The daily gazette., 1876-03-10
President Grants Wife Suspicioned


She q. is IA Si,sOO Watch aaa the Oliver
Appointed TO n Lucrative Once.
A most extraordinary piece Of evil
dcnce has fallen into the N. Y. Suns
possession. 1t goes to show that cost
ly present-worth four thousand eight
hundred dollars-was privately given
to Mrs. Grant, wife of the President of
the United States, and that the giver
was subsequently, made Acting Quar-
termastcr General of the United States
by the President.
The present consisted Of unique
gold watch, originally Intended for
Queen Victoria. 1t was purchased of
the maker in Paris, and brought to
New York, where very expensive
chain was added to it, and then the
Sun SAYS the whole thing was given to
Mrs. Grant by Gen. Rufus Ingalls,, who
was at the time an Assistant Quarter
master General of the United States at
Washington.
AT the time the present was made,
Gen. Meigs was Quartermaster Genl.
After good deal of delay and difficult
ty in getting Gen. Meigs out of the
way, that faithful and incorruptible
public officer was finally ordered
abroad, on q tour of inspection in Eu-
rope, and Gen. Ingalls, was transferred
to Washington, a larger field of opera
tions, with great power over contract
ors, and larger opportunities.
1.-THE value of the present was alto
gether too large for it to have been
made by a man of Gen. Ingalls, then
limited means, from any such motive
as pure and disinterested friendship
An English Judge, ,SirWilliam Thorpe,
Chief Justice of the Kings BeDch in
the time of Edward III, was impeach'
ed,.sonvioted, and hanged for receiv-
ing five bribes. amounting altogether
in tho aggregate, to only one hundred
pounds or five hundred dollars. This
present was estimated to be more than
nine times as much-four thousand
eight hundred dollars"
Gen Grant must have known of this
present. The watch strikes the hours
and quarters, and he must have heard
it strike many times.
The evidence consists Of a piece oi
beautiful white satin, the size of hall
sheet of large letter paper, on which
the following words, describing the
watch and indicating the giver are
printed:
This watch was manufactured fol
presentation to Her Majesty Queen
Victoria, of England, by Charles On
din, Paris, France. 1t represents the
coat of arms of Great Britain. The
stem indicates the crown of England
Instead of figures on the dial, twelve
letters, 'Dieumon Droit,' are substitu
ted. The letter d, next the stem, re
presents 12. Each letter is made o.
onyx and diamonds, set in crystal.
"On the re verse is shown the Orde
of the Garter, with the Rose, Thistle
and Shamrock in diamonds,
The wa.ch Is a stem winder, chro
nometer and repeater, striking thu
hours and Quarters. In order to hea
it strike, push with the thumb nail
small catch on the side of the watch
toward the stem. The setting of th
ihands is done by pressing on the op
(posite side a small projecting pin, anC
while the pin is depressed, regulate BY
moving stem. The crystal on eacl
side is cut out of solid Brazilian stone
"The chain was prepared by Titan,
s. Co., New York city, in leontin,
style, and consists of black snamelet
armor plates, linked together with ru
bies and diamonds. The pendant is
locket in form OF a shield, with lon
st,r of pearl on black enameled field
On the reverse side is the letter G il
diamonds.
Before an opportunity offered t
p 'esent the watch to the Queen, it wa
purchased by a friend of Gen. ingalls,
and shortly afterward fell into the lat
ter's possession.
''It has never been worn, and has n
duplicate in the world.
at is now presented to the first lad
, Of the United States ef America Mr.
Pres. dent Grant"
l117 West Thirteenth street, New Yor
city, April 1S, 1871.
II Compliments of Gen. Rufus ingalls,
The Sun says: "Gen Rufus Ingall
in person took the manuscript of til
above to a printer, and ordered
printed on satin of three colors-pinb
green, and bule-so that he might Sc
lect the color which he liked best t
send to Mrs. Grant. 1t was Ger
Ingalls, himself who stated to our il
\ formant the value of the present. TIL
I printer executed the order and deli,
! cred the three copies to Gen. Ingall
He also printed fourth copy on whit
satin. This copy is now in our posse
sion, and Is at the service of the Hous
of Representatives of the Unitd State
d if that body thinks fit to appoint con
a mittee of investigation or impeacl
| ment."