Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-04-07
They Are Telling All.

KNOWN FOR YEARS-HoW TIE EVI-
DENCE AGAINST BABCoCK WAS STOLEN
THE POST OFFICE FRAUDS,
&C., &C., sc.
The daily continuing exposures OF the
Republican Administration at Washing
ton, by which are involved the members OF
the Cabinet, the President, generals, and
almost everybody that is in any position,
are being made by the Democratic lnvestl-
eating Committees War, Post Office
and Navy Departments, all, showing fear
full corruptions. We copy some OF the
latest from the Washington dispatches,
merely adding, that to publish all would
take book instead Of a country paper:
GEN. CUsTER's EVIDENCE,
Gen. Custer was before the COMPRESSION
al Investigating Committee Saturday. He
testified that he is in command at Fort
A. Lincoln, Dakota, where he has been
three years. He referred to the removal
of the post-trader there, S. A. Dickey. and
the appointment by Secretary Belknap, in
May, 1874, of Robert G. Sipe. partner
of Dickey published Z; letter charging that
Belknap was interested with Sipe. In
letter to witness Beiknap branded the &C
cusation as lie. Sipe subsequently COM
planned that no officer ought to have
right to buy OF bring goods to the post ex
cept through him. The secretary issued
circular which said that no one had the
light to sell goods but the regular post
trader. Captain Poland, one of the officers
had protested against Sipe's prices, and
had introduced goods. but this was stop
| ped. Gen. Custer continued:
After the Belknap exposure sent tor
| Sipe and asked him what he had been pay
ing to hold his post ? He said he estima-
| ted his profits at $4,000 annually; one
! third of it was paid to Gen. Hedrick. OF
Iowa, and one-third to Gen. Rice, IN Wash
| ington. Out of his profits of $4,000 he
only received $500. He said he did not
know, but that he understood portion of
it went to the Secretary of War. Some
time last year some OF my command went
to Kentucky to buy horses. While there
| they mel q man named TOmlinSon. lie
told the officers that he had the trader at
Fort Rice appointed, and was interestet
in one-5hird of the profits, and he partlcu-
larly inquired how the post was doing
Custer said he told the Secretary OF War
\ once that Sipe was holding whip over the
/ heads of the officers, on account of having
great influence with the Secretary OF War.
The Secretary made no reply, but tossed
his head as if to say. "You shouldn't be-
( lieva al you hear" I met Boaaf1in and
Orvil Grant at one time on the frontier
They wanted transportation to visit four
Irdian posts. Grant asked me [ would
furnish him an ambulance to make the
"Trip Bonailin. told me he was interested
with Orvil Grant in several posts. When
Grant got back to Bismarck he found
there would be some difficulty in his hold
ing the Fort Berthold post, whereupon he
| teegraphed to Secretary Delano to appoint
- man named Raymond, who was appoin-
| ted. Raymond subsequently said that he
| mad paid Grant 81 600 for getting him the
place.
| @. Did Orvil Grant ever show you any
authority from the President Or Secretary
OF the Interior in connection with the
Indian post?
| A. No, sir; he never showed me any au-
| thority. but he said he had it.
! Witness said in his judgment the law
giving the appointment Of post traders to
the Secretary of war did not affect the
morale of the army, he WAS glad to say; it
did have the effect, however, of adding to
the embarraSsments of frontier life; he
| thought it haC- increased the expense and
inconvenience OF living on the frontier.
| Under the old law it WAS impossible to
| form ''rings.' Witness has known the
trader at Fort a. Lincoln to stop an officers
wagon and inspect it to see that he had
bought no go DOS at post four miles below,
where they could be goi ten at half price.
| G. Did you ever represent the state of
affairs to the Secretary of War?
A No, sir; did not, because was just
as SUSPICIOUS of the Secretary of War4as [
was of the s,ivler. / believe the sQtler at
| Fort Rufo.d pays q large sum of money to
Gen Hedrick. The officers of the army
! always regarded the Secretary of War as !.
silent partner in the trading posts.
Witness said that Thumb, the trader at
Fort Pt OK, was about to b. removed, when
he obtained some affidavits showing that
Orvil Grant aud the Layton brothers were
mixed in Indian frauds. This he showed
to several and he was allowed to remain.
PRESIDENT GRANT AND THE THIEVES.
The evidence given Friday before the
committee on expenditures in the War
Department was Of the, most interesting
character. Lieutenant Robert G.. Carter,
of the Fourth cavalry, fully corroborated
all the statements made by General Nc
Cook in regard to the refusal Of General
Mckensie to obey the order of General
Reynolds to receive at Fort Richardson
$4,000 to $4,000 bushels Of corn delivered by
Adams and Hicks, the contractors who
had presented Reynolds with 900
house at San Antonio, Texas The corn
was finally received when the report of the
board Of inquiry, ordered by General Nc
kensie, condemning the corn, was not re-
spected at Washington, and a peremptory
order came to receive the forage The
II hof ha IN. JI
not eat it. It was rejected by McKensie
both on account OF its damaged condition
and because it was to be paid for at the
rate of 20 ceEts per busel more than
ground corn could be procured for from
other contractors. General Reynolds pre-
ferred charges against McKense for in
Subordinatiun, but he never dared 0 force
a trial on them. General Mckensie de-
manded a trial. but no attention was paid
to his demand. The testimony of j. F.
Barrow in regard to his appointment as
sutler to Fort Union. New Mexico, in 1868,
was the most damaging evidence which
has yet been given against President
Grant. 1t was as follows:
Was post trader at Fort Union, New
Mexico, in 1868; was appointed by Gen.
Grant, who YVES general OF the army; was
recommended by D. w. D. Bernard, q
brother-in-iaw of John G. Dent; I had
tried to get the place and could not. and
was told to apply to Bernard; he asked me
to make out my application, which I did;
he wrote a letter to General Grant, which
he showed me, In which he asked for my
appointment. stating that he was to get
one-third of the profits.
Question. Are you sure of that?
Answer. Yes, Sir. He showed me the
letter, which was a long one, and read it..
1t stated that he was to have one-third of
the profits After held the place some
time Bernard was appointed in my place,
and [ was relieved. Bernard wrote me to
see Dent, and see upon what terms he could
buy my goods. [ sold cut my stock to J.
G.. Dent at loss of about $25, 900. The
total less in my operation was about $4S,-