The Leavenworth weekly times., 1876-03-09
His Escape to Bermuda Hopeless, and
Himself a Fearful Wreck.
Caleb P. Marsh Says he will Make a
Full Statement" for the
Newspapers.
BeIknap not yet Brought up for Trial
Marsh's Flight will Probably Save
the Ex-Secretary.


morning, causing much surprise and ex-
citemenl In Official and other circles. In
0uiries were made in all quarters, to ascer-
tain the precise facts in the premises, which
resulted in the general belief that the re-
ported testimony was entitled to credence,
and this belief was further strengthened
By the fact that about ten O'Clock this
morning Secretary Belinap had an inter
view with the President in company with
Secretarys Bristow and Chandler, and
Senators Morton and Merrill, OF Vermont,
the subject discussed involving the resig-
nation Of Secretary Belknap. The latter
left the Z zecnrive Mansion with Secretary
Chandler, and both went over to The War
| Department. Il Is thought that Belknap
placed his resignation al the pleasure OF
the President.
WAS NOT AWARE OF IT.
The President, in conversation with
friends, to night, stated emphatically that
| he was not aware OF the enomity OF the
| charges against Belknap, at the time ne
rendered and the President accepted his
| resignation. From the hurried and inco-
herent manner OF Belknap's communica-
| tion, the President drew the conclusion
that Mrs. Belknap, and not her husband,
was the guilty party, and that the General
assumed the responsibility and censure, in
order TO shield his wife. Although he did
not inform the President that he was actu-
| ally guilty himself, he confessed that he
was not free from blame. The President
saws that if he had known the full meas
ure of Belknap's guilt, he would not have
| yielded SO readily To Beiknap's appeal by
accepting his resignation in the mild terms
| he did, but would have demanded that the
| official relations between them should i'm
mediately cease, and that Belknap
should at once vacaie his office, and take
the consequences of his official misconduct.
| The President had no suspicious up 10
10 o'clock a. m. to-day that Belknap'-
official conduct was subject of investiga-
ton, and nothing could have occasioned
him more surprise than the communication
made to him by Belknap himself at The
time he presented his written resignation
WAsHISGToS, d. C., March MIR
| Clymer, after submitting the report of the
committee, in the House, to-day. read the
testimony taken by the committe in regard
to the connection OF Secretary Belknap
with the IT. Sill post-tradership, OF which
the following is the substance
| Question 10y the chairman: Were you, or
were you not, appointed, or rendered an APP
| pointment, as post-trader at Fort Sill, in
the fail OF 1870, 10y the Secretary OF War
| and if so, under what circumstances Give
Us all the facts in the cas-.
Answer In reply TO your question, |
would state that IN the summer Of 1870,
myself and vile spent some weeks At Long
| Branch, and on our return Mrs. Belknap
and Mrs. Bowers, by our invitation, came
| for visit 10 our house.
Mrs. BeIknap was Ill, during this
visit, foE some three or four weeks,
and | suppose in consequence Of our kind
ness to her, she felt under some obligations,
| for she asked one day, in the course OF a
conversation, why | didn't apply for post
leadership on the frontier :" | asked her
| what they were, and was told that many Of
them were very lucrative Offices or posi-
tiOns-the gift OF the Secretary Of Nar, and
that if i wanted one, she would ask the
Secretary. Upon my replying that |
| thought such offices belonged 10 disabled
soldiers, and besides, mat Twas without
| political influence, she answered that "pol-
iticians got places" &C. / do not remember
saying, "If l had valuable post of that
kind, / would remember her." bat do re-
member her saying something like this !:
"If can prevail upon the Secretary OF
War TO award you post, You must be
careful to say nothing to him about pres
ents, for a man once offered him $4,000 for
a leadership of this kind, and he told him
il he didn't leave the Office,
he would kick him down the
stairs Remembering as | do this story, |
-h. an..raiarf --a IN. ba
correct. Mrs. Belknap and Mrs. Bowers
returned 10 Washington, and a few weeks
thereafter, Mrs. Belknap sent me word TO
come over. / didso, and she tod iue that
the post leadership at ort Sill was va
cant, that 1t was a valuable post, as she
understood, and that she had either asked
for it for me, or had prevailed upon the
Secretary to agree TO give it to me. At all
events, | called upon the Secretary, and, as
near as | can remember, made application
for the position upon one of the regular
printed forms. The Secretary then
said that he would appoint me
ii | could bring the proper letters and
recommendation, and this | said / could
do. Either Mrs. Belkuap or the Secretary
told me that the pre- ent trader at the post,
John : Evsns. was an applicant fer reap
III II htAAEl -NN
he being in the city, a it would not be fair
TO turn him out Of Office without some no.
tice, as he would lose largely ON his build
ings, &c, If the Office was taken from him,
and that it would be proper and Just for
me TO make some arrangement with him for
their purchase, for my own use
L saw Evans and found him alarmed al
the prospect of losing his place; | remem-
hor Nhs- h, =
traders, who claimed to have a good deal
of influence with the Secretary OF War
wished TO have him appointed; on coming
to WashAgton he found this firm entirely
without influence; Evans first proposed
partnership, which declined, and then a
bonus OF a certain portion of the prOtIs if
i would allow him TO hold the position and
continue the business; we finally agreed
myself went 10 New York together,
where the contract was made, which Is
herewith submitted during our trip over,
however, Mr.. Evans saw something in the
Army and Navy Journal" which led him
TO think some Of the troops were to be re-
moved from the Fort, aud that he had off
cred too large a m, and before the con-
tract was drawn it was reduced by agree
LIcAt ~ N1-,ONt, idNdDEt
quarterly in advance; when the first re-
mi,tanee came 10 me-say, probably, No
vember, 1870, | sent one-half thereof TO |
Mrs. Belknap, either. | presume, by certi6- |
cate of deposit or bank-notes by express.
Being in Washington, at 4 funeral, some
weeks after this, / had conversation with |
Mrs. Bowers, to the following purport, as
far as / can now remember, but must say /
that Just here my memory is exceedingly |
indistinct, and, judge, in part, departs
from what follows, a. 10 details, from the
l went up stairs with Mrs
Bo~ers, TO zee the baby; / said: "rhis
child will have money coming to il before
a great while" She said: YES, the moth
er gave tie child TO me- and told De the
money coming from you she must
take and keep for f." / said, "all right"
and 1t seems to me that said perhaps the
father ought to be consulted. 1 say it
seems SO, and yet can give no reason for
It. As far as | know, the father knew
nothing OF any money transactions between
he mother and myself. / have afaint rec
Dilecuon OF a remark of Mrs Bowers.
hat if / sent the money TO the father,
hat it belonged to her, and she would get
L anyway. l certainly had some under
Standing with her or him, then, or subse-
iuently, for when the next payment came
due, L sent one half ,othe Secretary of
War, and have continued substantially
rom that day forward to the present time
o do the same thing, ab0t, 1 should saw. I
rom one and hall to two years after the {
OF these payments / reduced s
he amount TO $1,000 per annum; the rea- /
on for this reduction was partly because of
he combined complaints on the part of q
,yans and parriv so far ,s I 49, -. ! 4