The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1876-04-08
BELKNAP ARRAIGNED.
ARTICLES OF IMP EACHMBNT PRESENTED
TO THE HoUsE-wHAT THE MANA
GERS ARE EXPECTED TO PROVE

perfected articles of impeachment to-
day. The articles are Eve in number,
and are worded in the legal phraseology,
one being largely repetition of the
other. The first article is as follows
That William w. Belknap, while in
office as Secretary of War, to wit, on
the Sth of October, 1870, had the pow
or and authority under the laws of the
United States, as Secretary of War, to
appoint person to maintain a trading
establishment at Fort Sill, q military
post of the United States that said
Bplknap promised to appoint one Caleb
| p. Marsh to maintain said trading es
tabliShment at said military post. and
that thereafter the said Caleb p. Marsh
| and one John S. Evans, did enter into
an agreement i'm writing substantially
| as follows. Here the articles of agree
ment are set out in extenso. That
thereafter, on the 10th day Of October,
| 1870, said Belknap, as Secretary of
| War, did, at the instance and request
Of said Marsh, appoint said John S.
Evans to maintain said trading estab-
lishment at Fort Sill, and in consider
tion of such appointment the said Bel
KNAPP did, on or about the I'd of Nov,
1870, unlawfully and corruptly receive
from said Marsh the sum of 81 800, and
did at divers times thereafter, that is,
on or about the 18th of January, 1871,
and about the end of each three months
during the term of one whole year,
while he was still in Office as Secretary
Of War unlawfuly receive from said
Marsh like sums of 81 800 in consider
alton of the appointment of said Evans
and in consideration of his (Belknap's)
permitting said Evans to continue to
maintain the said trading establishment
at Fort Sill, whereby the said William
w. Belknap, who was then Secretary
of War as aforesaid was guilty OF tigh
crimes and misdcmeanors in office.
The second article recites that Will
liam w. Bplknap, while Secretary Of
War as aforesaid, did, on the 4th of
November. 1873, wilfully, c0rruptly
and unla awfully take and receive from
said Marsh the sum of II 800 in cOnsd.
Grafton that he would continue to per
nit John S Evans to maintain the
trading establishment st Fort Sill, and
that he did improperly permit tue said
trading establishment at the said mill
tary post, and that the said Belknap
was thereby guilty, while he was Secre-
tary rf War, of high misdemeanors in
his said Office.
The third article recites that said
William W. Belknap, a5 Secretary of
War Of the United States, did appoint
John S. Evans to maintain trading
establishment at Fort Sill, and that said
John S. Evans, by virtue of such ap-
pOiutmpnt had since, until the I'd of
March, 1876, maintained that trading
establishment, and had before he was
SO appointed, and in order to procure
such appointment and to he continued
therein, agreed with Marsh that in con
sideration of said Belknap'S appointing
him (Evans) to maintain such trading
establishment at the instance and re-
quest of said Marsh, he (EVans) would
pay to him (Marsh) large sum of
money quarterly in advance from the
date of the appointment by said Belk.
nap, to wit, $12,0 during the year,
and other large sums quarterly during
each year, in order that he the said Ev-
ans should be permitted by the said
Belknap to maintain such trading estab-
Iishment at such post that Evans did
pay to Marsh such sums of money
quarterly during each year until the
month of December 1875 F; that Marsh,
upon the receipt of each of such pay
ments, paid one-half thereof to Belk-
nap, while knowing these facts and
having the power to remove Evans
from such position at any time, crimi-
nally degrading his duty as Secretary
of War, and basely prostituting his
high office to his lust for private gain,
did unla wfuly and corruptly continue
said Evans in such position, and per
nit him 10 maintain his establishment,
to the great injury and damage OF the
officers and soldiers OF the army of the
United States stationed at such post, as
well as to the emigrauts and freighters
and other citizens of the United States,
against public policy, and to the great
disgrace and detriment Of the public
service, whereby William w. Belknap
was, as Secretary of War, guilty Of
high crimes and msdemeaDors in office.
Article four charges Belknap with
having received from Marsh large sums
of money for and in consideration of
his (Belknap) having appointed John
S. Evans to maintain trading estab-
lishment at Fort Sill, and in considera-
tion of his continuing him therein,
whereby he (Belknap) had been guilty
of high crimes and misdemeanors in Of
fee. This article is accompanied by
seventeen specifications setting out the
various times and circumstances of the
payment of money.
Article FIVE, after reclting the same
general facts, charges that Belknap was
Induced to make the appointment OF
Evans by the influence and request of
Marsh, and that Evans paid Marsh, in
consideration of such influence and re-
quest, divers large sums of money at
various times, amounting TO about Sl2,-
600 year, from the date of such ap.
pontment to the 20th of March, 1879 and
amounting to about So 600 year there