Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1876-03-13
THE STORY OF BELRNAP-S
SHAME.

We cCndsuse below the glst OF the
testimony Of Caleb P. Marsh. Secretary
Belknap's aPPoiusee As post trader At
Fort sill. upon which Mr.. Belkusp vas
convicted Of such gross irregularities a.
% bring 4 blush to every citizen Of the
United states. He says that il the sum
msr Of 1870. Mrs. Belknap. the Secreta-
rvs second wife. who died the following
Decsmber. and Mrs. Bowers, the Secrs-
tary's present wife. and sister Of bis sec
ond. visited his family in New York
Mrs. Belkuap vas sick during this visit
s..n.r. r --A,, aud Els - kind
Is treated that. a. Marsh thinks. she
felt under obligatious 70 him. Az any
rate she asked him one day Why he did
not apply for post Traders position On
the frputier. add said she thought the
Secretary might Be prevailed % 70 give
IL 10 hin. The witness did not reueu-
Der saying that If be had such lucra-
tive post be would remember her. bat
did rec9llect remark made OF her to
this effect If can prevail upon the
Secretary Of War to award you = post,
you must Be careful to say nothing 10
hin about presents. for nan snee Of
fersd him ten thousand dollars fora ira
dership Of this kind. and be told him
that il be did lot leave the once. be
would kick hin down stairs A few
weeks after this be vent to Washington.
on Mrs Belknap's invitation. and ag-
piled FOR the post leadership at Fort Sill
Either the Secretary Or Mrs. BeIknap
told hin that the then trader at the
post. John ;. Evans. vas \ candidate
Tor reapPoiutuent. and that Marsh had
better see him He did 50. aud Evans
first proposed partnership. and this Be.
ing refused. offered to pay = sonus if al
lowed to hold the position and eoutinua
the business This vas accepted. an
twelve thousand dollars a year agrees
spon. 70 bs paid quarterly IN advance
When Marsh received tie first remit
tance be sent Oue- halt TO Mrs. Belkuap
After her death in December. 1870, Il,
m0iety Of the ne1t remittance was sen
directly 10 the Secretary. aud that pEac
tice had been continued 70 the preseu
time.
About tE0 years after bis agrsemsu
With Evans, the sun paid b the latte
vas redgeed 70 SIX thousand dollars
year. The fall anogn; be received froI
Evans wts forty th0usa1d dollars, one
half q Ehies vent 10 Secretary Bell
nap. On the 23d Of February Ias
Marsh vent to Washingto1. having Zee
sabp@naed 10 appear before the var 4.
partmsnt e0auittes. and had = talk Wit
Secretary Bslknap about BIZ testiuonl
The latter and bis wife discussed Il
natter with Marsh. and vhen the Iattc
suggested that he had better leave 4
country and avoid the investigation
Belknap tod hin be had better not. Al
that he (BelknaPl e01H fl Up the ma
ter. Ms Belkuap Suggested that Mar
should say that she had business ira.
saetioos With hin Tor long tine. AZ
that tie money be had sent the Secret
TVas money Ehieh ste had Deposit
Tith Mauh fr0a tine 70 tine as XIII
Of tanker, aud that Re had seat It 70 4
Secretary At her request He tod 3.
KNAPP that if he vent before the conn
tee be should ruin him. and Belkn.
sad that If Marsh Left the country
should be ruiGei. and inPlored hin
stay. Il v1s 6nally arranged betEe
Aarsh and DR. T0alinsou. = brotker-i
laS q BelknaP's. that dispatch skou
b. sent him at New York a. to Wien