The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-03-17
SECRETARY BHLkNAP's DISGRACE.
Onieiai Report OF the Testimony nj Caleb
r. u.r.h Before the so~g ssionai
eommiffee.


wAsHINGToN, Feb. -. The Committee
A. ~ a. a. -i'resent-Messrr. Ciymer. Black
burn and u .bbinr-
- be -ubprnaed by the committee. being pre-
| eD.. w@ssiuly sworn according % Law.
Question tby the Chairman. Where do you
/ resides
Answer. I reside At 20 West Fifty seventh
street. New York; have resided in New York
/ about eight years.
I u fby Chairman Were YOU appointed or
rendered appointment Post trader at Fort
>il. L. T.. In tie fall u lr70, by the secretary 81
War II 50, under what circumstances said
appointment rendered you. state al-o II YOU
| trader. or II not. who was 30 commissioned. and
/ II any Other person than yourself wac 80 con-
tween you and the appointee, state q. or produce
IL II IN writing and Was such agreement with the
knowledge u the Secretary Of War; and state
/ the circumstances connected with the mA.ing Of
| that agreement and all transactions in detail
hereunder fully and particularly az II you were
I specially interrogated IN regard % the several
transactions and 80 fully " save the n-cessity
VI repeated inierrogAti0ns-
A. In reply 70 your question, I would state
that in the summer q lesO myself and wife spent
70 '' New York. Mrs. B@isnap and Mrs. E Bsser
! 1.-The late Sra. Belknap's sister and the pre- ent
Mr.. BeiknaPl. by our invitation. came for a
Welt 20 our house. Mrs. Belknap was i'll during
this visit some three or four weeks. and cup
pose. in consequence Of OR kindness 10 her, she
I fell under some obligations, for she asked one
day. IN The course Of conversation, why dd
not apply tor post leadership on The frontier
! askesl what they were. and Was told that many
81 them were the most lucrative ofices or peel
tiOu- within the gift Of tie secretary 81 War,
and Ii4At II wanted one she would ask the SEC
ret&ry for one. Upon my replying that though;
such Offices belonged u disabled soldiers,
I political influence. ebe answered that
politicians S.st places. etc. etc. 90 not re-
member say Ing that 4 ! had valuable post Vt
] = 4 "A
EnsInOer her saying something Lke this III
can prevail upon the Secretary ~ War 10 awarl
7 You post, sou must he careful q say nothing
Y - him about presents. for man once offered
him ~ $50 Tor leadership u this kind, and he
Z tpll him y be- Gid not leave the Office he would
kirk min down stairs Remembering a. do
TINS story, presume the Anlecesent statement
Y ~ b. cnrrect. Mrs. Belknap ami Mrs- Bowers
y returned o. Washington aHd few weeks there
after Mrs. Beiknap sent me Wcrt a. come over.
4 Glt - ~he told me That the post trasierehp
4 AZ Port ill was vacant-ttat IL a valuable
poet A. -ue understood. and that she hasl eth
asked for Il Tor me. or mad prevailed upon the
Secretary q War - xzree 10 give Il u
me. 1t al events. callfI upon the SECRETARY 81
War, AMI "a near AZ can remember niale ap-
pilcAt4"n Tor the position IN regular printed
iorm- The Secretary said he would appoint me
Z " could bring proper letters ami recymmenda-
tons AMI this / rald could do. Either Mrs
Beiknap OF the Secretary told me that the present
trader at the post. John :. Evans vas an appli-
cant for reapPolntmeut, anu tlAt had better
hlm. he being in the ciiv. n q would not lie
taAAE u Turn MIN 0lL uf Once Without some no.
tice. - he would lose largely on his build
ing. merchandise. etc. IL the Office was taken
from him, and that x would ~ proper and last
Tor me % make arrangements with him for their
purchase, 4 wished o run the post myself. /
saw Evans and found him alarmed af the PROS
Irect Of losing the place. ! remember that he
saih u.at a nrm - western post traders, who
claimed good deal u infue Win the -ecre-
t1ry 81 War. wished % have tiru appointed lie
found. on cstning % Washington. this ErIn 70 lie
entirely without influence. kyars first proposed
~
certain portions q the profits II l would alloN
him y hOlf. the position and continue the bust
ness We hnAlly a-res-i upon : 7. -. per Year.
