The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-06
THE ARREST OF BELKNAP.
AN4TTEuPT TO ESCAPE pRFTENTED
AND ms HOUSE GUiRDED.


lnura Of three and four O'Clock on Friday morn
lur last a close carriage containing three men
ntoye slowly past the residence Of Gen. BeIknap
ON q street. then turned into the square below,
and nj length was driven into the alley back OF
p.lknap's house and stopped In the rear of ms
,e.idence. This fact was reported TO the At
nev-General tho next morning. VINO al once
ysve orders to have the house watched iestihg'
for the nrst time, that liclknlp might POSSIBLY
intend to escape.
The action Of the Cabinet on Friday ana tho
announcement officially made that the Presi-
I.,,, h.a ,,-olv.d in the post leadership scan
d.i, As In the wiiskcy frauds, that no Ruilly rer-
,.,, .b.iid ,s.a,c. gave to not only Mr.. Marsh
i,,,,o over,bod, who has been holding position
~, moan. Of bfiLts. H. understand that they had
,,,, got out of the way Of the Sefgeant-at-
Arms of tho House.
The warning likewise reached Delknap, who.
On Saturday, began making preparations to leave
Washington 10y private conveyance. ON sat
ufday he called on friend with whom he
wi.hed 70 have moiied transactions, and the
plan - escape was to hc carried out ut
~ early hour this morning The Secret Service
detectives who had been detailed to watch the
premises at O'Clock this morning aroused At
lCrncy General Iicrrei ont, who gave ora"i- 7"
Lhief NashburnO that under no circum-
stances must he permit liclknap TO leave
hi. morning United states District At
torncv Welles was sent for. and
warrant was drawn up for the arrest OF l'etknap
on criminal charges. Two officers of the secret
service repaired 10 the residence. aud informed
The General that II he attempted t9 escape he
would De arrest and taken 80 jan. nut II thry
wore permitted TO remain In tho house ne could
etay there until such time - II would be netes-
tar, o. take INN INTO custody.
Finding thai lis uians had been frustrated,
Belkuap quietly acknowlcdsed himself pris-
,1t,er ana said he would not again think Of try
lna Va ft aNt NtNt
Humiliation which hi, conduct has placed him
IN has saddened his countcnance exceedingly.
In addition to the presence of the of1icer- In
the house. there arc also two stat oned outside,
and every precaution has been taken to prevent
his leaving Washington.
IMPEACHMENT ARTICLES.
Articles Of impeachment against Delknap
will be reported to the House of Repre- ent atives
tomorrow from the judiciary Committee
They are not entirely competed vet, hut their
general scope has been decided upon' and the
Chairman Of tho committee has the various ar
reported to the full committee Yesterday.
Tie lrst article sets out a history Of tho trans
action between William W. lelknap. Secrctlry
pf Mar. aud Caleb =. Marsh, whereby on the
10Th OF oct her. ls,u John = Evans ap-
pointed post trader AZ Fort Sill, military post
Of tue United states, iu pursuance Of q corrupt
and unlawful agreement made and entered into
Marsh and the said Evans. This agreement &.
sci out in full. aud it is charged that Slioo was
on the 10th day OF october aforesaid pnd to
Caroline Beknap the wife of w. W. Belknfr,
consent Of the said Bclknap.
IL Is also set forth that at I've different times
In ls1l-2, which are named the sum Of Sl,iNQ
was oy the said Marsh paid directly TO the said
Helknap as quarterly p,Ynents. and that at ten
acny nfeos e, 9st forih IN the a as are
installments were paid TO Belknap.
The second article sets forth that on the
eth day Of october. 1870, Caleb 7. Marsh and
Caroline IlelKnap. with the knowledge and ap-
proyal of W. W. Belknap. Secretary Of War. did
enter into conspiracy TO dispose Of a trading
establishment at Fort sill, military post OF the
United states. and the appointment OF John :.
Of corrupt and unlawful agreement made gu
the day aforesaid, the sum OF tl.jO was on tho
1Oth oi october 1870, paid 70 the SAID Caroline
Belknsp, with the knowledge and consent Of
The said W. W. lielknap. and for his use and
benefit. This article also sets forth tne various
rertly M to December 81.
