The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-03-10
The Fort Sill Contract.

hepOTL0T-l Ou KNOW MT. M aFsDf
1nlormant-Yes, we'll. He is middle
aged man, we'll preserved, sleek and
cOmfortable-iooking. He made an easy
fortune in Cincinnati In the hardware
business, and then went to New York
several years ago. He hasn't been en-
gagged in business since except as a
special partner in HertJer q Brothers
furniture store, e77 Broadway, in which
he has considerable interest. Since
going to New York he has spent his
time in recreation and travel, living for
quite time in Earope. He is not dissi-
pated at all, but enjoys his money In a
high-toned respectable sort of fashion.
Reporter--W is he in business
way, man TO be made O tool of?
Informant-Not much. So far from
being the conscientious and anxious
follower after right, Marsh Is as cold.
bloody and crafty as a manipulation OF
sucn dirty business need be. I thought
at first that he had turned upon the
Belknaps for revenge, and can't divest
myself now OF the idea that the man has
some Interior or hidden motive in blow.
scientious dodge is altogether too thin
to 90 down with those who know the
man.
Reporter-The telegraphic report at
tributes the commencement of the ex-
posure to discharged officer named
Armes.
Informant-Yes, see that. And you
will observe both he and Marsh 20 in on
the high moral dodge. The whole story
OF the connec ton of Armes and Marsh
with this post leadership of Fort Sill has
only begun to be told. Marsh is alto.
gether too willing witness. But the
revelations which are coming will not at
all lessen the turpitude Of the Belknaps.
| So far as it goes and as they are con-
cerned, the truth has been told; but my
theory is that it is not the whole truth.
| Whether Marsh and Armes Joined
forces for revenge or for some other pur-
pose, I feel certain that there is collu.
sion here.
R.-Have you anything more than the
evolution of your inner consciousness to
base all this theory on?
Intormant-Yes; | get my ideas largely
| from what / know OF Marsh in this Fort
sill business. Ii ever there was man
VINO knew how to keep others in his
power, and both when and how to put
| the screws to his victims, it was this
same Caleb p. Marsh. was at Fort
| Sill when Evans showed me some of the
retters from Marsh. They were always
brief, and contained not superfluous
| word. If they nave been preserved
they will form a splendid contrast
in ring literature to the gushing and
slangy illusions OF Joyce. From the
81 ohm j. Evans & Co." to the &c. r
Marsh these letters fairly breathed a
taint OF tyranny. "You VIII do this
the style of the language. 1t was the in.
| nf haI1 M n 70
| riest menial. One OF these letters comes
to my mind now. In this Marsh sent
| oraers as to the transmission of the trib.
ute. Speaking Of a check for $500 which
he retained because the house it was
| drawn on, Chick u Co., had failed, he
| said: "Hereafter you will send exchange
on st. Louis,n etc. Referring to a back
| payment, Marsh wrote to Evans & Co.
| to .nurry up that $500" He warne.
them against running behind "else thers
will be trouble before YOU" There is
none OF the language Of the co-conspira
Tor in these letters, but the dictation o
a powerful combination to his victim
outside.
R.-You mean to say. then, that Evan
& Co. sustained no direct relation t0 tn
Beiknaps2
Il Iniurinant--None whatever. Eyans 4
Co. knew neither the Secretary nor hi
wife in the matter. They knew the laa
gave the Secretary the control of tb
tradership, but they learned tina
n Marsh's word was law, and they neye
went beyond him.
Il R.-Wouldn;t it be fair to presume fror
that that The Secretary or Mrs. Belknal
had seen Evans and paved The way 10
Marsh?
!. Informant-Well, that would be th
presumption, possibly If Marsh's statt
ment was to be taken as the exposure c
the whole plot. But / happen to kno,
the contrary. Evans ca,ne to Washing
ton and found that, under the act OF Cor
gress passed in 1870, Beiknap had made
Marsh master OF the situation. Evan
was alarmed, and he had good reason +
} be. Nearly his entire property, as wei
, as a good deal OF money ii ON his part
ner, was invested in the trading post q
Fort Sill, where he had been doing busi
ness Tor some time. They had o larg
stock OF goods ON hand, some
where about $4,000 or S4o,0 900 worth,
: think, and there theywere al that time 40
!, miles from the railroad. Unless some al
rangement could be fixed up to saw
their trade IL was utter ruin TO then
/. In the evidence you quoted above Mars
says Belknap or Mrs. Belknap suggeste
to him q compromise with Evans. 1t
possible they did, but it was a suggei
ton which came rsthand from then
Marsh met Evans, and his ability fo
that kind of work was at once manifesto
in the manner in which he forced Evan
UP 10 the highest notch in mis- contract
: pay royalty for the trade OF the pos
D Marsh made 1t S15, 900 a year at first, b,
came down finaily TO $4,000. Evan
went back to the post, anu in cons
q quence of this silent partner In the pro
, us was forced TO increase his lriC
list. He carried the load about eightee
months when on the one hand a tcHde
authorized by the Interior Departmer
8 opened his store just off the narrow mi
itary reservation, and on the other c0u
plants at the prices charged at Evan
store began to reach Washington. In
result was visit OF one OF the partner
t to New York, where he had several II
teryiews with Marsh. The latter he
out against any reduction in the royait
The Representative for Evans q q
finally laid down the alternative Of 'r
= duce or We'll quit the post" and Mars
Q acceded to 5000 year, but as befo
o the terms had been cash quarterly, inv
!, riably in advance, 80 tney continue
with the exceptions that the paymen
were made semi-annualiy.
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9 ga HIT: A PALPABLE HIT."-The 4
: Ipostsr, Georgia paper, at La Grang
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