The Indiana State sentinel., 1876-06-21
A SINGULAR SUIT.

ZACHARIAA'S ANSWER TO JACOB.
INsTITUTING SUIT TO RECOVER S2.00c, 900
FROM Ex SECRETARY THOMPSON.
The Washington correspondent of the
New York Sun says: A few days since
L. @. C. Lamar, of Mississippi, and Casey
Young, of Tennessee, presented the fol.
lowing letter:
WAsHINGToN, June /, 1876.
To the Hon. T. Chandler, Secretary of the In
terror:
Some person has sent to my address, at
Memphis, Tenp., the Evening Star, pub
lshed at Washington, May %, 1876, with
the following paragraph marked:
"Secretary Chandler denies the pub
lished statemeTt that he intends, if the
Senate shall decide that it has jurisdiction,
to recommend TO the House the impeach-
ment of one Thompson. who was the sec-
retary of the interior before the war, for
sbstracting more than 500, 900 OF the pub
lie moneys. He admits OF having made the
remark, but only as joke. Be says, how
ever, there is no doubt as to Thompson's
guilt, and that he is wealthy enough TO re-
pay the amount to the government, and
shou be made to do sO." / have neither
the right nor the inclination to act upon
the assumption that the statement in tnis
paragraph is authorized by you, or justi-
fed by anything that you have said. Per
init me- therefore, to call your attention to
the article, and respectfully inquire o.
you If 1t does represent you truly. Please
give me as prompt q reply as your con-
venience will permit.
Your obedieDt servant,
j. THOMPSON.
CHANDLER's REPLY.
The only reply TO the above letter
was the service of a process upon Mr.
Thompson this morning OF a civil suit to
recover S2,00O,0O0, with interest on S1,00O,-
900, from July l, 1857, and on 81, ,OOO, 900
from August 20, 1865. The first 81 ,OOO, 600
Is for Indian trust bonds. alleged to
have been received by the defendant
while secretary of the interior for the
use of plaintiff, the said bonds having
been converted by the defendant to his
own use on July l, 1857. As to the second
81, ,0O0, 600, it is charged that the defendant,
on August 20, 1866, received the sum o.
Sl,OOO,OOO nom the so-called confederate
states OF America, which sum reversed to,
and became she properly of the United
States, aud which said sum the defendant
retained, and did not pay over, although
often requested TO do so. Secretary Chan
dler says that he holds as a set-off sccep'-
sncss OF the secretary of war, JOI n
jors and Wsddell on transportation &C
count for $50 600, the exact amount of the
6eialcation, the bonds having besn ab-
strscted by Goddard Bailey 10 meet these
accepIances. The secretary further says
tie government bought some months ago
A LOT OF REBEL ARCHIVES,
showing NJ. Thompson's expenditure OF a
part of the 81, 900 600 In gold to be sent to
Csnsds by he confederate governm snt,
and the unexpended balance OF that sum,
Secretary Chandler says, belongs to this
government. Mr.. Thompson, on learning
of the above statement saws he was ar
agent instructed by the c nfedersts gov
ernmenJ to turn TIE uneXpended balance
of the million dollars over to the
confederate agents abroad. This he did,
a ID siter~srd there WAS final adjust
ment of his account, and full and final
receipt OF all moneys was given to him,
which receipt ne now has. As to the
Indian trust bonds, Mr.. Thompson say
that soon after they were sbstrscted he
asked the House for an investi-
CATION, and committee was
appointed accordingly One of it.
members, Charles Case, has written
Mr.. Thompson a letter, dated the 2 inst,
in which he says the committee was COM
posed politically OF one anti-adminis-
tration DemOcraF, Isaac N. Morris, OF IL
lnois, the chairman; one administration
Democrat, Mr.. Thomas, OF Tennessee; one
southern Auericss, j. Morrison Harris,
of Mary AND; and two Republicans, Roscoe
ConkliT z, OF New York, and Cosrles Case,
OF Indiana. The report of the commit
tee, Mr.. Case says, Was prepared by Mr..
Morris, the chairman, and signed only by
him; bot In so doing he acted as directed
by other memb bers, and all the committees
concurTed In its conclusions. Mr.. Case
adds: 81 can aud do state empbsticslly
that not ore line or word was produced
before that committee showing or having
the slightest tendency to show any COM
plicity on your (rhompsons) part with
the fraudulent transaction alleged and
proved"