, 1876-03-19

oeen na"ked about privately for the Last three
weeks, and although it appears "a it written
1rotn LOUISVILLE, KY, 1t is perfectly woll known
tnas 1t "as prepared in this city. In substance
II Is charge that Secretary Bristow got claim
OF Slooo0 adjudicated iu the Court of Claims,
lecelElng therefor one-hnlf Of the
amount, acd 91s,0o0 besides to use cor
fupsly to prevent tho Government from
appealing the case, and this WAS coupled with
an animation that the CHIN itself was fraudu-
.ent. There is nothing secret in this case, a. it
was argued openly here iu tho Court of Claims
2y Zen: Hrlstow when he WAS in the practice of
hs profession, aud all tho timo he held no Gov
esnment office, aud tho is reportod ut length
fepprte.
N brief was this: In the spring OF 1874, after
the battle OF Nashville, when Gen, Thomas
was preparing for sudden aud extensive
move into the South to cooperate with the other
armies, he found it necessary to procure thou
sand mules, with the least possible delay IN order
70 secure the prompt departure OF bis army
Ihas purchase was put into tho hands Of largo
kentucky firm, whose agents we're spread over
= large portion of the country, who bad great
facilities for performing this business. They
Immediately gathered uu a thousand mules. had
delivered few. had aome others upon tho tran
and the rest IN their possession, when Richmond
surrendered and the Confederacy collapsed, aud
tie mules OF the various armies wero
THROWN UPON THE COUNTRY.
The Quartermaster declined to receive the mules
not delivered, and they deprecated greatly
upon the hands Of tho owners, nnd the suit
waa to recover the difference in the price for
which the Government ngreed to receive them
aud the price at which they were finally disposed
Of. In the Government arguments there wore
no iutimatious that the Case was fraudulent nor
was there any intination Of this character in
tho dissenting opinion of Judge Drake. The
Court sustained the claim in strong de-
ci5ion, Judge Drake dissenting on tho
ground that no written contract was made at the
time, and the further grounds that no order of
the Commanding General had been issued which
would authorize the purchase Of supplies in tho
open market without advertisement. The Secre-
tary had nothing whatever to do with any work
in the Department pertaining to this claim, nor
did lie ever enter any Of the Departments in
connection with it, He simply argued the case
before the Court Of Claims, and had nothing to
received
A FEE OF 10 PER CENT.
tho usual fee in this city for services Of this
character. lie had nothing to do with any Of
the papers connected with the final settlement
Of tho case, nor with the papers pertaining to
this demand. and bis name does not appear
upon any OF them.
REPRESENTATIVE BLACKBURN,
OF Kentucky, states that ho is thoroughly
familiar with tue character OF the gentlemen
who made this claim, aud that there is
no doubt whatever that tho claim WAS
q perfectly Just and righteous one. He further
mora says that this is the ONLY casa, so far he
knows, IN which Mr. D1istow over appeared in
the Court Of Claims, and be indoraes the state
ment that Alr. Bristow notified the claimants in
the case that he would do Dothug to help the
claim through the Departments.