The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1876-08-15
HENDRICKS.
HOW. WHILE A SENATOR, HE
"WORKxD" A MULE CLAIM.
interesting Documents for Gre
form" Democrats ie Read.

Interesting Documents for Gre
form" Democrats ie Read.
Washington duly SD Cor. Cincinnati Gazette.
II Mr.. Hendricks is indeed reform
er, the attack lras come on late in life.
The fecords Of the various departments
show several very questionable trans
actions in which he took part while
| Senator. One Of these was cousum-
mated two years after he left the Sem
ate. In October. 1868, there were tried
by Military Court, sitting at Cincin-
natl, Charles W. Hall, of indianapolis,
aud L. Smith, OF Cincinnati. contrac.
tors for furnishing the government
horses aud mules.
Hall WAS convicted upon these
charges and specifications, aud senteuc-
ed To pay tine of S10,0O0 and be i'm
! prisoned for six months. Tie charges
7 wsrs Of ffaud. OF bribiifg the Govern-
/ ment Inspector 10 pass unEound AMI
mails, and oi furnishing unsound aud
! defective horses aud mules, and cou-
4
A full review Of the evidence in these
cases was made at the office of tho
Judge Advocate General, and under
date Of December 1lth. 1863. That Of
Gcer expressed the opinion that ''the
sentence was warranted by the testimO-
n.y."
AZ the very time tho above frauds
were in progress, namely, on April ith,
1868, Smith contracted to deliver to
the Government by April cath, 500
mules at sS7 per head. with the provi-
sions in the contract that IL there was
any failure, the quartermaster should
5ny in open market, 10 supply the dc.
| liciency at the expense of tho contrac-
| tor. .,.,.t ...
Smith furnished ninety mules, and
then dropped the contract, and claim
ed 1880. But the quartermaster up
ou entering the open market TO make
| up the deficiency, was Obliged TO pay
about Sic. 600 over aud above Smiths
contract price, and SO the claim OF 81.
$50 was rejected under the express
terms Of the contract itself. IN view
of the discoveries OF general fraud and
bribery, it would have been quite just
To have refused payment but IL was re-
jected in accordance with the contract
instead.
ENTER THE HENDRICKS FAMILY.
After the general and systematic
! swindling, for which these two worthless
| had been tried and convicted, had be-
come q matter of common notoriety,
they assigned their claim To William
Henderson, of Indianspolis, cousin
Of Senator Hendricks, aud the latter
undertook 20 collect il. After two at
! tempts in the War Department, and
| one in Congress, he succeeded in OBJ
tanning the money. He had the mat
! ter in charge for two years while Sem
ator of the United States.
On the l2th of March, 1867, Senator
Hendricks filed the claim of Hender-
son in the Office of tho Quartermaster
General, with the following explana-
| tion:
"The foregoing application I make
/ for Mr.. Henderson,, us he desires me 10
obtain the payment of this claim for
him.
(Signed) ST. A. HEEDRIcKs."
HENDRICKS FAILS IN TaL WAR DEPART
MEsr.
| VI,
| ing as Quartermaster General, wrote TO
Hendricks, addressing him as "Ifon
I L. A. Hendricks, United States Sena-
tor" informing him that the addition
al expense To the Government OF COM
| pleting the contract which Smith failed
TO carry out was much greater than the
sum claimed, and "the Quartermaster
General eau not allow the claim now
set up"
He TRIES THE BOARD oP CLAIMS.
This lotter Hendricks sent To the
Secretary of War complaining that the
| decision was hard one, and asked
that the matter might go before the
Board Of ClaIm1 The following is
Mr.. Hendricks lctter as transmitted.
/ Notice the endeariUg title Of "cOnstit-
uent" with which be masks his cousin
anu intimate friend:
WAsRrSGroS. April 3. 1861.
I Hon. f. Stanton. Secretary Of War:
SIR-In behalf Of nv constitue 1t, I
have the honor To request that this
claim may be sent to the Board of
Claims, organized by yourself for the
examination Of claims. think the
decision n hard one. will be glad il
/
with a letter I addressed To the Quar-
termaster General. be sent with the
ease to tie board.
T. A. HESpRIcKs.
The claim was not allowed by this
| board, and the papers examined do not
show whether it was examined.
THE OCCUPATION OF LEISURE MOMENTS.
The following letters show that SEN
ator Hendricks had given considerable
previous attention 10 the case:
TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
"THIRp AUDITORS OFFICE. Fcb. % 1851.
SR--In answer to your esteemed ia
vor OF the 22d inst. asking what prices
were paid bv the United States officers
at Cincinnati, o.. for mules for the
army on the different DAYS, frum tl.e
9TH of April 10 the oath day of that
month, 1868, have the honor to say
that upon au examination Of the vuuch-
ers OF Capt. John IL. Dickerson, Assis-
tant Quartermaster, who was the prin-
cipal disbursiEg officer at Cincinnati,
charged with the purchase Of mnlcs
during the period mentioned, find
payments for mules as follows, without
fluctuations in prics from day to day:
/ Tor two year OLD, IA hands high ........... sq5
Foo two year oil, is,S hsnsls high ........ ios
| fOr two year old, IS hands hlgh...... q. -. ios
| For three year OH. ~ hands high. ...... 10
For taree year old, ifS hands high.......... AZ
For three year obi, 10 hsn'is hign. us
/ ! am. very respectfully,
JOHN WILSON. Auditor.
uon. 7. A. HEsDmoKs, United States Senate.