Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-03-10


bic post of that kind that L would re-
member her, but do remember her
say something like this: 8" If [ can
prevail upon the Secretary OF War to
award you post you must be careful
to say nothing to him about presents,
for a man once offered him $40, 900 for
leadership o. this kind, an he told
him that if he did not leave thu Office
he would kick him down stairs" Re-
Numbering as [ do this story, 1 pre-
sumo the autecedent statement to be
correct Mrs. Belknap and Mrs.
Bower returnt d to Washington, and a
few weeks thereafter Mrs. Belknap
sent me word to come. over. L did SO.
She then told me the post-tradershlp
at Fort Sill was vacant, that 1t was a
valuable pos !, she understood, and
that she had either asked for If
for me or had prevailed upon the
S cretary of War to give it to
me. At all events [ called upon
the Secretary of War, and, as lear as
[ can remember, made application for
this post on regular printed form.
The Secretary said he would appoint
me ii / could bring proper recommen-
datorv ;etters and this l laid | could
40 + ther ffr. Reikuap or the Secre-
tary told ME that the present trader at
the post, John S Evans, YES an appli-
cant for reappoiut mtnt, and that L had
better see him, he being i'll the city, as
it would not be fair 20 turn, him ont of
office without some notice, as he would
| ,sa largely on MS buildings. merchan-
DIS, etc If tht. cffice WIS taken from
aim and that it would be proper and just
fyr mp to make some agree. nent with
hi.u for the purchase If / wished to
rnn the post myself ! saw Evans and
found him alarmed at the prospect OF
tossing the place. ] rememt er that he
sad that tirm Of w tern post traders,
Who claimed good deal of influence
With the Secretary o. War, had prom
s"d to have him appointed, but he
found on coming to Washington this
firm to b. entirely without Influence.
Mr.. Evans first proposed a partners
ship, which I declined. and then q
bOnuS of a certain percentage o: the
. Gifts if I would allow him to hold
the position and continue the bus moss.
We finally agreed upon fifteen thou1-
a: 4 dollars per year. Mr.. Evars and
myself went to New York together,
where the contract was made and exc
cuted winch is herewith submitted.
Paper marked A. Daring our trip
over however, Mr.. Evaus saw some
thing in the Army and Navy Journal
which led him believe that some of the
troops were to be removed from
the post, aud that he had offered too
large sum, and before the con-
tr ct was drawn il vas reduced by
dgreem 4nt 20 twelve Thousand dollars,
tia same being payable quarterly in
advance. Upon the first remittance
cota'ug to me-, say prOhab y in Novem-
Der, 1870. [ sent half thereof TO Mrs.
Beiknap, either I presume by certiti-
cate OF deposit or bank notes, by ex-
press. Being III Washington at a flu
neral some weeks after this, / had a
conversation with Mrs Bower to the
following purpOrt, as far as can now
remember, but must say that just here
my memory is exceedingly indistinct,
ana | Judge IN plt perhaps from what
followed rs to the details of the COM
versatjou: [ was upstairs in the
nursery with Mrs. b ger to see the
baby. [ said to her, This child will
have money coming to l. before great
while" She said eyes, the mother
gave the child to me and told me- the
money coming from you she must take
and keep for it." [ said "all right,
and it seems to me I said thai perhaps
the father ought to be consulted. l
say it seems SO an ye5 I can give no
reason for it, for as far as 1 know the
father knew nothing of any money
transactions between the mother
and myself. I have q faint re-
collection of a remark of Mrs. Bower
that if [ sent money to the father that
it belonged to her and that she would
get it any way. ] certainly had some
understanding then or subsequently
with her or him, for when the next
payment came due and was paid, l
sent the one-half thereof to the Secre-
tary of War and have continued sub
stantially from that day forward to the
present time, to do the same. About,
I should say, one and half to two
years after the commencement of these
payments. reduced the amount to six
Thousand dollars per annum. The
reason of this reduction was partly be-
cause of the combined complaints on
the part of Mr.. Evans and his partner
and partly, so far as [ now remember,
in consequence of an article in the
newspapers about that time, rejecting
on the injustice done to soldiers at this
post and by exorbitant charges made
necessary on the part of the trader by
reason of the payment of this bonus.
To the best of my knowledge and
belief The above is a true statement
of all the facts in the case and
as complete as ; can remember occur
rences of so many years ago.
Question by Chairman. State how
the payments were made to the Score
tary of War, subsequent to the funeral
of his CHEM wife, which you 4ttended
m Washington in December, 1870,
whether in cash, by check, draft, GER
tificate or deposit. bonds, or other
wise ?
Answer. The money was sent ac-
cordjng 70 the Instructions of the Sec
rotary of War. Sometim in bank
notes By Adams Expres>. to,nk on
one or more occasions y cert ic tie of
d. posit On the Natl mai Bank of
America Of New York. Sometimes I
have paid him in New York in person.
Except the first payment IN the fab of
1870 an tho last in December, 1872,
all were to be made to the Secretary in
the mode I have stated. Unless, per-
haps upon one or two occasions at his
instance, bo1ght government bond
with the moneys III my hands arising
from the contract with Evans, which
| either sent or handed him.
Question by Mr.. Blackburn. Can
you state the sum in aggregate received !
by You under the contract with Evans,
and what portion thereof have you |
paid to the Secretary of War including !
the first and last payments which you
have stated were not paid &c Linn.
Answer. 1 have no memorandum
whatever on which to make answer.
1t is a very simple calculation. The
first payment to me by Evans was
made in the fall of 1870 at the rate of
BIZ, 600 year. He paid at that rate
about year and-a-half or two years,
md since then at the rate OF $4,000 a
year. It would aggregate about $40,