The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-03-04
The Pracr OF Secretary s3efknnp.a
Corrupta0n.

Corruption.
The following Is Of Mr.. Marsh's testimon,
the most important portion. The last few
lines prove coneluslvely that Belknap Is q
guilty as were his two wives. Twenty thou
sand dollars was received by him and them
/ In reply to your question would stat,
! hat In the summer OF 1870 myself and wife
.no, It some weeks at Long Branch, and OF
e e., "a, urn to New York Mrs. Beikoap anC
| NJ Ia, -er, By our invitation, came for ,
x;si, - an, house. Mrs. Beknap was II
5,r;,a .sis n,., some three or four weeks
and / spnnosed. in consequences of our kind.
ness n her Che ts,t :, 1der some obligations
for sbe asked mo in tho course OF CONVEX
sation Why did not sppiy pv .ss. r'aea
ship on the frorasier. asked W. %. .uey s ~
aud was told that they were. MAJ. W 49, =;
very lucrative offices or posts 10 til ~, ,e -;
the Secretary Of War, aud that If l n. '. 90.
one shc would ask the Secretary for one IL =
me. Upon my replying that thought such
offices belonged to disabled soldiers, and
besides that was without political influence,
she answered that politicians got such places,
&C., &c. do not remember saying that If
had a valuable post Of that kind that would
remember her, but / do remember her saying
something like this: "If I can prevail upon
the Secretary Of War to award you post,
you must be careful to, say nothing to him
about presents, for man once offered him
SIC, 900 for leadership Of this kind, and be
told him that II be did not leave the Office
he would kick him down stairs" Re-
mbering as do this story > presume the
antecedeut statement to be correct. Mrs.
Beknap and Mrs. Bower returned to Wash
inrtou, and few weeks thereafter Mrs. Bel.
kna o sent me word to come over. did so. She
then told me the post-tradershlp at Fort Sill
was vacant, that 1t was valusbe posi-, she
/ understood, and that she had either asked
for it for me or had prevailed upon the Sec.
rotary OF War to give tito me. At all events
l called upon the Secretary of War, aud, as
nesr as [ CAP remember, made application
for this post on q regular printed form. The
Secretary said be would appoint me II L
could bring proper recommendatory letters,
and this I said I could do. Either Mrs.
Belkuap or the Secretary told me that the
present trader st the post, John S. Evans,
was an applicant for reappointment, and that
had better see him, he being in the city, as
it would not be fair to turn him out of office
without some notice, as be would loose
largely on his buildings, merchandise, etc.. If
the Office was taken from him, and that it
would be proper and just for me to make
some arrangement with him for the pur-
chase if wished to run the post myself. l
saw Evans, snd found him alarmed at the
prospect of losing the place. remember
that ne said that firm OF western post
traders, who claimed good deal Of influence
with the Secretary Of War, had promised to
have him appointed. but he found on coming
to Washington this firm to be entirely without
influence. Mr.. Evans first proposed part
ner.hip, which declined, and then bonus
Of q certain percentage Of the profits if /
! would allow him to hold the position and
continue the business. We finally agreed
upon fifteen thousand dollars per year. MIR.
Evans and myself went TO New York to-
gethsr, where the contract was made and
executed, which is herewith submitted.
Paper marked Al During our trip
over, however, Mr.. Evans saw some
thing 10 the army and fauy journal
which led him to believe that some OF
| the troops were TO be removed from the post,
and that he had offered too large sum, and
before the contract was drawn 1t was re-
duced by agreement TO twelve thousand
dollars, the same being payable quarterly in
advance. Upon the first remittance coming
to me, say probably in November, 1870,
sent half thereof to Mrs. Belknap, either, l
presume, by certificate of deposit or bank
notes, by express. Being in Washington at
funeral some weeks after this, had con.
yersation with Mrs. Bower, to the following
purport, as far as | can now remember, but
must say that just here my memory is ex-
ceedingy indistinct, and judge in part,
perhaps, from what followed as to
| the details of the conversations: l was
up stairs in the nursery with Mrs.
Bower to see the baby. said to her. "This
child will have money coming to it before
great while" She said eyes; the mother
gave the child to me, and told me that the
money coming from you she must take and
keep for it." I said Gall right; and it
seems to me said that perhaps the father
ought to be consulted. / say 1t seems SO,
and yet can give no reason for it; for as lar
as 1 know the father knew nothing OF any
money transactions between the mother ana
myself. -. .--
BELKNAP's OWN GUILT.
have faint recollection of a remark of
Mrs. Bower that if l sent money to the
father that it belonged to her, and that she
would get it any way. / certainly had some
understanding then or subsequently with her
or him; for when the next payment
came due and was paid, I sent the
one half thereof to the Secretary Of
War, and have continued substantially
from that day forward to the present
time to do the same. About, should say,
one and half to two years after the CON-
mencement of these payments reduced the
amount to six thousand dollars per annum.
| The reason of this reduction was partly be-
cause of the combined complaints on the part
of Mr.. Evans and his partner, and partly,
so far as now remember, in consequence'of
an article in the newspapers about that
time rejecting on the injustice done to SOL
diers at this post, and by exorDltant 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 sill the facts 10
the case, and as complete as can remember
occurrences of SO many years ago.
kidnapping Extraordinary. -
CHILD STOLEN FROM THE ARMS OF ITS MOTHER
| AND CARRIED AWAY TO COLORADO.
From the Mclean County (Kyl Progress.l d"