Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-03-18
BELKNAP.

The following is an extract from
the Washington correspondence Of
the Chicago Inter.O Ocean, strong re-
publican paper:l Last evening tho
president sent for. Q distinguished
member of the Illinois delegation aud
talk ed very freely with him for an
hour or more, and told him the story
of Belknap. son Thursday I had
Just flushed my breakfast" said tho
president, "and was opening some
letters in the ,drawing-room, when
Secretary Bristow was announced.
1t was only little after nine o'clock,
aud L wondered why he came SO
early, bnt invited him into the room,
aud we talked for q time over some
matters referred to in my mail. At
ter d time tho eooretary eaid sMr--
President, there are some very sad
stories in circulation about one of
your cabinet told him had not
heard anything. The secretary said
they were dreadful stories, almost
too bad to he believed. 1 inquired
what they were, and the secretary
began to tell me, when in came Bel
KNAPP and Chandler. Chandler look
ed very sober, and Belknap was
changed 80 that you would hardly
have known him. He looked az If
he had not slept for q week. Igot up
and shook hands with him, and asked
him what was the matter. he went
on to tell nae, in an incoherent way,
about the congressional investiga-
ton that it was going to damage
him very much, and he said he had
written his resignation and brought
it with him. He took out the letter
aud READ IT. said to him that I
would regret very much his leaving
the cabinet, for / had confidence in
him. At that be, burst into tears and
took hold Of my hand. l asked him
| the nature OF the investigation, and
his manner more than, the words Of
his reply showed me that it was
1 something Of an un4eual character. L
understood that he was expecting an
investigation that he could avoid BY
resigning that the facts, if exposed,
would not damage him 80 much a. bis
wife, He spoke Of his dead wife too.
l told him that he had great many
friends and they would help him out;
but he sa,d it was impossible that
he had shouldered all the blame and
would be ruined. He insisted that 1t
would save me and the rest of the
iAOVCAunACuS 1 q y GOV NS0A va eASsAS ~ =
his resignation was accepted. tried
again to induce him to wait awhile,
but he said he must go before the
committee that morning, aud wanted
to tell them he was no longer an of
ficer of the government. So wrote
him letter accepting the resigna-
ton, aud, after thanking me for that
and for W hat he called my kindness
to him in the past, he went away with
Chandler. Then Edmunds and Nor
ton came In, aud they told me the
whole story. L. could not believe
them, and sent messenger for Bass,
who, 1 understood was q member OF
the investigating committee.
Cincinnati Commercial (Rep) March 5.
The dramatis personae are we'll
known here, aud IL seems necessary
to state few facts in the case to
make the whole story Ineligible.
Caleb P. Marsh, tho witness. who
took all interest in the Fort Sill busi-
ness ut the suggestion Of Mrs. Bel
knap, and divided with the family,
was until about ten years ago prom
inent business man Of this city, being
of the firm Of Tyler, Davidson & Co.
He retired from the hardware busi-
ness, and has since resided in New
York and Europe. He was acquaint-
ed, when in this city, with the Mrs.
Belknap with whom he negotiated,
and with her sister, then Mrs. Bow
ers, the present Mrs. Belknap, whose
first husband. Bowers, was at the time
of his death . member of the firm Of
E. G.. Leonard & Co., of this city.
The present Mrs. Belknap is the third
wife of the ex-secretarY of war, and
is the younger sister of his second
wife. During the war, Colonel Bel
knap, . widower, met aud surrend-
cred to the charms of Miss Tomlinson
of Harrodsburg, Kentucky, and this
lady, who died in 1871, we think, is
the one who procured for Marsh the
place of post trader, being at the
time she proposed the business with
her sister, then a widow, . guest in
his house in New York. The second
Mrs. Beiknap died, leaving one child,
which few months afterwards died.
Mrs. Bowers, after being for some
years brilliant figure in society in
Washington and other eastern cities.
married her brother-in-law, the ex-
secretary. She is the present Mrs.
, Belknap, who is very well known
here lady Of fprepossessing appear
, ance and fascinating address, Who has
! been the bright particular star Of
Warrington life, wearing the most
} splendid dresses and giving glittering