kvans anu myself wen, on T. New ork together.
y here the contract nade and executed,
which j. herewith submitted. During cur trlp
over. however. Mr.. Eyans saw something in tie
a ray aa4 Ngrg J0ur1ci which lei him L. think
tiiAf some % the troops were q he removed from
tire fort, and he had offered too large a sum. and
d. FORE the contract was drawn il reduced.
By agreement. 70 Q 4. So, tire SINE being p1ya.
bic quarterly IA 4lvance- When fie Lr-t remit
Lance came = NE. Gay probably ~ November,
$50. sent one half thereof o. Mrs. BelknAp,
either, presume. by certificates II deposit. ~
bank note- by express Being IN Washington. al
Mrs Beik ap'- funeral, some weeks after tins,
hal conversation with Mrs. Bower me present
Mrs. ielknapI - tine following puTpurt, a. far
a. can reTnrnlirer ! went up stkiTs in the
nursery "a IA Mrs. bower u see TIE baby
zali 10 her. q. Ihis child viii have msuev COM
ing % il before a great while" She said ~ e.
the mother gays the cnid u ne, and Told me
that the Elcuey cnining from you must take and
Keep Tor IL -1tsAs AL At-ALr aLl ~ ll-
70 me SAID inst perhaps the father ought 10 be
consulted ! saw i seems 20. and vet can
give no reason for ia. for, far as know the
father knew nothing % ans money tran 1cti0Bs
between tie mUtner and my self. I have a faint
recollection 81 a remark ~ Mrs. Bower,
that II sent money - the father. Il be-
ion-e'i "a her the bAuel are that she would
getit any way certainly had some under
staining then. or subsequently,, with her or min,
for when the next payment came due.
and was Yati sent enc hl.lf thereof "a the SEC.
I ret Of trfs a continued ~.
N from that day forward % the present fInle -
do the same. About. should say .one and haii
% two years alter the commencement Of the-c
payments ! reiuced the amount 70 g.. 40
per annum The reason 81 the re,iac.
ton partly because 81 the combined con-
plants o- the part 81 Evans and his partner.
and partly. - far a. now remember, IN con.
Sequence % article in the newspapers about
thai time rejecting ON tie injustice done - sol-
dters AZ the fort. caused by eN0rhitlnI charges.
made necessarily on tie part of tie traders by
reason II tire payment OF this bonus.
To the best 81 my knowledge aud belief. the
above l. true statement " ala the facts la tire
currences 81 - many years ago.
Beng further questioned by members IT the
committee. Mr.. March made thc-c aiidItiona
statements.
I The money was sent according t. Instructions
/ Of the Secretary Of War. sometimes IN bank
notes Nv the Adams ENfress. think on one OF
more occasions by certificate ~ dcyos the
National Bank ~ America in New York. some
Tunes have paid him ~ New YORK ia person.
Inc uIrt Day tneut 70 me u4 ~ aus W = Iiltlc
lD the fnll ~ l~su. al the rate 0f a. 90 ear.
lie hai paid AZ thai rate about year and half
or tao year and since then a the rate Of . ,t.u
year. IL would aggregate about stJ 600. one
I hal 81 viii d have disposed 81 re alb stated.
Witness further stated. that upon recelp Of the
euhprna q appear before the Congressional
1 Committee. he came D. Washington and proceed
I Ell Immediately 10 the residence VI Secretary
| BeikuAp. thai he had a conversation with The
Secretary and lils wife regarding the eyiience he
uas 10 give before the committee ami that Mrs.
NEeHk ssartf aAa
I meni which would saLsfF the committee and en-
I culpate The secretary. .'>he wanted Ia 20
before the committee and represent that
l -hc and I had business transactions
4 together for many years, and that all The money
I ] mad sent the secretary Was money that she had
\ from time 20 time deposited with me kind of