Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-03-09
HELIX n AP.
The Sad Story of His Fall.
The ePOSt-Tradership was Farmed
Out Through His Wife.
THE PARTIES IMPLICATED.
The Evidence that Forced the
Secretary Of War to Resign.

From the Cincinnati Commercial, editorial.
THE DRAMATIS PERsONE
Are we'll known here, and it seems ne
ceSsary to STATE Il few facts in the case
to make the whole story intelligi-
bic. Caleb p. Marsh, the witness, who
took an interest i'll the Fort Sill busi-
ness At the suggestion Of Mrs. Belk-
nap, and divided with the family, was,
until about ten years ago, a prominent
business man of this city, being of the
firm OF Tyler, Davidson IL Co. He le-
tired from the hardware business, and
has since resided in New York and
Europe. lie WAS acquainted when in
this city with Mrs. Belknap with
whom he negotiated, and with her sis
ter, then Mrs. Bower, the present Mrs.
Belknap, whose first husband, Bower,
was at the time of his death a member
of the firm of f. q. Leonard x Co., OF
this city. The present Mrs. kelkuap
is the third wife Of the rX-Sacretary of
War. and IS the younger sister of his
second vile. During the war, Colonel
Belknap, II widoWer, met and surren-
dered to the charms of Miss 1Omlin-
son, of Harrodsburgh, KY, and this ID
dy, who died IN 1871, we think, is the
one who procured for Mash the place
OF Pest Trader, being ut the time she
proposed the business with her sister,
then 4 widow, a guest in his house in
New York. The second Mrs. Belknap
died, leaving one child, which a few
months afterward died. Mrs. Bower,
after being fpr many years brilliant
figure in society in Washington and
other Eastern cities, married her broth
er-in-law, the ex Secretary. She is the
present Mrs. Be!knap, who is very
well knO An here, lady o. proposes
sing appearance and fascinating ad
dress, who has been the bright partic-
ular star Of Washington life, wearing
the most splendid dresses and giving
glittering entertainments.
MARsH's TESTIMONY.
Calep =. Marsh testified on Wednes-
day, before the House committee on
Expenditures in the War Department,
that he, having extended acts of kind
ness to Mrs. BelNnap (nOw deceased)
while i'll for several weeks at his resi-
dence in New York in the summer of
1870, Was at her request rendered the
appointment by Secretary Belknap of
pOst-trader at Fort Sill on the frontier,
which he accepted. He arranged with
one Evans, who had been holding that
pOst-tradeship, to continue the business
by allowing him (Marsh) Il bonus OF
ST., 900 Il year, and a contract to that
effect was entered into between them.
Payments were to be made quarterly
in advance. As regularly as Evans re-
mitted to him (Marsh), the latter paid
One-half of the amonnt to Mrs. Belk-
nap, by certificate OF deposit, or bank
notes by express. The first payments
in this way " ere made in November,
1870. Some OF the payments were SUBJ
Isequently made direct to Belknap him.
self. In the summer or fall of 1872, the
contract with Evans at Fort Sill was
reduced by Marsh to $4,000 year, and
from that time forward to the present
the equal divide with the Secretary'S
family was continued. The whole bO-
nus that Marsh thus received Wonld
amount to amount to about 1000,
One-half of which he disposed of in the
foregoing manner.
ORIGIN OF THE INVESTIGATION
The following is given as the origin
of the Belknap investigation: While
vi lOl llOuoc Ills
in December, Hon. B. B. Lewis, of Al
ALBANIA, was referred to e, o. Arms, a
real estate agent in this city. During
their search for d house Mr.. Arms, in
conversation, stated to Lewis that he
had formerly belonged to the army,
but was dismissed through the enmity
of Belknap; that if he had the assis-
tance of member of Congress he
could in sixty days develop facts that
would force Belknap to resign.
Lewis terdered his assistance, and
they subsequently had several inter-
views. Lewis being impressed sought
the advice of Randall, who advised
that the facts be brought before Cly-
mer, Chairman of the Committee on
Expenditures in the War Department.
Lewis and Arms saw Clymer and the
latter gave list OF witnesses, inclu-
ding Marsh. Afterwards Clymer
thought Anes was acting in bad faith,
as tie Secretary said Arms had propo-
sed that if he was restored to the army,
and certain other conditions complied
with, he would drop the matter. Lew
is said if Arms was seeking only to
levy black mail, of course they could
have nothing to do with it, but advi-
sed, as Arms had furnished witnesses,
that they called and examined, which
was done.
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