Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-03-23
THE BELkNAP SCANDAL,
Marsh as a. Witness.
His Examination Last Night.

fugitive witness in the Belknap case, was
begun last night by sub committee of the
Judiciary Committee, consisting OF Messrs
HuntOn OF Virginia, Lynde of Wisconsin
and Hoar of Massachusetts. The testimony
was taken at the rooms of Judge Hutton,
No 1908 g street. The representatives of the
newspaper press were admitted, but they SO
heSteged the room last night that Judge
Hinton says hereafter the examination OF
u g witness will be conducted in executive
session. At one point Of the proceedings the
committee found IL necessary to have a pri-
waite consultation. Each member looked az
The press gang present aud wonde Ell how, in
q lace Of such an audience, il would be
possible TO confer. Finally, Judge Hoar
Aa'd, "Well, there are so many reporters
here. perhaps the committee hal better 20
out into the entry and consult which they
did.
MARSH, THE WITNESS,
is apparently on the shady side of fifty.
he stands about six feet in heighth, is very
erect and has wiry and bony frame. His
large brown eyes throw a good deal Of ami
nation into face, which can well be called
handsome He has no beard and is closely
shaven, with the exception of a mouStache
trimmed TO mathematical nicely, and cross
- color between black and iron gray. His
forehead extends well up on the Uranium
ard where il reaches the hair shines with the
polish of ivory. Where the forehead leaves
Cff a thin growth of iron gray hair begins
which is cuuningly arranged to cover a great
area OF head development ID the best atvan-
t2ge. Mr. Marsh, from his nose down re
srmbles very much Col. Aleck Mcclure the
Pennsylvania politician and Philadelphia
editor. His legs are long, and OF the pipe
Stem order. In dress Mr.. Marsh Is faultleSS
Last night he wore pair of light pants with
over CATERS TO match, well hitting black
coat and vests aud black necktie. He wore
but little jewelry. His open coat displayed
a heavy; though not gandy, gold watch
he wore heavy seal gold ring.
HIS TESTIMONY.
His examination was first conducted by
Judge Hunton. He was asked If he was
willing to state that his testimony before
the Clymer committee was true. He an
Swered that il was, but thought il ought to
have been added that he had al interview
with Belknap subsequent to the one men
TONED In the testimony, at which he asked
The Secretary whether he would appoint
Evans to the leadership at Fort Sill if he
Marsh declined in Evans favor, and the
Secretary said he would. In the course OF
lis examination. however, several Other
POINTS not I'm his testimony as reported by
the CJympr committee were brought ON
One was that he presented to the Secretary
TrCOmmendatOry letters, one from Congress
men Loo Stevenson, OF Ohl0, and one from
Senator sherman. ArOther was that wit
ness has no recollection OF telling Secretary
Belkuap OF the arrangement made with
Evans about he bonus. Tie most iniereS C.
Ing part OF the examination was that Teiat-
lag TO the reason
WHY The MONEY WAS PAID TO TIFF BEL-
KsArs,
on which point Marsh was very closely
questioned. He denied all recollection of
any agreement for such payments, aud only
admitted that in the case of the payment OF
Mrs. Belsnap tnele might have been some
thing like promise On his part that he
would make her a present il he got the ira
GeTship. The question being put 10 him why
he daTeI 20 send money 10 the Secretary n
the face Of the story related to him by Mrs
- sya- n l.TfSl 1Vp - D \
kick a man who Offered him money for
leadership, be IeylI|! that at The funeral OF
Tie first Mrs. Belknap he got an impression,
80 WhS, way he could not Tecollect. that he
. iEat 90 so. In no way, however, could
MaTsh be questioned into any declaration or
admission that there had ever been
ANY AGREEMENT
III, the Secretary, or that in any commu-
'ication between them in connection with
he payment. even when made in bank notes
directly 10 Belknap 10 New York, was there
#ly mention. direct or implied, of the ac-
count on which the money was paid. An
other new point brought out was That all the
express receipts aud other papers received
rom B=lknap were 81 once destroyed by
Mash, because, To use the witness own
words. he felt that # IL was known il would
hissrace him. Here Is an extract from the
testimony on This point. "Qucsti0n by MIR.
Hoar,-Whv did you Oiu.tPrily proceed
without any request or intiInatiOn on his
part TO offer him this sum OF money, cOnsti
tuting q dishonOrable transaction, which
would disgrace him If it became known?
Answer.-l don't know, am sure. In the
first instance, the first money L scot, you
know, was TO her; the next was to him, but
whether il was in consequence OF any ar
rangement with her am undecided. QIeS-
tion.-HOw came you to offer TO have trans
action that would disgrace him? AnSwet.-
Well, I didn't suppose IL would ever be made
public. had no idea it was criminal"
MARSH LEAVES A BAD IMPRESSION.
AT half past nine O'Clock the committee ex-
cused the witness until ten O'Clock this
morning. 1t was evident that the manner
ard matter OF the testimony OF Marsh left a
bad impression with the committee. His
memory seems 10 have signally failed him.
Even when interroga ted with reference TO
his testimony before the Clymer committee,
he would not venture to reiterate II with
more emphasis than TO state that so and so
was his best impression. He seemed To be
laboring under some restraint, which sug
geSted the reflection that IL was his purpose
10 remember as little as he could about the
Fort Sill transaction. During his eXamlna
ton he was very i'll at case. This was espe-
cially manifest when he was being interro-
gated about the character of the express re-
ceipts which he sent to Belknap and received
from him endorsed 20 X" He twisted ner-
vously about in his chair, changed his posi-
ton frequently, and all of a sudden juLlped
up and commenced pacing the floor S,our G
OF his answers we're quite explosive. When
he was asked what entry was made GA the
books of the National Bank OF Com nerce,
In New YORK. where he often deposited 10
Belknap's credit certificates of deposit he
replied, by George, you have got me now"
His answers were very far from ingenious.
NAVAL ORDEbs Master l.. {. Heilner,
detached from the Brooklyn, and orisred TO
the O>sipee on her arrival at Port Royal s.
c. Boatswaiu Peter Hulkins, orde. led 10 the
navy yard, Washington, ID. c.
PERsoNAL.-Senator Wadleigh has re-
turned from his campaigning tour in New
HampshiIe. 800 Senator Herman OF New
York, has gone To Connecticut to take part
In the political campaign in that state. He
makes bat two speeches, one at New Ha ven
tonight, and the other at Bridgeport to-Inor-
row night. ''.. Hon. George Turner, U. s.
marshal of Alabama, is at the Imperial. a
witness in the Spencer case. '''' Elk NJ mister
Schenck is in the city, and is stopping at
Wormleys.
THE ELECTIVE FRANCHISE IN UTAH
The Senate Committee on Territories to-day
beard Mr.. Baskin, the contestant for the seat
of Delegate Cannon, of Titan, in favor of nr.
Christiancy's bill in regard to juries aud
regulating the elective franchise in the terri
tory named. He quoted quite extensively
from brigham Young's discourses To show
that " V had mr. hlfelv stated On0J