The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-20
TIE MOTH THAT CORRUPTS.
THE CONTRACT TO KEEP THEN ot'T
or ARMY CLOTHING.
Col. Dom Pintt Demanding $4,000 for his
Influence with secretary Beikunp-W hat
he Did Decn nnao he Mns Not pnid.

nc btd because he was Not Paid.
WAsHINGroN, April l0.-Mr. George w.
BreEa. Of Geo. W. Cowles & Co.. read a long
statement before the Clymer committee to-day
I'm regard 70 their processes for the preservation
of tents and clothing for the War Department
hy preventing or expel,ing mildew or moths.
lie testified that Gen. Meigs had endorsed the
findings Of the army boards aud tho re ults %
tests at the Schuylkill Arsenal all Of which were
favofahle ~ Cowlcs \ c.. Tho Secretary
Of War was not favorable to the process
used by Cnwlss & Co., but all the orders
were made upon the authority OF Quartermas-
ter-General Meigs. Witness bad never spoken
to Gen. 1ngais on tho subject except In
influence to have the board constituted In their
interests, and had paid nobody to work for them
except Col. Dom piatt, editor OF tho Washing
ton Cdpitol He thinks the contract with platt
for Eve per cent. OF tho gross proceeds Of
the work. In 1874 Col. Piatt put IN claim
again.t Cowles y Co. for SllOOO or $1,000. but
the company refused to paw him on the ground
that they mad already paid him in full for his
services. Piatt then threatened to .haVe their
work stopped. Pratt had teen employed %
use bis influence With the Secretary Of
War ON the 10Th Of January, lsi4 the work OF
Cnwles GO. was stopped through Piatrs
eGO.ts. Witness went to see the Secretary of
War and asked for COPY ~ the charge against
faction, and said he would he damned II he
would crafty his request. Witness went to
Long Branch TO see the President. He was not
acquainted with either the President or Gen.
BtUcOck. He saw BahcocL aud told HIM his
story. witness was told that there must be
| some mistake, that tho Secretary II War would
ne there IN few Cays. and that he had tetfe
wait till Con. Belknap came before going 10 see
! the President Witness DID wait, aud few
| days afterward received q copy ot the charges
| through Gen. lidbcork. The amount of money
paid to the COMPANY was about $4,000. ne
company put IN AN answer to the charges as fol-
| lows:
Tney deny that Col. Piatt was ever employed
as agent or attorney Tor the comp4ny-that Piatt
WAS Simply employed to present such facts AS
the OuaTtermast.r's Department found 10 be
| correct 10 the attention OF the War Department,
| and such persons IN Congress as he might know.
| hey say tndt Col. piatt paid In full for all
| bis services, acCOr ing q agreement. which was
verbal; that II he had a case against the company
| tne courts are open TO him tor relief. They
| protected rrainst his attempts to induce the
| War Department, ty misstateiucuts, to Interfere
| In bis behalf. They never told Col. Patt that
| they could not pay him because they ID ex-
pended large sums to employees and officers OF
paid In full. they DENY Col. Pia,ts htatement
4 ...-t employee Of tHeir company told
! him the Cfocess was a fraud, as no EN-
| ployee knows the ration 10 pt ths
| process. Tney 90 on al length and defend
! their process and continued As to Gen
| whatever aud we can prove that on the Toto or
l1th OF July last Mr. COwlcs heard that Donn
| Piatt stated that he tPiatU had telegfephed "a
Gen. Garfield to telegraph the Secretary o. Wal
is dated Aug. Z. II IS evident that Gen. Garfield
| acted under the misreptesentations Of Dom
| Platt." The company defend their integrity at
length, and ask ina, the order Of suspension
| snail be revoked. This statement was sworn TO
| and M allied to Gen. W. W. Belknap, Secretary
| OF War, on Aug. Il. 1874.