The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-03-09

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|. "A STARTLING DEVELOPMENT, J.:
fThe Secretary ef War. tlaap.aclsea e,
r selling . Pest'TradershiP. 49,
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A great sensation Was made through
out the entire country on tho I'd inst.
BY the report of. the House, Committee on
War Expenditures, showing that Secre'
tary Belknsp had sold the port trader
ship at Fort Sill, in the Indian Territory,
to one G: P. Marsh: for 10000 and IN
annual payment Of $1,000. Belknap ten.
dered his resignation to the President
without going before the committee and
lit Was accepted, but Notwithstanding his
resignation tho House adopted :he fol.
lowing impeachment resolutions: 'i-'"
Re.otved, That WIN: Belkn.p, late secretary
Of war, be fmpeached Of high crimes ard mis-.
demeaEors.
Resolved, That the testimony in the case o1
VIM. W. W.Belknap, late secretary Of war, be re-
ierred to the judiciary committee, with instruc-
tons to prepare and report without unneces
sary delay suitable articles of Impeachment
Of said VIM. w. Belknap, late secretary Of
war. 2-t~T7F<5 S~F>.1:g:.r7~,~ = ? -
Resolved, That = committee Olive members ol
the house be appointed and instructed 10 pro.
coed Immediately to the bar of the senate and
there impeach VIM. w. Belknap, late secre-
tary Of war, In the name OF the people of the
United States, Of high crimes and misdemean-
o.s when In Office, and to inform that body
that formal articles of Impeachment will in
ate to take such order in the premises IS they
deem appropriate.
The committee appointed to present
tho matter to the Senate was Messrs.
Clymer, Robbins, Blackburn, Bass and
Danforth.
Ex.Secrctary Belknap declined to
make any public statement at present, on
the ground that he has his defence to
make in response to the impeachment
proceedings.
[Washington Special March y Chicago Hmes)
On the 10th Of February the crime
which has caused the disgrace Of W. W.
Belknap was told in these dispatches.
1t was midnie eht on yesterday when the
last link was set in the chain which con.
victed him. The committee on expen-
|ditures Of the war department took up
the charges set forth in the Times
and pursued them to q conviction. The
committee has attained its success
through the mcrest chance, for although
all the facts were in their possession, as
set forth in the 7ianes, it would have
been impossible to prove them if an
|accomplice had not been found. Bel
knap's present wife is a sister of his dead
wife. She was Mrs. Bowers, whose
husband formed one of the partnership
of Bowers, Marsh Il Probasco, at Cinci,i.
natl. Mrs. Bowers husband died in 1872,
and the Marshes on going to Europe. in
vited her to 60 with them. She passed
AGAY SEASON ABROAD,
and came home filled with luxurious no.
tions of life, and it is said rather unscru.
pulous as to the method Of their attain.
ment. She visited Washington, and pre-.
sided with her sister, Mrs. Belknap, at
some of the most fashionable receptions in
Washington. She was conspicuous for
costly dressing, somewhat out of proper.
ton to her previous life and visible sur.
roundings. Presently Mrs. Belknap died
and Mrs. Bowers returned to her old
friends, the Marshes, in New York, visit
ing Washington occasionally. and reviv'
ing the splendors of
HER SISTERS RECEPTIONS
At the Secretary's house. Little more
than year ago, to the astonishtuent Of
Washington society, the Secretary mar
ried his dead wife's sister, this same Mrs
Bowers. 1t was the universal comment
that the Secretary's salary could not
support such magni6cence as the new
wife displayed. Her diamonds were the
most costly, her laces the most delicate,
and her receptions the most lavish in the
capital. Had it not been for this lady
the committee would probably never
have fastened the crime upon the Secrc
tary. She is daughter Of DR.. Tomlin'
son, Of Harrodsburg, KY, and in girl
hood vas very we'll known to Blackburn
one OF the members Of the investigation
committee. A suggestion Of Marsh's In
disn leadership came to the committee
and, as Clymer's report narrates,
CoLLUs10N WAS AT ONCE SHOWN.
It was found that the Secretary of War
trusting to the power Of Office and tht
facility of bribery, paid no attention te
the summons of the committee, and lei
the examination 60 on unheeded. The
committee, feeling daily more sure o
their ground, because more thoroughly
convinced of the truth Of it, the charge.
and every step in the prosecution wer'
rigidly concealed, and the newspaper me,
excluded from information. Belknap',
breakdown before the committee, which
was only made known long after midnigh
on yesterday, finally broke the spell
Though the committee kept itself
! UNDER LOCK AND KEY
until the very moment Of its report to tn
House, early in the morning, the hotel
we're agog with tho news in only tn
most fragmentary form. By moo,
crowds were surging around all news
centres discussing not only the downfall
of Belknap but the rumors Of his suicide
which filled the air. It was hardly
O'clock when Belknap walked hurricdl.
down K street toward The department
It vas noticed by> the -orderlies at tn
door that the Secretary did not NOV
with his old jaunty swagger. His rudd!
face had lost much of its color; his eye
were heavy and bloodshot; he looked lik
the victim Of
| "A PROLONGED SPREE;
he spoke 'abstractedly to the officials o
the office retired to his private cabine