. A. HENDRICKS"
HENDRICKS FAILS IN THE WAR DE-
PARTMENT.
MARCH 15.-Gen. D, H. Rucker,
acting as Quartermaster General,
wrote to Hendricks, addressing him
as "Hon. L. A. Hendricks, United
States Senator" informing him that
the additional expense to the gov
ernmentof completing the contract
which Smith failed to carry out was
much greater than the sum claimed,
and 'the Quartermaster-G General can
not allow the claim now set up"
HE TRIES THE BOARD OF CLAIMS.
This letter Hendricks sent to the
Secretary of War claiming that the
decision was a hard one, and
asked that the matter might go
before the Board of CLAIMS. The
following is Mr.. Hendricks let
ter as transmitted. Notice the en-
dearing title of ''constitlent" with
which he masks his cousin and init
mate friend,
WASHINGTON, April 3, 1867.
Hon. Il. N. Stanton, Secretary of
Var: .4
SIR-!n behalf of my constituent,
l have the honor to request that this
claim may be sent to the Board of
Claims, organized by yourself for
the examination of claims. / think
the decision a hard one. l will be
glad if all the papers in the case, to-
gether with a letter / addressed to
the Quartermaster General, be sent
with the case to the Board.
T. A. HENDRICKS.
The claim was not allowed by this
Board, and the papers examined do
not show whether it was considered.
THE OCCUPATION OF LEISURE MOMENTS.
The following letters show that
Senator Hendricks had given con-
siderable previous attention to the
case:
TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
"FHIRD AUDrroR's OFFIoE,
Feb. 25, 1867.
'SIR- In answer to your esteemed
favor Of the 22d inst, asking what
prices we're paid by the United