The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1876-03-09
W. w. BELKNAP, SECRETARY OF
WAR.
UNEARTHED IRREGULARITIES
AND CRIMINAL ROCEED-
INGS.
His Impeachment Before the United
States Senate.

His Impeachment Before the United
States Senate.
Last Friday the startling news was
flashed throughout the country that
another man, high in power and posi-
ton, had fallen through official cor
ruption.
Secretary Belknap, of the Presi'
dents Cabinet, man who had won
distinction as a Major General and
who had won great civil honors
through official trust and integrity, in
an evil hour, through the persuasions
of his wife, giddy, fashionable
woman, had departed from the path OF
rectitude and used his high office to
gain money. His fall is terrible one,
both for himself and the party which
has trusted him.
An investigating committee of the
Lower House of Congress had secured
the testimony of one Marsh, of New
I
Mrs. Belknap $4,000 for post trader
ship at Fort Sill, in the Indian Terri
tory, ana $4,000 per year ever since
1869. The matter getting to the ears
Belknap he went to the President and
rendered his resignation. which was
accepted by the President before he
knew the charges were so grave.
On the meeting of the House, Con.
gresham Clymer presented resolu-
ton of impeachment against VIM. w.
Belknap, late Secretary of War, for
high crimes and misdemcanors in Of
! flee. In the midst of great excitement
and with unusual Stiffness in the
House, Clymer rose and said, 81 ask
permission of the House to make a
report from the committee OH expen-
ditures in the War Department, of so
grave importance that | am quite GER
tain that when it is heard this House
will agree that l am justified in asking
that permission" Permission was
given, and Mr.. Clymer, taking his po-
sition at the Clerks desk, read the fol-
lowin report:
"The committee found at the very
threshold of its investigation such IN
questioned evidence of malfeasance of
Gen. w. w. Belknap, then Secretary
of War, that they found il their duty
TO lay The same before the House.
They further report that this day. at
eleven O'clock, letter of the Presi-
dent of the United States was present.
ed to the committee accepting the res
ignation of the Secretary of War, to-
gether with a copy of his letter of res
ignation, which the President inform
ed the committee was accepted about
1920 this morning. They, therefore,
unanimously report and demand that
the said w. w. Belknap, Secretary of
War. be dealt with according to the
law of the land, and to that end sub
NIT herewith the testimony in the
case, taken together with several
statements and exhibits thereto at
tached, and also a report of the pro-
ceedings of the committee had during
the investigation of this subject, and
submit the following resolutions:
"ReSolred, That w. w. Belknap,
late Secretary of War, be impeached
of high crimes and misdemeanors.
The following is the testimony of
Marsh in full as laid before Congress
The question by the Chairman
Were you or not appointed or rendered
an appointment as Post Trader at
Fort Sill, in the Indian Territory, in
the fall of 1870, by the Secretary of
War, and, if so, under what circum-
stances give US all the facts in the
case;
Answer-ln reply TO your question:
would state that in the summer of 1870
myself and wife spent some weeks at
Long Branch, and on our return to
New York Mrs. Belknap and Mrs.
Bowers, by our invitation, came for a
visit to our house. Mrs. Belknap was
i'll during this visit some three or four
weeks, and | suppose in consequence
of our kindness to her, she felt under
some obligations for she asked, one
day., in course of a conversation, why
did not apply for post leadership
on the frontier. | asked what they
were and was told that many of them
were very lucrative offices or positions
in the gilt ofthe Secretary of War;
that if | wanted one she would ask the
Secretary for one. Upon my replying
that thought such offices belonged to
disabled soldiers, and besides | was
without political influence, she ans
wered that politicians got places, etc.
do not remember saving if | had a
valuable post of that kind | would re-
member her, but do remember 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 presents, |
for man once offered him one thou |
sand dollars for a leadership of this
kind. aud he told him that if he did |
not leave the office he would kick him |
down stairs" Remembering, as do,
this story, | presume the antecedent |
statement to be correct. Mrs. Belknap |
and Mrs. Bowers returned to Wash
ington, and a few weeks thereafter |
Mrs. Delknap sent me word to come
over. did so. She told me that the |
post leadership at Fort Sill was vacant;
that it was a valuable post, as she I'M
derstood, 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 Secre-
taTy of War and, as near as | can re-
member, made application for this po-
sition on a regular printed form. The
Secretary said he would appoint me if
| could bring proper letters and rec
and this | said could
do. Either Mrs. Belknap or the Sec
rotary told me that the present trader
at the post, John S. Evans, was an APP
plicant for reappointment and that [
had better see him, he being in the
city, as it would not be fair to turn
him out of Office without some notice,
rs he would lose largely on his build
ngs, merchandise, ETC., if the office
was taken from him: and that it would
De proper and just for me to make
some arrangement with him for their
purchase, if wished to run the post
myself | saw Evans and found him
Harmed at the prospect of losing the
place. remember that he said that
irm of western post traders, who
,iaimed good deal of influence with
he Secretary of War, wished to have
lin appointed. He found, oil coming
o Washington,thi firm to be entirely
without influence. Evans first pro-
,osed a partnership, which declined,
md then bonus of a certain portion
# the profits if would allow him to
old the position and continue the
BUSINESS. We finally agreed upon
1000 per year. Evans and myself
vent on to New York together, where }
he contract was made and executed
which is herewith submitted. During