National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-03-22
NARsE, The h0DEhN saYLocK.

The Jew in the Merchant of Venice
has found his prototype at last-more
greedy, more aVariciouS, more persistent
in his fight for the pound of flesh" That
man is Caleb Marsh, whom New York
knows as an aristocratic gentleman, and
whom history will record as an exaggerated
Shylock. Nature has certainly framed
strange fellows in her time, and when she
nodded Marsh she stamped the mask of
greed upon his heart and fashioned him
veritable Shylock. The testimony intro
duced into the Belknap case yesterday
proves This beyond the peradventure of a
doubt. Through the influence of the
fascinating wife of the Secretary of War
be secured the exclusive control of the
Fort llpost leadership. He then quietly
proceeded TO lay his plans of matchmaking
and extortion. Mr.. Evans, who was In
charge Of the post at the time Marsh re-
ceived the appointment, was heavily in
volved. He had constructed expensive
buildings on the reservation had invested
all the money he had in large gu nifty
of goods with which to stock the establish
ment; heavy obligations were hanging
over him, and in this condition he sud-
denly and Unexpectedly fou1d himself
confronted by Marsh with an appointment
in his hand and everything in his control.
Marsh had taken a careful survey of the
situation, and found that he had Evans
completely at his mercy. With the air of
a man certain of his plumber, he cried, 81
am Jew. Hath not Jew eyes? Hathnot
a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses,
affections, passions? Give me 5000
year and you can save yourself Ifyou
do not shall GUST you from your position,
and you will be ruined. Come, now, it is
your only chance for safety" The test
mony yesterday shows conclusively how
earnestly Evans protested against this ter
rible extortion, and how persistcntly Caleb
Marsh demanded his pound of flesh. Mr..
Evans insisted that such a demand
was outrageous. Then Marsh reluct-
antly reduced the sum to twelve
thousand as his lowest figure, and told
Evans either topay it or give up his posi-.
ton. The latter again explained that his
situation was such that he could not re-
linquish his hold upon the post without
sacrifice of property that would certainly
result in his financial ruin, but that twelve
thousand dollars was an unjust and out
rageous extortion, and he could not sub
matt to it. Shylock Marsh remained I'M
moved at this appeal. He knew he had
his man in his tolls. 1t was in his power
to crush or let live, and the sordid, merce-
nary nature of the man was inclined to
crush if he could not get every penny
weight of the 'fesh' demanded. He put
on the thumb screws and called positive
halt at twelve thousand dollars. He had
Evans on the hip. The latter, although
he had at the time in his possession letter
from the post council at Sill to the Score
tary of War, signed by every officer of the
garrison, urging his retention, was at the
complete mercy of this modern Shylock.
Everything was at stake. He must either
submit to paying the Infamous bonus or
sink into financial ruin, and thus cheat q
large number of creditors out of just
demands which they held against
him. There was no alternative, and
OF the two evils he chose the
least Caleb Marsh was already in
f1mo0s in the eyes OF The public, but