The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-03-23
What Do You Think Of Geo. H. PendletOn?

leading Democratic politicians of
the country, was before the Clymcr
COMMITTEES testifying in regard to
the transaction by which nearly
S150,O00 was received from the
United States treasury, and $780,
600 of the amount went to George
IL. The claim was made by the
Kentucky Central Railway, a line
running from Covington to Nicho-
lasville, Ky. The road was extern
sively used by the military author
tiles during the war, the Company
being compensated at tho regular
so-called military rates." The
Company accepted the allowance,
but asked for the additional allow
ance, on account of damage done
to the line by the army m ovements
in that region. The claim, S148,-
553.82, was first presented to Sec
rotary Stanton, during the war,
when all the circumstances were
fresh and well known. 1t was re-
fcrrcd to Quatermaster General
Meigs, who refused to recomm end
its payment. The claimants were
persistent, and the Secretary again
referred it to the Quatermaster Gen
cral, for further inquiry, who again
reported adverse to it. The Sec
rotary then approved the report.
Thus the evidence that the claim
had been fully examined. The rec
ords show that during a period of
sic gears no further effort was made
to press this claim.
Previous to his becoming Score
tary of war, Bclknap had married
one of the Tomlinson sisters, of
Harrodsburgh, KY. These women
were intimate friends of Pendleton,
and it is thought that they were re-
lated to each other. The younger
sister was then widow MRS. Bow
ers) and her estate was managed by
Pcndleton. Mrs. Bowers spent
much of her time in the Bclknap
mansion, and after the death of her
sister became Mrs. Bclknap. In
1870 PendletOn was President of
the railroad and also, administrator
of the estate of Mrs. Bowler, his
sister, who owned the largest part
of the stock in the road. All evil
dencc in regard to the claim up to
the time of it's final presentation
goes to show that the stockholders
had given up nearly all hope ofcv-
or realizing from it. Pendleton
made n contract with himself to
prosecute the claim for fifty per
cent. of it when collected. AS
President of the road, and as adj
of the estate, it was his
duty to prosecute the claim, any
way, providing it was a just one
and likely to be allowed.
In November, 1870, the claim
was presented to Bclknap, who re-
fcrred it to Mcigs. "That sturdy
defender of the Treasury" as he
has been justly styled, refused n
third time to recommend it's pay
mcnt. Pendlcton made legal ar
gument, which was in turn present
ed to Meigs; but he was intractable,
and said plainly that if Pendleton
had "any legal or equitable right,
the Court of Claims and the House
Of Congress- were open to him.
The consideration of the claim was
then transferred to Assistant Judge |
Acknowledgement Vim. Mckee |
Dunn for an opinion, and he rec
the allowance of the
claim in full. Belknap then en-
lorsed the recommendation, and
issued his requisition for Treasury
warrants for $14S,553.S2, payable
to Pendlcton, who was present at
he time. The requisition, war;
ants and payment were all made
n one day, showing that the matter
vas rushed through after it was
,ncc started.
After presenting the statements
named above (Which are not dis
,uted by any onc) tbs Detroit Tri-
,une arrives at conclusions as fol-
ows: at is demonstrated that q
ELECTED claim was brought to the
surface by Mr.. Pendlcton, as soon
IS a close family friend (of very
'asy official virtue, it is provcd)
vas securely seated in the War De-
in such form as to give
lin Pendlcton) heavy personal
interest in its allowance, and that
was pushed through over the ad-
'crse opinion of the man who knew
il the facts, the result being sub
~ n