Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-03


mlttee on expenditures in the war depart
ment making the report.
This house then adjourned, when II was an
had been fZed Tor Tonight, had been All
journed till Saturday night.
The Testimony.
Mr.. Clymer, after submitting the unani-
nous report of the committee, read the fol-
lowing testimony and accompaniment:
TUESDAY, February %, 1873.
The committee mt at half.pSst ten O'Clock.
Present-Messls. Clymer, Blackburn and Rob
bins.
Caleb Marsh, one Of the witnesses ordered
to be subpGnaed by the committee, being
present, was duly sworn according to law.
Question by the ChaiTman-WAere do you
reside?
Answer-I reside at no. 81 West Flfty-sev-
enth street, New York; have resided tn New
York about eight Year,.
Question by the Chairman-Were you or
We're you not appointed or rendered an APP
pointment as post-tTader at Fort sill, Indian
Territory, in the fall oflS70 by the secretary OF
w5r, IL so, under what circumstances was said
appointment returned to you? State also II
You were commissioned By the secretary as
such post-tradeT, or If not, who was so COM
missioned, and if any other person than your
self was so commissioned give his name, the
reasons why hs was com miSsiOned, If any
agreement was made between you and your
sppOintee, stste 1t or produce 1t IL writing,
and was such agreement made with the
knowledge Of the secretary OF war, and state
the circumstances connected Win the max
ing of that agreement and all the transactions
in detail hereunder fully and particularly, as
II you we're specially Intercepted in regard
10 the several transactions, and so fully as to
save the necessity OF repeated tnterrogatorles.
STATEMENT OF MARSH.
In reply to your question, I would state that
in the summer of 1870 myself and wife spent
some weeks at Long Branch, and on our re
turn TO New York, Mrs Belknsp and Mrs.
Bower, by our invitation, came Tor Visit 10
our house; Mrs. Beiknsp was i'll during this
visit some three or four weeks, and sup
pose, in consequence q our kindness TO her,
sue felt under some obligations, for she asked
me one day in the course OF conversation
why did not apply for a post'tradership on
the frontier; l asked what they were, ana
was told that many OF them were very luera-
tive Offices, or positions, within the gift OF
the secretary of war, and that II l wanted
one she would ask the secretary for one;
belonged to disabled soldiers, and besides
was without political influence she answered
that politicians got places, etc 1o noG nd 6e
of that kind that would remember her,
but l do remember her saying some
thing like this: "lt can prevail upon the
secretary Of war to award you a post, you
must be careful 10 say nothing to him about
presents, for man once offered him ten
thousand dollars for q leadership OF this Kind,
and he told him If he did not leave the office
he would kick him. down stairs" Remember
ing as do this story, l presume the antece,
dent story to be correct. Mrs. Belknap and
Mrs. Bower returned to Washington few
weeks thereafter Mrs. Belknap sent me word
to come over. did SO. She then told me
that the pOst-trSdershlp at Font Sill was va
cant; that IL was a valuable post as she uoder-
stood, and that she had either asked for 1t for
me, or prevailed upon the secretary
OF war TO agree to give 1t to me; at
all events, l called upon the score
tary of war, and, as near as 1 can remember,
made application for this position on reg
" ar printed folm; the secretary said he
would appoint me II cOu q bring proper let
ters and erElrnep S ss and TINS sald
tary told noe that the present trader at the
post, John d. Evans, was an applicant Tor re-
appointment, and that had better see MIN,
he being in the city, as 1t would not De Ialr 10
turn him out OF the office without some no
tice, as. he would lose largely on his build
ings, merchandise, ETC., II the office was
tsRen from him, and that It would be proper
and lust for me to make B0Ine arrangement
with him for their purchase, If l wished to
rent the post myself. saw Evans ana Iounu
him alarmed at the prospect OF losing the
place. L remember that he said drp OF west
ern pOst-tTaderS, who claimed a good deal OF
influence with the secretary OF war, promised
10 have him appointed, but he found on com
ing TO Washington that this urn was enLlre-
ly without influence. Mr.. Evans nrst pro,
posed 3 partnership, which l declined, ana
then q bonus of a certain portion OF the
profits if l would allow him To hold the posi-
ton and continue the business we nnally
agreed upon fifteen thousand dollars per year
Mr.. Evans and myself went on to New 1ork
together, where the contract was made ana
executed, which is herewith submitted. Pa
per marked "A."l During Ourtri over, how
ever, Mr.. Evans saw something In the army
and Naty Journal which led him 10 think that
some OF me troops were 70 De IeI tr Ltolt
the fort, and he had offered 100 large q
sum, and before the contract was drawn IL
was reduced, by agreement, 10 Twelve InOu-
sand dollars, the same being payable
remittance came to me, say, probably, IN 10
yember, 1870, l sent one-hGlf thereof to Mrs.
