The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-03-10

Facts Two Years Ago.
spe-is Telegram 10 ihe cromcraial:
BALTIMORE. March ..
The first action looking TO an invest.
lgatipn and conviction Of Belknap. wa,
~, Captain George r. Robinson. now
'lresiding ia Baltimore. ho for period
OF six years was stationed at Fort Sill.
Between this gentleman and Belknap a
very bitter feeling has existed and now
iexists, growing out of the fact, as al
legged by Captain Robinson, that his at
tempt to publicly proclaim Bclknap )
guilt had resulted in his Robinson
being tried before military commits
|, sion and casicrcd. lie Is "a civil engi-
neer by profession. aud is at present en-
ploycd by the Columbian Iron Works
"a, tcl's Point. Lest evening a repre-
Sentative OF tho Commercial called up
on Captain Robinson, at his residence,
and The following conversation eusucd /:
Question When did you assume
your duties AZ Fort Sil2
4 Answer entered upon my duties
as Captain in the Tenth United States
Cavalry at Fort Sill in 1868, aud re-
manned until lsi2. period OF six years,
| was Instrumental IN having the in
lvCstigatiHn made, although my name
has not yet appeared in connection with
the matter
g. 10 you know positively. Of your
own personal knowledge, thai Bciknap
d. guilty!
4. do. knew personally that
Belknap received ~ bribc The sum OF
fifteen thousand dollars annually f,r
three years, payable monthly. ia ad-
Vance.
q. BY whom was this money paid?
y. By Mr. Marsh, OF New York, and
~. y. Evans aud j. j. Fisher. the post
TRADERS al Fort sill.
7 .. Was the post so remuneraiive that
/ they could afford TO pay this bribe?
A. II WIS ihe most valuable in the
Iniied States When the above firm
took possession as post traders they
were heavily in debt, and lad small
stock OF goods. When LETT the fort
their stock was worth from eighty thou
sand 10 one hundred thousand dollars.
and they were all wealthy and out Of
debt
: O. What efforts were made TO secure
I the post.
".
and procure petition signed by tie
Officers of the Tenth United STATES Cav
lairy and The Sixth United states In
tantry. stationed Gt the tort. addressed
% 'le Secretary or War. asking DIS, ap-
ipoimtmcnt as post trader. Mr.. Belknap
read this petition aud told Mr.. Evans
that be- " Ould as soon have petition
OF So many wagon masters rs the officers
OF that post. lie then told Mr.. Evans
that he had already appointed a. post
trader for Fort Sill. Mr. Marsh. OF New
York. lie added that he thought Marsh
did not Wish 10 20 out 10 TIE Indian
Territory, ana told Evans that ii hc
went on o. New York. lie could zee him
ItManll there. anG might make An ar-
taugemeat with linn. Mr. Ivans went
to New York and found Marsh; lie
also iouni interested i'm The matter the
firms OF DuriCc y Go. and Dent IS Co.
lMr. Denl Is brothcr-in-law OF prcsi-
dent Grant and others
, q. How was the post disposed OF
,inallys
q. Mr. Marsh put lie post trader
ship M ai public auction. aud it was
bid Oh % Evans & Co, the terms being
THAT belknnp was "a bc paid $1,000 a
year for three years, aud $l2.OOO per
wear aiierward.
q. How was the business conducted ?
a. The business WAS conducted la The
name Of j. :. Evans n Co: the firm
paid the bribc to Marsh. by whom it
was turned over 70 Bclkuap. or rs they
say now. to Mrs. Bcll,nap; It makes no
difference. il went ia the family.
g Being familiar with these particu-
lars. did You make any effort 10 have
them investigated
A. More than year ago | visited
A Washington and made charges against
Bclknap. employing as counsel Johu J.
Key. OF that city, and subsequently,
General llinklc, also OF Washington
(which latter was largely instrumental in
bringing the matter to an issue. These
lcharges were presented to the Military
Committee.
@. What was the result?
a. The result was that I was cash
Tered
g. Did President Grant know OF these
lchargcs against Belknap.
a. President Grant has known oI
these charges for years: he knew a,
much two years ago as he knows to-day
q. When did YOU make an effort "a
rcnew thc chargcsy
a.. Some two months ago. Irenewed
the charges, employing the same counsel
was backed by an the officers OF IN.
fort, aud furnished a list OF witnesses