Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-03-10

the country from centre tO>circumfer-
ence, is from the dispatches to the
Chicago Journal:
The history Of the case is briefly
this: The Committee of Expendi
lures in the War Department., com
posed of Messrs. Clymer, of Penn
sylvania, Chairman; Robbins, of
North Carolina; Blackburn, of Ken
lucky; Bass, of New York, and Dan
forth, of Ohio, notified Secretary
Belknap some time since that they
were investigating charges against
him to the effect that he had been
taking brides for the appointment
of post-traders, and desired him to
prepare any defence he had to make.
The Secretary and his friends took
little notice of the matter, supposing
it was only part of Il general inves-
ugation that had been undertaken.
The committee summoned all the
post-traders that were in reach to
appear before them. Among others
was Mr. Marsh, of New York, who
was partner in the post-tradership
of Fort Sill, Indian Territory, one of
the best posts in the gift of the Sec
rotary. For some time Marsh evad-
ed the summons, but his movements,
which were watched by an emlssary
Of the committee, attracted suspi-
cion, and a Sergeart-at-arms was sent
to bring him, forcibly if necessary,
to Washington. He came, reaching
the city on Monday, with his wife,
and stopped at the Arlington Hotel.
Marsh is a merchant in New York
city, a man of some means and re.
spectabllity, and was publicly known
as an intimate friend of Secretary
Belknap, the families of both visit
ing each other frequently. Marsh
appeared before the committee, and,
after having tried his best to beg off
and avoid an examination, made a
most astounding statement, which
was, in short, this: In 1870, shortly
before her death, the first Mrs. Bel
KNAPP, with her sister, Mrs. Bowers,
who is the present Mrs. Belknap,
visited his house and was i'll there
some time. Made grateful by his
attentions, Mrs. Belknap promised
to secure him an appointment under
the Secretary. She shortly after
sent for him to come to Washington,
and on his coming told him that the
leadership at Fort Sill was at his SER
vice. The incumbent of the trader
ship, Mr.. Evans, was 10th to leave,
and he (Marsh) made an arrange
ment with him so that Marsh was to
have $4,000 year out of the profits
Of the business, and Evans should re,
tain the post and conduct the man.
agement. Marsh went to Mrs. Bel
KNAPP in 1870, paid her half the mo-
ney he received, and made an agree
ment to pay her one,half of subse-
quent receipts. The Secretary and
Mrs. Bowers were cognizant of the
proceeding. The checks by which
the payments were made were in
dorsed by w. w. Belknap. In the
meantime Mrs. Belknap died, leaving
babe. At her funeral, which
Marsh attended, he arranged with
Mrs. Bowers that the payments
should continue for the benefit of the
babe, and they did so continue quart
erly, the money being sometimes
paid in checks, which were Endorsed
by Belknap, and sometimes in cash
to Belknap personally, several times
in bonds. When the witness got a
telegraphic subpoena from the COM
mittee on the Odd of February he
came TO Washington and spent the
night with Secretary Belknap and
wife. Witness proposed to them
that he leave the country. They OBJ
jected, and, he claims, insisted that
he should stay and bluff it out.
They proposed, he claimed, that he
should represent to the committee
that he had charge of property be-
longing to the first Mrs. Belknap,
and these remittanccs were only the
income from that. This he refused
to do, and went back to New York
and packed his trunk to leave for
Europe. Mrs. Bclknap's brother
Or. Tomlinson) followed him to
New York and asked him to write a
letter to the committee explaining the
transaction without duplicating Sec
rotary Belknap. This he consented
to do, but before it was finished sat
: isfactorily an officer of the House
appeared with a subpoena and pre-
vented his escape.
This is IN substance Marsh
statement made to the committee on
Monday and Tuesday Of this week.
Marsh has been in communication
with Belknap all the time he has
been here, and the latter was fully
posted each day regarding the testi'
mony. On Tuesday evening Mrs.
Belknap sent for Mr.. Blackburn, a
member of the committee, who is an
old friend, and whose wife has spent
a great deal Of time with Mrs Bel
KNAPP this winter, and appealed to
him to stop the investigation, saying
it would ruin the Secretary, while he
was not to blame. She confessed
that she had manipulated the whole
matter, and claimed that the money
went to the child and was in no way
a bribery of the Secretary. But Mr.
Blackburn was memorable, and on
Wednesday morning the Secretary
was called before the committee.
Marsh's evidence was read to him
He was utterly crushed, and could
make no reply. He did not attempt
to deny it, but asked that he might
be given time to prepare statement
The committee gave him three hours
time in the afternoon, Judge Blair
appeared as his council, and made q
proposition to the committee in be
half of the Secretary. Just what the
proposition was is not known, but
it is reported that the Secretary
agreed to resign, and restore the
money received from Marsh, to the
Public Treasury, provided the inves
tigatlon was net made public, bcgg
ing the committee to spare the mem
DRY of his dead wife and the honor
Of his family. 1t was stated tina
there were other terms to the propo
| a.. al