The New York herald., 1876-03-11

eved In 1869 he left the Indian service In that year
proposals were asked by the government for supplies
TO feed the Indians on the Missouri River the Yank-
ton, MILESTONE, Crow Creek, Cheyenne and Grand
River agencies Tho amount OF beet alive 10 be fur
Dished was about 10, 600, 900 pounds This contract
was awarded to Edward Feneon II. b. Denmam, d. W.
Powers and Senator Caldwell, OF Kansas Powers pur-
chased, Denmam delivered aud Feneon attended TO the
finances This contract ran for one year from the 18th
OF June The cattle furnished were the refuse of the
ernmeni paid "a 40 per 100 pounds for them Cooper
at this time the agent for the nrm in the delivery
ofihe cattle at the Cheyenne Agency At nearly every
post, he says,
FRAUDULENT Vouchers
were issued for more cattle than were delivered
There was big difference between the rations allowed
and the number actually issued and the difference
constituted Dig steal which the agents and contrac
tors divided among themselves The contract also
specified cattle should weigh 900 pounds tho
hoof but he Cooper supplied lot TO MI up the quota
Tor kcncon that weighed only I2I on scales at Whet-
stone Agency There were 600 head OF these alone but
they turned in 900 pounds EACH II was very
seldom that they went 10 the trouble of weighing
the cattle. They would simply guess them oil ana call
all 1000 pounds II didn't make any difference TO them
whether they weighed 600 las many ddl or 1000 II
ali the same SO lar as the pay was concerned-the
immaculate agent never stopping 10 question the pro.
cedurc, but making out the voucher or the iull
amount and contractor drawing the money, which
he In turn shared with his friend who had been SO
Kind as 10 help HIM along in the steal.
Sometimes, Cooper says, no cattle were delivered,
but the vouchers were made all the same Tue agents
had got so accustomed TO making out vouchers that
they couldn't stop II they did not want any cattio
they would tell tho contractors so, and along would
thousands o dollars in this way tor things never had
not even an inferior article
Mr. Cooper next referred TO
the BosLER CONTRACT
for cattle, flour, bacon, &c, which made In 1870,
without any proposals having boon made by the Indian
Department 1t was always considered special steal
on the plains and went by that tito among ali who
knew anything about the facts OF the case Cooper
helped Boser ouy supplies. 1t brought In fat thing
Tor Boscr.
In september, 1870, Mr. Cooper figured with William
A. Paxton JOHN McCormick ana ] A. Morrow of
la rpt cDn Irart lnr md tDiu 10
Washington with H. The contract was awarded being
signed by W. H. Cady chlci clerk and acting commits
sloner Tor the government; and by j. A. Morrow, Tor
the contractors Paxton ana Cooper bought the cattle
some 1000 head, at Obcnc, Kansas to be delivered IN
the vicinity Of the agencies As square deal tins
would give Them about $1,000 profits AS near as he
learn about $50 head less uun were purported 10
be furnished were receipted ioror about 1900 600
pounds j. w. BOsler got halt interest this con
tract somehow, by promising To get an order from the
department TO denver all the cattle at once, and not
monthly and thus the expense OF winterng them
But before this could be DONE Welch, the Peace Com.
missioner along, spoiled the fun aud defeated the
fraud Before Wcch left one OF his agents proposed
Cooper give him agent for Morrow voucher for
cattle delivered without requiring any To be Delivered
| and that Morrow and himself would
DIVIDE THE STEAL.
| Cooper referred him to Paxton and Paxton accepted
the offer He gave the agent s. 600 cash for $40 900
voucher for cattle mot furnished This cash the agent
| sent TO Sioux City by express marked Indian
trnkets, I" and it went to the states TO his wife. This
his share OF the steal Paxton thus securing 900
| clear
| While up there on this contract Cooper met the man
Cady who had resigned his position Of 81 900 year
in Tie Indian Department and secured an agency
bringing him salary OF ST. 800 Cady told HIM the
whole programme, and said they were gong TO make
all the money they could. The agent VINO divided tho
profits with the contractor Paxton j. Lee Enge-
BERT who had been placed in his position through Com
missioner Wclchs nstrumentaty.
Alter these things Cooper came East,
BUSINESS
Of Indian contracts and wrote out the whole matter for
the department lie went TO the Hon. j. V. Farwcl
who then Peace Commissioner, with it, He never
succeeded getting interviews with these gentlemen
but noticed shortly atorward that some change had
been made in Missouri RIVER agencies
Mr.. Cooper says that at the time OF his leaving
Omaha for the Enst the A. Z. Leighton, who IS
now figuring in tho suter business, ana who at
that time known dispenser OF post-tradershps
TO HIM and asked him TO make an application Tor
the sutlershlp OF Fort Suly. He assured him that he
could got IL he wanted It, and would fix up certain
contingencies. lie told Leighton that he did not
the place would make "arrangementsn and so
came East to an honest living