Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-03-10

dent own maxim, - Let no guilty man
escape" Unter such inspiration, the Ad
ministratOn has been accomplishing brilliant
end valuable results /, has been doing
better work and carrying out greater re-
iorms,than any Of it. predecessors have
undertaken And while his chief and his
colleagues were engaged in this grand effort
and demonstrating that this was the real i'm
pulse and spirit Of the Administration. it was
The more criminal in Gen Belknap to bstray
his trust and dishonor bis associations. But
it Is his own act alone and upon ms head
fail the consequences.
The Testimony against secretary BelknEB.
EVIDENCE OF IHy PRINCIPAL WITNESS.
Mr. Marsh evidence was in substance
a. follows
would state that in the summer Of 1870,
myself and wife spent some weeks at Long
Branch, and On our Ieturn to New York,
Mrs. Beikuap and Mrs Bowers. bg our in
vitaton, came for a visit to our house Mrs..
Belknap wa- i'll during this yi>i; some three
or four weeks, and suppose in consequence
OF our kindness 10 her. she felt under such
obligation, for She asked ME one dav, in the
4 1
for a post leadership on the frontier asked
what they were and was told that there were
many of lhem-very lucrative offices OF posi- |
tions-in the gift Of the Secretary Of War, |
and that If | wanted one she would ask the |
Secretlry for one for me [ pom my replying |
that | thought such Offices belonged 10 dis
abled soldiers and, besides, that was with !
out political influence. she answered that |
politicians got such places. etc do not |
remember saying that il | had 4 valuable |
post Of that kind | would remember her, but /
| Do remember her saying something ike |
thi- IF can prevail upon the Secretary |
Of War to award you post, You must be |
careful - say nothing % him about presents, |
for q man once offered him $4,000 for 4 |
leadership Of this kind. and he told him if |
he did not leave the Office he would kick |
him down stairs. Remembering as do, this |
story, presume the antecedent statement 10 |
be correct Mrs Beiknap and Mr., Bowers |
returned to Washington, and few weeks
thereafter Nrs Be.knlp sent me word TO |
come over. | did 50. She then told me
that the post leadership At Fort >i,l was
vacant, that it was q valuable post, a. she |
under TODD, and that she had asked for |
it for me, or had prevailed upon the Sec
rotary of War 70 agree 10 give it to me |
at all events I called upon the Secretary |
of War. ami a. near e | can remember. |
made application for the post On a regular |
printed form. The Secretary said he would |
appoint me if / could bring proper ~ecom-
mandatory letters. and this said | could do |
Either Mrs. Be.knap or the Secretary told |
me that the PRESENT trnder at the post John |
:. Evans was an applicant for re-appoint- |
ment, and that had better see him. he be- |
ing in the CITY, as it would not fair to turn him
OUT of office without some notice. a. he /
would lose largely on his buildings. mer-
chaniize, sc. it the Office was taken from /
him, and that it would be proper and lust
for me to make some arrangement with him
for their purchase, if | wished to run the
post myself | saw Evans and found him
alarmed at the prospect of losing the place
llremember that be said that a firm Of West
ern post traders. who claimed a good deal
ol influence with the Secretary Of War, had
promised to have him appointed. but he
found on coming to Washington, this firm
10 be entirely without influence Mr. Evans
first proposed partnership, which decin-
ed, and then 4 bonus Of a certain portion Of
the profits if | would allow him to hold the
position and continue the business We
finally agreed upon SIS 900 per year Mr.
Evans aud myself went on 10 New York
where the contract was made and
executed, which is herewith submitted.
paper marked A During our trip over,
however, Mr.. Evans saw something IN the
Army and NARY journal which led him to
think that some of the troops were TO be re
mo FRI. fta vt nd ia had 81
large sum. and before the contract was
drawn 1t was reduced by agreement to Sl2,-
600, the same being payable quarterly in
advance When the first remittance came
to me. say probably in November. $50, |
sent one-half thereof 10 Mrs. Belknap.
either, | presume by certificate Of de
post or bank-n1tr- by express Being
in Washington AZ a funeral some weeks
after this. had conversation with Mrs.
Bower- To the following purpOrt, Us far
as can now remember, but must say that
Just here my memory IS exceedingly ndis-
tlnct, and Judge, in plrt, perhaps, from
what followed IL to the details OF the con
Sersati0u went up stairs in the nursery
with Mrs. Bowers, to see the baby said
10 her, This child will have money coming
10 it before a great while !" she said Yes
the mother gave the child to me, and told
ne that the money coming from YOU, she
must take and keep for it :" | said, IAN
light, and 1t seems to me | said that per
maps the father ought 10 be consulted | say
I seems 50, and YET can give no reason for
t, Tor, as Tar as | knew, the father knew
nothing of any money transactions between
he mother and myself have faint recol-
ectlon OF remark of Mrs Bowers, that if
sent the money to the father it belonged :
. her, and that she would get it anyway. I
ertainly had some understanding then or 9
with her or him, for when the
lext payment came due, and was paid. | :
ent the one-huif thereof to the Secretary Of
Var, and have continued substantially from /;
hat day forward to the present time to do a
he same About. should say, a wear and /
halt or two years after the commencement :
4 these payments | reduced the amount to .
$1,000 per annum the reason Of this re-
uction was partly because of the combined +,
on the part Of Mr. Evans and 4
l. partner, and partly, 50 far as | now re- .
lemoer, IN consequence vi an article in the u
ewspapers about thar time rejecting on the u
IlDstlce done u soldiers at this fort, caused l.
y exorbltant charges made necessary on the Il
art Of the trader by reason of the payment,
this bonus.
MIR. Marsh further testified that the a
honey, with the exception of the first pay 1
lent made in November or December.
SOY, and the last (made in December. {,
500, was always sent directly to the Sec. :,
etary OF War, sometimes in the form of :,
leeks or certificates of deposit, sometimes y
l bank-notos forwarded BY express, and :.
'metimeS 1t was paid to him in person in !. y
ew York city. After he was subpcuaed "
elore the committee, he went TO Washing ',
IN and had long conference with the u
ecretary and his wife. "She," said the al
illness, suggested that | could make a It
atement which would satisfy the COM
ittee and exculpate the Secretary she is
anted me to represent that she and had b,
nsiness transactions together for many 81
ears, and that all this money had sent the "a
ecretary was money that she had from time cl
} time deposited with me as kind of sy
anker, and that she had instructed me to P
nd it to the Secretary for her; the even .,
g was devoted to discussing this matter vi
told her the statement would not hold b,
alter before the committee, and even if Il
would | could not make it that could ii
IT perjure myself, for any one. I said. IT
think | had better leave the country - 70
e Secretary said | would ruin him if | Oh