Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-03-09

or bank notes, by express. Bsic e in
Washington at a funeral, some W eeks
after this, | had conversation with
Mrs. Bowers, to the following pur-
port, as far as can now remember.
Witness stated his memory was
very lndlstInct on many points. He
said, | went up stairs 10 the nursery
with Mrs. Bowers to see th', baby.
| said to her, this child will have
money coming to it befor "a great
while. She said yes. The mother
gave me the child and told nae that
the money coming from you she
must take and keep for it. / said all
right, and it seems to me, I said that
perhaps the father ought IL be con-
suited say it seems go, end yet
can give no reason for it, Tor so far
as know Belknap knew nothing of
our transactions.
L have faint recollection Of a
remark of Mrs. Bowers thnt if | sent
the money to her father that it be.
longed to her, and that she would
get 1t any way. | Ger Lainly had
some understanding theIl or subse-
quently with her or him, for when
the next payment came due and was
paid | sent one-half th ereof to the
Secretary of War, and la We continu-
ed to do the same ever since. One
and half to two years after the
commencement of thes payments
reduced the amount to six thousand
dollars per annum.
Mr.. Marsh said the reduction was
partly because of the com bined COM
plants on the part of Evans and his
partner, and partly, 80 far as | now
remember, in conseque ncr Of articles
in the newspapers about that time
rejecting on the injustice done to
soldiers at this fort, ci.uied by exor-
bitant charges made necessary on
the part of the trader by reason of
the payment of this bonus. To the
best of my knowledge and belief, the
above is true statement of the facts
in the case, and as complete as can
remember the occurrences OF so many
years ago.
After the funeral of the then Mr..
KNAPP, in 1870, the ln0ne, was sent
according to instru ctions from the
Secretary of War, sometimes in bank
notes by the Adams Express Com.
pany, and [ think On one or more
occasions by certificate of deposit
on the National Bank of America, In
New York, and sometimes | have
paid him in New York in person.
Except the first payment in the fall
of 1870, the aggregate receipts from
the post we're about $40, 900 of which
half was disposed of as already men>
toned.
Usually when [ expressed Belknap
money | would send him a receipt OF
the company, which he would either
return marked o. K. or otherwise
acknow ledge the receipt of the same.
Sometimes paid TO him in person
in New York. when no receipt was
necessary. l have not preserved any
receipts or letters. When. sent by
express l always deposited money
personally, and took a receipt for it.
| have frequently correspondent
with the Secretary of War. [ have
forwarded requests to the Secretary
by Evans, wishing privileges about
the fort, such as to sell liquors, etc.
| The contract between Evans and me
never was a subject of conversation
between Belknap and myself.
WAsHINGToN, March 6.-There are
to be two counts in the indictment
against Belknap; the first charges
him with having accepted bribe,
and the second with continuing to
accept the same.
penalty for the offense, if found
| guilty, is stated to be three years
Imprisonment and fine of twice the
amount of money corruptly received.
A special from Washington says
Mr.. Black burn, of the committee on
examinations in the War Depart
meut, states that the committee is in
possession of evidence showing that
five other post traderships besides
that of Fort Sill were sold for sums
ranging from $500 to $25 900 a
year.
Nothing has been yet settled as to
Belknap's successor except that the
President says be will accept any
recommendation by the cabinet, and
that the new secretary must be one
SO high in public confidence that
there shall be no questioning his fit
ness from any quarter.
LONDON, March 1.-The Times
this morning says editorially of the
Belknap scandal This event is
more grave because it is confrma-
tory of suspicion which has long
prevailed regarding the American
people. Even we Europeans cannot
but be struck with the altered tones
in which the American speak, if not,
of their institutions, at least of the
men who have present direction of
| them
The News, abiding to the same
object, says: The American polti.
cal life seems to be in any thing but
healthy condition. 1t refers to the
whisky fraud trials, the Emma mine
scandal, and the downfall of Belknap,
and says that these scandals lift the
veil from q class OF society which it
was pretty generally supposed had
as yet escaped the impurities of the
social strata below, and they lead
one to fear that some of the worst
vices of an imperial government may
be percolating into federal admins
tration.
The Telegraph says: Disclosures
after disclosures, charges after charges
varying 10 degrees of crime but with
the same ugly and nntoward charac-
ter, have lately darkenod the CON-
merciaI, religious, judicial and adj
ministrative institutions of the United
G.o+ao Soma nr0yad faIae 0thers