The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-08
A STARTLING DEVELOPMENT.
The Secretary Of War Inapeachod for
selling q Post Tradorshlp.

d
The Secretary Of War Impeached for
=s selling q Post Tradership.
A great sensation was made through
out the entire. country, on the Cd inst,
by the report of the House Committee on
War Expenditures, showing that Secrc.
tary Belknap had sold the post trader.
ship at Fort Sill, in the Indiap Territory,
to one G. P. Marsh, for $4,000 and nm
annual payment Of $4,000. Belknap ten
dered his resignation to the President
without going before the committee and
it was accepted, but Notwithstanding his
resignation the House adopted che fol-
lowing impeachment resolutions:
Resolved, That VIM. Belknap. late secretary
ofwar, be impeached of high crimes aud mis-
Resolred, That the testimony in the case of
VIM. W. Belknap, late secretary of war. be re.
ferred to the judiciary committee, with instruc-
tons to prepare and report without unneces
sary delay suitable articles of impeachment
OF SAID VIM. w. Belknsp, late secretary OF
Rcsolvcd, That a committee offive members of
the house be appointed and instructed to 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
due time be presented, and to request the sep-
ate to take such order in the premises as they
deem appropriate.
The committee appointed to present
the matter to the Senate was Nessrs.
Clymer, Robbins, Blackburn, Bass and
Danforth.
Ex-Secretary 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 p Chicago Times)
On the 10th Of February the crime
which has caused the disgrace of w. w.
Belknap was told in these dispatches.
1t was midnight on yesterday when the
last link was set in the chain which con-
victed him. Tho committee on expen-
ditures of the war department took up
the charges set forth in the Times
and pursued them to conviction. The
committee has attained its success
through the merest chance, for although
all the facts were in their possession, as
set forth in the Times, it would have
been impossible to prove them if an
accomplice had not been found. Bel
knap's present wife is sister of his dead
wife. She was Mrs. Bowers, whose
husband formed one of the partnership
of Bowers, Marsh & Probasco, at Cincin.
natl. Mrs: Bowers husband died in 1872,
and the Marshes on going to Europe. in.
vited her to 60 with them. She passed
AGA1 SEASON ABROAD,
and came home filled with luxurious me-
tons 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 Sccretary's house. Little more
than year ago, to the establishment of
Washington society, the Secretary mar
ried his dead wife's sister, this same Mrs.
Bowers. It was the universal comment
that the Secretary's salary could not
support such magni6cence as the Few
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 Secre-
tary. She is daughter Of Dr.. Tomlin.
son, of Harrodsburg, KY, and in girl
hood was very we'll known to Blackburn,
one Of the members Of the investigation
committee. A suggestion of Marsh's In
dian leadership came to the committee,
and, as Clymer's report narrates,
COLLISION WAS AT ONCE SHOWN.
It was found that the Secretary of War,
trusting to the power Of office and the
facility Of bribery, paid no attention to
the summons of the committee, and let
the examination go on unheeded. The
committee, feeling daily more sure Of
their ground, because more thoroughly
convinced of the truth of it, the charges
and every step in the prosecution were
rigidly concealed, and the newspaper men
excluded from information. Belknap's
breakdown before the committee, which
was only made known long after midnight
on yesterday, finally broke the spell.
Though the committee kept itself
UNDER LOCK AND KEY
until the very moment Of its report to the
House, early in the morning, the hotels
were agog will" the news in only the
most fragmentary form. By noon
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 8