The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-04-06
WEST L6 VOLUME \

thought there was no occasion for the
removal, and If he had been here he
should have objected to it. The cost OF
fitting up the new building for an office,
the expense OF removal, and cost Of re.
storing the old Office to It's original con.
dition, made great bill, while no adyan-
tages were gained by the change. Gem
eral Ingalls, had expressed his mortiica-
tion at the expense being much larger
than he had anticipated.
coMMrrrEE on WAR EXPENDITURES.
Hon. Zachariah Chandler, Secretary Of
the Interior, was sworn. The letter Of
appointment Of Charles s. Bell, dated
January 18th, 1876, was shown and
Chandler identified it as a regular
official document. Chandler said that
Bells name was first mentioned by the
President at a Cabinet meeting. BE the
Secretary had experienced considerable
difficulty in securing Chief Of the Sc
cret Service. He had discharged the one
he had and asked the members Of the
Cabinet'to help him get q good Chief. A
few days after the President mentioned
Bell as spy in the service OF the army
during the war. Bell called at the Inte-
rior Department with a card from the
President. The latter had said that he
would make good man on the force, but
not as chief. The card simply announced
that Bell was the man the President had
told him about. Witness told Bell that
he was not prepared then to make the
changes, but to come again. he called
several times in the course OF the next
few weeks, and witness said he believed
he had met Bell during that time. One
day General Hurlbut was sitting in wit
ness Office at the Interior Department
when Bells card came in. Witness threw
it carelessly upon the table, and told the
messenger to say to Bell that he was en-
gagged. Gen. Hurlbut says: "Bell2 Why
| know that man. He was spy for me.
He enlisted in the rebel army as private
and stayed in the service seven months,
during which time he was promoted to be
sergeant" Witness said, "lf he could
stay in the rebel army seven months as a
spy, and keep his neck out Of halter, he
must be smart fellow and ought TO make
good detective" Witness appointed
him more on what Gen. Hurlbutsaid than
upon the recommendation Of the Presi-
dent. Witness was under the impression
that Bell handed him card, but failed to
find it since, and may have been mistaken.
Witness had never spoken to Gen.
Babcock or Col. Luckey about
Il. Bell was discharged February Is,
1876, after one months service.
Witness said 1t came about in this way:
He went to Cabinet meeting one day
earlier than the other members, and
found the President sitting there with
Bells card on the table. The President
asked him il he had such man in his
employ, and the answer was Eyes" The
President then said Bell was scoundrel
and ought TO be dismissed. .laWitness dis
missed him US soon as he got back to the
office, because he believed him to he
scoundrel. The President told him that
Bell had applied to some one to certify
that he was IN the government employ 10
furnish information for or against Bah
cock, he did not care which.
Mr., Chandler said he never saw pub.
lication Of the cipher printed in the New
York Herald until after this investigation.
Mr.. Logan-Witness said he was not
aware that Bell had performed any ser.
vice for the Pension Bureau. Lebarnes,
chief Of the Pension Bureau Secret Ser
vice, came to witness at the end OF the
first month and said Bell wanted his ac-
count passed for expense. Lebarnes said
he did not know of any service perform
ed by Bel, that when he was first staken on
Bell said he had private matters to at.
tend to, that would perhaps require q
week Of ab.ence, and that he stayed about .
month. Witness told Lebarnes not n
audit the account until Bell
proved that he had rendered
services. Witness says Bell deceived
Assistant Secretary Cowen into endorsing
the following upon card to Le Barnes:
"Bell has been legitimately employed
under orders and is entitled to his allow
ance per diem with Colonel lie Barnes.
Please adjust the account" Witness
impression was that the voucher for the
payment Of Bell came in batch OF youch.
ers, though it may have come in specially.
He is not in the habit Of reading youch-
ers, because there are so many that it
takes two hours day sometimes Just to
sign them. He did not believe Bells
case was ever mentioned specially and
distinctly; thoughtit possibly might have
been. He said Il did not seem probable
that witness had noticed Bells voucher,
for II he had he would not have
paid It. Witness was not told by
Bell that he had gone to New York on
the Babcock matter. II he had not done
any other service, then he ought not to
have been paid. There was no evidence
except his word that be had rendered any
service on February 12. The Commits
sioner OF Indian Affairs sent number Of
cases to Lebarnes for investigation on
February 13. Lebarnes turned them over
to Bell with instructions to work them up
on February Is. Bell was directed by
Lebarnes to retain all the papers turned
over from the Commissioner Of Indian AZ
fairs. This order was received by Bell
| in ST. Louis, Witness had no intimation
that Bell was employed to assist Babcock
in his defense at st. Louis. He dis.
charged Bell because he believed him to
be q scoundrel. Witness knew Of no
subscription being taken up to defray the
expenses Of Gen. Babcoek at St. Louis.
He received letter from Mr.. Borie, OF
Philadelphi,a a few weeks after the acquit.
tai Of Gen. Babcock to the effect that Gen.
Babcocks trial expenses were about
$4,000; that he was utterly ruined, and
Us he was a young man he could over
come his difficulties II set upon his feet
and encouraged by his friends. Mr..
Chandler then sent Gen. Babcock check
for $1,000. When Le Barnes told wit
ness that Bell had something to do with
the Babcock trial, he told Le Barnes not
10 nay him unless he found him in the
legitimate employment Of the pension bu.
reau. He did not know that Bell had
been paid until enquiry after.
INDIAN AFFAIRS.
The House Committee on Indian AZ
fairs to-day examined Ralph Meeker. a
correspondent Of the New York Herald,
with reference TO some statements made
by him concerning frauds in the Indian
management. He said he had ho per.
il annoI knnWladpa of any hnk had heard