Belknap, either, 1 presume, by certificate OF
deposit or bank notes by express; being in
Washington at a funeral some weeks after
this, had conversation with Mrs. Bower 10
the following purport as lar as can now re-
member but must say that just here my
memory Is exceedingly lndistinct, and judge
in part departs from what follows as to the de-
tails from the conversation; went up stairs
In the nursery to see the baby said TO her,
"Ehis child Will have money coming 10 IL pc
fore a great while;" she said, Yes, the moth
er gave the child to me, and told me that the
money coming from you she must take anu
keep for it," said "All right" and 1t seems
to me 1 said that ape maps the father ought 10
be consulted" say 1t seems so, and yet can
give no reason for 1t, for as lar as knew the
| father knew nothing of any money transac-
| lions between the mother and mySelfi nave
a faint recollection Of remark OF Mrsl
| Bowers that If l sent money 10 Jhe
| father that IL belonged 70 her, and that she
| would get it; anyway, certainly had some
| understanding then or subsequently with her
| or him, for when the Mt xt pay ment came due
| and was paid, L sent one-hRlf thereof to the
! secretary of war, snd have continued SUBJ
| stantislly, from that day forward TO the pres
emit time, to do the same thing; ABOUT,
| should say, one aud one-half years after the
| commencement Of these payments, reduced
| the amount 10 six thousand dollars per an
| mum; the reason OF this reduction was parity
| because of combin ed complaints on the part
| of Evans and his partner, and partly, so far
| as 1 now remember, in consequence OF an ar
! ticle in the newspapers about that time, re-
| flectiug on the injustice done to the soldiers
| at this fort, caused by the eXorbitant charges
! m ade necessary on the part of the traders by
! reason of the payment OF this bonus. 10 the
best Of my Knowledge and belief, the above is
/ TO Fr,ff tnG f. fTa
| as complete as can remember occurrences Oh
| so many years ago.
Question by Chairman-State now Lhe pay
| meats were made 10 the secretary of war sub
| Sequent to the funeral Of his then Vile, Wh1ch
! yOu attended in Wash ngtOn in december
| 1870; whether ir cash, by check, draft, certin-
! cate of deposit, bonds, or by express or other
/ wise?
| Answsr-The money was sent according &c
| Instructions OF the secretary Of war; some
| times IN bank notes by Adams express; !
| think on one or more occasions by certificate
/ of deposit on the National bank Of America
| in New York; sometimes have paid Nun IL
| New York in person; except the first pay
! ment in the fall OF 1870, and the last In De
| cember, 1872 all to be made TO the secretary
In modes ! have stated, unless, perhaps, or
| one or two occasions at his instance, bOugh
| q government bond with the moneys in ny
! hands arising from the contract with Evans
/ which | either sent or handed to him.
! Question by Mr.. Blackburn-Can you stat
/ the sum, in the aggregate, received by yol
/ under the contract with MI. Evans, and VIVA
|
! tary OF war, including the first and last pay
| ments, which you nave stated were not pait
| to him?
Answer-I have no memorandum whateve
| on which to make an answer. 1t is q yer.
! simple ejaculation. The first payment TO m
| by Mr.. Evans was made in the fall of $50, a
the rate of twelve thousand dollars yeal
He paid at that rate about year and half o
two years, and since then at the rate OF 81
thousand dollars year. 1t would aGgregat
about forty Thousand dollars, one haf G
which have disposed Of as above stated.
Question by Chairman-Did you receiv
letters from the secretary of war acknoWledg
ing the receipt OF the sums forwarded TO mir
inlthe manner you have stated, or did he &C
knowledge the receipt of the same in an
way?
| Answer-Usually when 1 sent money b
express 1 would send him the receipt OF tn
com pany, which he would either retur
marked o. K or otherwise acknowledge tn
receipt OF the same. Sometimes 1 paid
to him in person, in New York, when 10 n
ceipt was necessary. 1 have not preserve
! any receipts or letters. When sent by e1
! press / always deposited money PERSONAL,
| and took receipt for IL.
| Question by Chairman-Have you at an