As each separate payment 81 money to
. aeI iratc article will be made. setting forth
each transaction. As there were sixteen pay
mcuts. there VIII. OF course, have to be sixteen
and there will also he two or three others, max
ing u all twenty one or TWENTY-FIVE articles. IL
IL possible, however. that when the full commit
tee comes 10 discuss the articles tomorrow and
give the final revision that the number Of them
may he reduced. The right, however. q present
additional articles will. Of course, 10 reserS ed
to the House Of Repre- cntatiyss.
40 Nrw TESTIMONY.
The great mistake made was that the Julici-
ey committee was not empowered TO Ike
additional testimony II It was deemed neccssa-
~ In order 10 enable II 10 draw the articles OF
Impeachment with more eNactncss. This wa
the original intention OF the Committee on
fxpenditures 10 the War Department, but
Il found that 10 would he impossible
60 agree upon the report and make II unanimous
il this Was Insisted upon. and hence the resulu-
tion instructing the Judiciary Committee was
drawn rs reported, requiring II 70 prepare and
reuort without unnecessary delay suitable arti-
des OF Impeachment on the testimony referred
to IT, The labor Of the judiciary Committee in
the preparation of the articles would have
been materially lessened had they been
Instructed TO take additional testimony,
but OF course things must nave been DELAYED
several day longer by this course. As It Il, the
record vii simply be encountered ,s by over over
been sufficient had the record before the com
mittee been more complete. But there Is no
difnculty whatever In covering by the different
articles rs drawn every phase Of the case, and
rendering Il absolutely impossible for any point
tie fully covered 10y them.
montgomery BLAIR. at The request Of Gen. Bel
knap called on Judge Black on Friday 10 see
whether he could be Retained 10 defend Bel
Luap before the impeachment court. judge
Black answered that he did not see ANYTHING 70
defend. and declined 10 be retained. The Pres
ident says that he Is not in haste 10 il the place
Of SECRETARY Of War, and shall act with great
care, II viii bc some days before anything l.
done. The names Of Gen. J. d. Webster Coli
lector Of the port Of Chicago; Henry :. Lane Of
Indiana. Jane. NJ. Comfy Of Columbus, Ohio (;
GreenberrY ;. Fort, Congressman from Illinois ;
lon. Bntler and John G. New, the Assistant
United states Treasurer are named in this con
nectiOn. Treasurer New however, has no no
ton that he viii be selected.
LETTING EVERY Guilty Man ESCAPE.
Tie course pursued by the President and his
Cabinet In causing II to be published 10 the
parties concerned In the sale Of the post trader
chip indicted and prosecuted to punish
ment, Is In entire accord with the efforts
Df Grant and his Attorney-General u
break down the prosecutions ~ the political
cOnfederates Of the Whiskey Ring thieves In
st. Louis, CnicagO, and Milwaukee. Had the
President really desired to have his friend Bel
knap prosecuted IN the courts here, he would
not have suffered his Intention 10 be made pub
lie. The witness Marsh without whose testi-
mOny neither the impeachment trial nor
the judicial proceedings can be carried
on, was by this publication given notice
that he wus to be made to suffer
fnr what he had done I'm causing the exposure
of this great scandal whereby the Administra-
sion and the Republican party Is so seriously
damaged. Had the President and Attorney
General Plerrepont desired 70 aid the House OF
Nepresentat.ycs inmakns good their lmpeach-
ncnt Of Helkh- .. ana at the same time secure
his conviction IN the Criminal Court Tor bribery.
they would have quietly ordered the District
Attorney 70 make information before q | nited
States Connls ssipner and had all the parties ar
rested. Marsh should have been held 10 bail
simply A. wltness, ana given assurances that
he would not bee prosecuted criminnlly but II
Il quite evident that the intention was not only
10 fTighten Marsh out Of the country
but also TO give notice TO every other
person who has had any corrupt transacti On
with officers OF the Government and especially
with members Of Grants Cabinet, that II they
obey the suhpnnas OF the Speaker Of the House
Of NeureseutatiVea and come before COmmtttees