The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-03-03

Robbins, Caleb, and Marsh, one Of the
witnesses ordered to be subpoenaed by
the committee being present was duly
sworn according to law.
Question by the Chairmsn-Where do
you reside?
l reside at No. 80 West 57th street
/ New 7 ork. Have you resided in New
York about years?
Question by the Chairman-Were you
or not appointed or rendered an appoint
ment as post-trader at Fort Sill, Indian
Territory in the fall of 1870 by the Sec
retary Of War? lfso, under what cir
cumstances was the said appointment Sc
cured to you? State also if you were
commissioned by the Secretary as such
post-trader or il not who was so commits
ioned, and if any other person than your
self was Sc commissioned give his name?
| The reason why he was commissioned
| and if any agreement was made between
you and appointee. State i. or produce
it if in writing, and state
was such an agreement with the
knowledge Of the Secretary of War, and
state the circumstances connected with
the making OF that agreement, and all
transactions in detail Hereunder fully
ard particularly as ii you were specially
interrogated in regard TO the several
Transactions, and so FULLY as TO save the
necessity of repeating the interrogatories.
Statement OF Marsh.
N reply TO your question l would say
that in the summer of 1870 myself and
wife spent some weeks at Long
Branch, aud on our return
to New York Mrs. Belknap
aud Mrs. Bowen, By our invitation, came
for visit 10 our house. Mrs. Belknap
was i'll during this visit, some three or
four weeks, and | suppose in consequence
ofour kindness to her she felt under some
obligations, for she asked me one day in
the course of conversalion why did not
apply for post-tradership on the from
tier. / asked what they were worth,
and was told tha. many of
them were very lucrative offices
or positions in the gift of the Secretary
of WacJ and that II | wanted one she
would ask the Secretary for one. Upon
my replying 1 thought such Offices be.
longed TO disabled soldiers and besides
that was without political influences.
she answered politicians got such places,
ETC., etc. / don't remember saying that
il had valuable post
OF that kind that would
remember her. but do remember her
saying something like this: at | can
prevail on the Secretary of War to award
you post, YOU must be careful to say
nothing to him about presents, Tor man
once offered him $4,000 for q trsdeship
ofthis kind, and he told him that if be
did not leave the Office lie would kick
him down stairs" Remembering as !
do this story presumed the antecedent
statement to be correct. Mrs. Bel
KNAPP and Mrs. Bowen returned
to Washington, and few weeks there.
after Mrs. Belknap sent me word 10
come over, and did So She thon told
me that the post tradeship at Fort Sill
vas vacant; that il was valuable post,
AS she understood, and that she had either
asked for il for, mo, or had prevailed on
the Secretary of War to agree TO give it
to me. At all events | called on the
Secretary of War and, US near as | can
remember, made an application for
this position IN regular printed
form. The Secretary SAID he would ap-
point me if | could bring proper letters
Of recommendation, and this | said /
could do. Either Mrs. Belknsp or the
Secretary told methst the present trader
vt the post, John s. Evans, was an appli-
cant tor resppointment, and | had better
see HIM, be being in the city, as 1t would
not be fair TO turn him out of office
without giving him some notice,
rs he would lose largely on
his building and merchandise II the Office
was taken from him, and tAa: it would be
proper and just for me 70 make some ar
rangement with him for their purchase
if l wished to run the post myself /
saw Evans and found him alarmed at the
prospect of losing the place. l remem-
Der he said that firm OF western post
traders, who claimed good deal Of in
fiuance with the Secretary Of War prom
led " have him appointed but he found
on coming to Washington, this firm to
be entirely without influence. Evans
first proposed a partnersh!p, which | de-
cllacd, and then bonus o. Il certain por-
tIon oi the profits fl would allow him
to hold the position and continue the
business. We finally agreed on $1,000
a wear Evans and myself went on to
New YORK together. where the contract
was made and executed and which i.
herewith submitted in the paper marked
a Daring our trim over. Evans said
.oma,hipc in the Irmy anil Nary
.J,grsal lcd him to think that
some or the troors were to be removed
from the fort. and tnat he offered too
I,rya a sum and before the contrac. was
drawn il wa. reduced bv All acroemen,
to $4,000 the same beng payabie
ono-,o-i. m eGvanc, When the first
r.,nrttsrco came To M saw probably in
Noy.mb.-. $50.